So women solicitors are still earning nearly a third less than men, according to Law Society research. Shocking, yes. Surprising, no – we know there is a long way to go.

After all, women tend to be newer entrants to the profession with fewer years’ PQE under their belts, are more likely to take career breaks, and are more prevalent than men in some of the least remunerated areas of the law, such as family work. The research also showed that women are more likely than men to say they ‘do not want the stress’ of partnership.

But how do you explain this: for every hour billed, women are paid less than men. That includes men and women in exactly the same practice area, with precisely the same PQE.

Albeit that the information supplied for the survey was self-reported, women are doing the same job as men in a shorter timeframe, and getting paid less for it. They work fewer hours than men, but – no doubt through considerable effort – still manage to bill the same number of hours.

But while men will earn 0.9% more for every 100 extra hours they bill per year, women get absolutely no increase in pay for their extra graft.

It is small wonder, then, that so many women are choosing to leave the profession.