Blog 24

According to a survey conducted by The Women in Law Committee of the State Bar of California there is a subtle but ever present gender bias toward women in the legal profession. They found that 85% of women felt this bias and 2 out of 3 women felt that they were not accepted as equals by their peers. In law firms where there were more females present, there was also a greater feeling of gender fairness. Minority female lawyers felt that they were subjected to bias for both their race and gender and they called it the “double bias.” Only 55% said they would prefer to work with female lawyers and 62% did not believe they had the opportunity for advancement. Women reported experiencing a negative bias very frequently; 76% from opposing counsel, 64% from clients, 48% from superiors and 43% from peers.

Those who could not deal with these biases left the firms; reportedly 35% left for this reason and 38% stayed because they felt it would not be better anywhere else. Making this move, however, maintains the status quo and the road to equality becomes prolonged. Instead, some advice for women about the gender expectations and stereotypes could be to just leave firms that are overtly discriminatory and join one that practices diversified hiring and promoting strategies. Companies that don’t value diversity will learn that their practices are wrong and will realize it when all of the women lawyers have left to join other firms. Also firms that practice the hiring and promoting of women and minorities are often more successful than those that don’t.

http://www.lectlaw.com/files/att06.htm