Women failing to make partner, while profession hinders return after child care

EXODUS: firms must change to hold on to staff, urges Association of Women Solicitors

The legal profession is facing an 'exodus' of women lawyers because of a long-hours culture and lack of flexible working arrangements, the findings of the first quantitative research into the issue have suggested.

The study by the Young Solicitors Group, Association of Women Solicitors (AWS) and Law Society also quashes the anecdotal belief that women are under-represented at partner level because they are relatively new to the profession.

The research found just 57% of women with 10-19 years of post-qualification experience are partners, compared to 85% of men in the same range.

Women were also less likely to be promoted to partner at 23% versus 53% of men.

Some 439 women who had stopped renewing their practising certificates during the past five years, or had gaps in their career history were interviewed.

It was found that nearly 60% cited child-care reasons for leaving, and almost 70% were deterred from returning to work because of difficulties balancing home and work life.

Half thought potential employers would have misgivings about granting flexible working arrangements, and would not offer enough support.

Some 44% said they were deterred by the profession's attitude to women.

Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva called on law firms to introduce flexible working arrangements in order to retain talented female recruits.

AWS chairwoman Fiona Muxlow said it costs around 200,000 to recruit and train a solicitor.

'If you then find you are only getting a five-year working life out of them before they go out of the profession, it makes commercial sense to introduce family-friendly or flexible arrangements,' she said.

The AWS will now work on a database of flexible working success stories.

'What we want to do is see what we can do to stop this exodus,' Ms Muxlow explained.

See Editorial, page 16 (see [2003] Gazette, 10 July)

Chris Baker