Less than a third of partners in private practices are female solicitors, a new report has revealed.
The research, published by the Law Society of England and Wales to mark International Women’s Day earlier this month, suggests that despite “great strides”, there is still a “long journey to gender equality” in the legal sector.
According to the report, entitled Women in Leadership in Law report: The need for gender equality in the legal profession, women made up more than half of practising solicitors in 2018, but the profession “continues to be led predominantly by men”.
The figures indicate that 62.2 per cent of new solicitors in 2018 were women, but less than a third (30.8 per cent) of partners in private practice were women.
The study also shows a sharp difference in opportunities in certain regions of England and Wales, particularly at senior levels.
According to the report, firms have a higher than average proportion of female partners in the East Midlands, Wales, East and South East. In London, however, firms have the lowest proportion of partners who are women.
Commenting on the figures, Christina Blacklaws said that with so many “smart, talented women” entering the profession, it “simply does not add up” that female solicitors are struggling to compete with men for senior leadership positions.
“More than half of the respondents we interviewed in our survey on women in the law cited perceived unconscious bias as the greatest barrier to women’s career progression with an overwhelming 91 per cent saying flexible working is critical to improving diversity,” she said.
“As a profession which endeavours to uphold justice, the legal profession needs to lead the way in the fight for equality in the workplace.
“To create a more diverse senior leadership, diversity and gender equality must be placed at the heart of business decisions. The profession needs to come together to combat unconscious bias, encourage flexible working and meet both men and women’s working needs.”
To read the report in full, please click here.