The 2022 Glass Ceiling Report: Women In Law

  August 22, 2022, 11:02 AM EDT ·

(iStock.com/Kirill Smyslov)


Law firms are working hard to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in their ranks, but the opportunities for women at all levels are still lacking, our 2022 survey found.


Law360 Pulse's annual Glass Ceiling Report: Women In Law shows only modest growth in the number of female lawyers in private practice in the U.S., and the percentage of female equity partners remains well below parity – with firms reporting that less than a quarter of equity partners are women.

Our most recent survey of law firms reveals how women in the profession are faring today, the progress that's been made and the work that has yet to be done.

How Firms Stack Up On Gender Equity

By Gerald Schifman  |  Graphic by Rachel Reimer and Ben Jay  |  August 22, 2022

The scales of power have long been tilted toward men at law firms, and the latest survey data from Law360 Pulse shows that these dynamics are still in place. Women represented nearly one-quarter of U.S. equity partners in 2021, according to our annual survey of law firms. While this rate is the high-water mark for the sector, it's a reminder that many firms are not yet close to achieving parity.


A Deep Dive Into The Glass Ceiling Report: Women In Law

By Jacqueline Bell  |  August 22, 2022

Law firms are working to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in their ranks. But Law360 Pulse's annual Glass Ceiling Report shows only modest growth in the number of female lawyers in private practice in the U.S.


Representation In The Ranks: How Firms Are Faring

By Jacqueline Bell  |  Graphic by Jonathan Hayter  |  August 22, 2022

Law360's Glass Ceiling Report: Women in Law provides a data-driven view of U.S. law firms at the end of 2021, at a time when firms are still making only incremental progress towards parity. Here, we look at the representation of women at all levels of a typical law firm, from associates to equity partners.


These Firms Go Above And Beyond To Retain Female Attys

By Michele Gorman  |  August 22, 2022

Firms that have long touted their commitment to gender parity share the initiatives and programs that have made them stand out, from forming mentoring circles for women to changes they are thinking about based on priorities from millennials and Generation Z.


These Firms Have The Most Women In Equity Partnerships

By By Jacqueline Bell  |  Graphic by Jonathan Hayter  |  August 23, 2022

Law firms still have a long way to go when it comes to closing the gender gap, particularly at the top. But at these firms, women have made inroads into the upper ranks, and are smashing the glass ceiling that has long kept women from making it into leadership roles.


How BigLaw Is Trying To Solve Its Gender Equity Problem

By Ryan Boysen  |  August 23, 2022

Many BigLaw firms are reaching parity with the representation of female attorneys among their associates, but they continue to struggle at the level of partner and beyond. Law360 Pulse spoke with leaders at several top firms to find out what's working for them as they seek to attract and retain female talent.


Female Law Firm Founders Find What They're Looking For

By Anna Sanders  |  August 23, 2022

Women who started law firms amid the upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic are finding they really enjoy being able to direct their own careers and provide a great place to work for others, even as the challenges of growing a new business evolve.


What Mid-Law Firms Are Doing To Support Female Attorneys

By Emma Cueto  |  August 23, 2022

While the legal industry remains a long way off from gender parity, some firms are making visible strides in that direction. Law360 Pulse spoke to the Mid-Law firms that stand at the top of this year's Glass Ceiling ranking about how they support women and what has been effective in attracting and retaining female talent.


How I Owned My Power As An Asian American Woman In Law

Edited by Nataleeya Boss and Margherita Beale  |  August 22, 2022

Gibson Dunn's Debra Yang shares the bumps in her journey to becoming the first female Asian American U.S. attorney, a state judge and a senior partner in BigLaw, and how other women can face their self-doubts and blaze their own trails to success amid systemic obstacles.


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