A former law firm lawyer’s new book reveals surprising trends about women in the legal profession: Significant numbers of women lawyers are dissatisfied with their careers and exit early.
Author Susan Smith Blakely draws on 25 years in the legal profession to explore how women have been integrated into the legal profession and what factors have provided obstacles in their equality.
Blakely’s research reveals surprising statistics, such as: 46 percent of female American lawyers resign partway through their legal careers and do not return to the practice, 75 percent of women law school graduates who join a large firm exit them within their first five years, and six times as many men become partners as women.
According to Blakely, women incur additional hardships in their legal profession when they choose to work part time; they may become more susceptible to involuntary termination and lower their chances of becoming partners.
To read more about women in law, see the October issue of InsideCounsel. Also, visit our Transformative Leadership microsite (coming Friday, Sept. 30).
