By daniel345 August 21, 2024 - 3:02am

Although women attorneys have been prominent in law for decades now (think Marcia Clark and the OJ Simpson case), there still exists some gender bias within the communities within the USA. While California can be more progressive, some states or rural communities are not. However, the main problem remains with individual’s personal perceptions of women in law.

According to the US Census, a mere 5 percent of women practiced law as of 1956, but by 2022, 35 percent practiced law. This year, the statistics show that up to about 40 percent of attorneys are female, as highlighted on barrattorneys.com. However, that still leaves a majority of male attorneys as opposed to female attorneys.

While this is an improvement, there are barriers to women attorneys. This is borne out by the latest statistics in 2022 which show that while women are closing the gap, they generally make ten percent less per year than male attorneys. There are several factors at play here.

According to many legal research teams, women do choose different types of law, as opposed to males. Ms. Clark, mentioned above, chose Criminal Defense, but women are prone to choosing environmental law or family law more than the more demanding types of law like Criminal Defense, Wills and Trusts, and Worker’s Compensation, which can come with a higher price tag and have more longevity and promotions within a law firm. Additionally, many women tend to pursue areas such as Social Security Disability, which often provide a more stable work-life balance and cater to their interests in advocacy and support.

Barr & Douds of Northern California readily welcomes any woman who is sharp and willing to learn many types of law, including wills and trusts, and elder abuse. But women can and must at times put family first, as they are seen as “nurturers” and do have to take time off for childbirth and many times child rearing, which does disrupt their careers.

Stereotypes do exist yet unfortunately, and clients can choose attorneys based on the assumption that a woman would not be as good an advocate or defender as a man. This can even happen within law firms themselves, where because women have a softer look on the outside, it can be assumed that they lack leadership traits or are somehow less tenacious than men when practicing law. It can lead to a lack of promotions and a lack of clients if a solo practitioner.

Law schools can be gender biased at times too but in a different fashion. While the number of women attending law school now is the same as men, the top law schools and universities are still dominated by males, according to Bloomberg News, which has been following the path of women in law and the bias since Hillary Clinton was first accepted to Yale University in the 1950s.

The causes of gender bias in top universities are still being studied as graduating from a top-name school or university does lead to greater opportunities as well as more income throughout the lifetime of a law career. As more law firms such as Barr & Douds, and many others, hire female attorneys and push for the abolition of gender bias, the future of female attorneys looks better each year.

Women are experts at balancing multiple tasks at once and can be a driving force in both work and family life. Overcoming gender bias in all areas including law will only enhance society and the legal profession as well. What women lack in physical stature (and this does tie into personal presence) they can make up for with a natural knack for guidance and empathy towards clients. Opening the doors to more opportunities for women in law seems to be right around the corner and is welcomed by Barr & Douds.