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The successes and shortcomings of firms advancing women in law
Here, two partners from a BigLaw firm delve into the various contributions – both beneficial and detrimental – of law firms to promoting and supporting women within the legal profession.
Grace Robbie
Speaking on a recent episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, two partners from Holding Redlich, Megan Cant and Sarah Butler, discussed the actions undertaken by law firms that both positively and negatively influence the advancement of women in the profession.
Butler elaborated on the current performance of law firms, noting that while they are “doing well in some areas”, she also indicated that they “could be doing better in other areas” to achieve genuine equality within the workplace.
One of the most concerning realities regarding law firms not adequately supporting women’s advancement, as discussed by Butler, is the existence of a significant gender pay gap highlighted in a recent report.
“On the pay disparity point, there was some pretty sobering data that came out of that report, [with] the median total remuneration pay gap [being] something like 22.9 per cent in the industry,” Butler said.
However, she conveyed a sense of optimism by highlighting that Holding Redlich is actively working to reduce the pay gap.
“I’m pleased to say that Holding Redlich is well below the legal sector average. We’ve got a median total remuneration gap of 2.1 per cent, which is great,” Butler noted.
By publishing such data to the public, Butler asserted that this practice not only holds companies accountable but also highlights the critical need to address the gender pay gap within the industry.
“Releasing that kind of data, I think, is beneficial because it shines a light on gender pay gaps at an employer level and encourages organisations to take a really meaningful look at the proactive steps that they could be taking to close that gap,” she stated.
Butler examined how firms’ recent implementation of flexible work arrangements has successfully supported women in the legal profession.
She explained this is the case as these arrangements have significantly alleviated some of the pressures employees with families face, allowing them to balance their professional and personal responsibilities better.
“In terms of flexible working arrangements, there’s obviously been a huge shift since COVID in particular, in relation to what it means to have a flexible working arrangement.
“Firms, in particular, have taken that on board and really look to see how they can implement flexible working arrangements, which I think kind of relieved a lot of pressure for people with families,” Butler stated.
She went on: “Because it means that you can take a more creative approach to how you can squeeze your work into that family work dynamic, which has been really helpful because if we’re being honest, private practice is not a nine-to-five job, and being able to be a bit creative and flexible there has been hugely helpful.”
Cant echoed Butler’s sentiments on work/life balance, noting that the “growth of work/life balance as a topic goes hand in hand with that increased awareness and support for gender equality and the discussion that’s happening”.
She expressed optimism regarding the trajectory of the legal industry by highlighting that law firms are progressing beyond mere “tokenistic” gestures and are instead implementing more substantive initiatives towards gender equality.
“From what I’ve observed … we’ve moved beyond that tokenistic kind of discussion about it, and our discussions are more conscious of the efforts about what it is that we’re aiming to achieve with gender equality and how we can get there,” Cant said.
However, Cant acknowledged that more needs to be done to tackle the deep-seated biases and stereotypes that continue to hinder women’s progress in the field.
“[But] I’ve been hearing still about unconscious forms of bias and stereotypes that still exist in the industry.
“We’re still encountering subtle forms of bias and that perception that perhaps female lawyers aren’t really aiming for leadership potential and promotion potential as well. So it’s certainly an issue that’s still present in the industry,” Cant noted.
