Introduction. Women In The Legal Profession Today Do Not

This workplace gender inequality is similarly evident in both the political and legal arenas, with 2012 statistics finding that ‘10 percent of all Federal Parliamentarians across Australia were women (66 out of 226)’. Furthermore, it has been identified that of the ‘current 932 individuals who make up the private Bar of the Queensland Bar Association, only 19.7 percent are women’, and of the whole of Queensland’s’ magistrates, only 36 out of 93, are women. As these statistics so clearly indicate, women are grossly underrepresented in the political and legal arenas, and the workplace in general. There are varying arguments that can reason this inequality, however, the most persuasive and logical places the blame on the orthodox gender roles that society has adopted and endorsed. As a result of these gender roles, men are automatically assumed to dominate more masculine occupations such as construction, engineering and law, while women often subjected to domestic occupations, such as, childcare, retail, nursing and education. Women are subsequently judged on their perceived gender role and not on their merits or competence, and are therefore unable to ‘equally contribute to and benefit from economic, social, cultural and political life’. The underrepresentation of women in the workplace is astounding and the reasons for why this inequality has riddled the Australian workforce can be answered by

"In 1950 about one in three women participated in the labor force. By 1998, nearly three of every five women of working age were in the labor force" (Heatherfield, n.d., para. 4). In 2008, the U.S. Department of labor estimates that women will make up 48% of the workforce (Heatherfield, n.d., para. 6). As the number of women in the workforce rises so do the numbers of women who hold higher titles such as Chairman, CEO, Vice Chairman, President, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, and Executive Vice President. This number has increased from 7.3% in 2000 to 9.9% in 2002 (Diversity statistics, 2006).

Gender inequality has been a hot topic throughout the last several decades. A majority of the research on gender inequality has been focused on the unequal and unfair treatment of women in the home, the workplace, in politics, etc. While research on gender inequality covers many areas of concern, it generally does not take into consideration the legal system inequalities that men may face. Also, a large amount of research has been done on unfair police and judicial interactions with men, but very little has not been done on the overall gender disparity of those seeking legal help. This research presents an exploratory analysis of gender and its influence

Despite legislation for equal opportunities, sexism is still evident in the workplace. Women have made great advancements in the workforce and have become an integral part of the labor market. They have greater access to higher education and as a result, greater access to traditionally male dominated professions such as law. While statistics show that women are equal to men in terms of their numbers in the law profession, it is clear however, that they have not yet achieved equality in all other areas of their employment. Discrimination in the form of gender, sex and sexual harassment continues to be a problem in today’s society.

“Portia’s Progress”, a speech given by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor demonstrates the numerous trials and tribulations throughout the years that women have faced during the struggle to not only practice law but to be considered an equal member in any position in the work force.

The 1873 court case “Bradwell v. Illinois” is an example of structure contributing to gender formation. Myra Bradwell was a woman who had extensive law training and was qualified to practice law. However, when she applied for a license to practice law, the court refused. The court argued that, while she was extremely qualified to practice law, granting her a license would disrupt the idea that men and women were supposed to “occupy different spheres of action, and that it belonged to men to make, apply, and execute the laws (23)” because women were unfit for civil life. Not only did this ruling affect gender formations in Illinois, it also set a precedent for similar court cases in other states.

The U.S. Supreme Court case of Bradwell v. Illinois, 83 U.S. 130 (1873) demonstrates both the history of discrimination against women based solely on gender as well as the Supreme Court’s past unwillingness to rectify gender discrimination. In this 1873 case, Myra Bradwell challenged an Illinois State Supreme Court ruling denying her admittance to the Illinois state bar despite the fact that Mrs. Bradwell passed the Illinois bar exam. The justification for why she was denied admittance to the bar was based solely on her sex, pursuant to a state law that forbade women from obtaining a law license. Bradwell brought a suit against the State of Illinois before

Although female attorneys are called assertive, they also have to be aware of not becoming the “pleasing” attorney; the attorney that wants to make everyone happy.

In this paper, I will discuss a number of topics regarding woman and the Supreme Court from historical precedents to objective research to the importance of female judges and Justices and finally to the possibilities of the future. Each of these steps is vital to fully understanding how we got to our country’s current place in female jurisprudence and creating future opportunities for women both on the Supreme Court and in all other levels of the judicial system across the United States.

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law; 2011, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p1-54, 54p

One of the largest issues in developing a career in the legal profession is diversity as there is a perceived image of the legal sector being a traditionally “white, male, middle class” profession. Harold Patrick and Vincent Kuman argue, “the concept of diversity includes acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences” . This essay will examine the social class, educational and gender barriers underrepresented groups face in developing a career in the legal profession. The effectiveness of measures taken to promote diversity in England and Wales will then be evaluated. This essay will go on to ultimately conclude that the legal profession in England and Wales has become increasingly diverse over the years, although a significant lack of diversity does still exist within the upper tier of the profession.

Private equity firms have become increasingly aware of the need to get more women involved. But how big is the problem and are new perks the way to go?

When one thinks about powerful lawyers in TV Shows or movies the first people that tend to come to mind are men. When you think of famous or popular movies that feature lawyers, you think of 'A Few Good Men, ' 'To Kill a Mockingbird, ' or 'And Justice for All, ' just to name a few, all with male leads. When you think of popular movies that feature female lawyers those that come to mind are 'Legally Blonde ' or 'Erin Brockavich, ' and Brockavich was a paralegal, not a lawyer. But when you think of TV Shows that feature or star female lawyers the list becomes longer and with more distinguished roles. There is Jessica Pearson from 'Suits ' the managing partner at her law firm, Annalise Keating from 'How to get Away with Murder ' that

In the past 3 decades, women made great advancements in the workforce. First, they have become an integral part of the labour market; they have access to higher education and consequently to traditionally male dominated professions such as medicine, law and business. While statistics show that women are equal to men in terms of their numbers in the law profession, it is not clear however, whether they have achieved equality in all other areas of their employment. In this paper, I will examine women’s experiences in the law profession; whether women are earning equal salary compared to the male lawyers, do they still face barriers that are gender related and whether they have broken the glass ceiling in a profession that is supposed to be

These numbers clearly reflect a discriminatory trend of law firms in their inability to promote women lawyers to top positions within law firms. As more women graduate law school and join the workforce, changes should be made to promote greater parity in the legal profession. In addition, women lawyers lag behind their male counterparts in pay scale.