Equally Present In Law Schools, Where Are The Women In BigLaw?
According to recent ABA findings, nearly half (46.7%) of current law students are female. With that statistic in mind, what might one expect for the male/female split in major law firms? In its annual survey of the top 350 law firms, the National Law Journal found that women accounted for a third (33.4%) of these biglaw attorneys — virtually unchanged from the previous year’s findings. Female membership in the “club” of biglaw equity partners is currently 15.9% — up slightly from the year before.
Source: National Law Journal | Percentage of Women in NLJ 350 Law Firms Remains Low
As Employers Seek Credit Checks, More States Saying “No”
Nevada became the latest state to outlaw employer demands for credit checks. This privacy protection is in keeping with concerns that credit-based exclusions could perpetuate a cycle of unemployment for certain individuals. Nine other states currently provide similar protections against employer credit checks, including: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. According to the Proskauer Rose firm, numerous other states and localities — including New York City — also are considering these measures.
Source: Lawyers.com | States Outlawing Employer Demands for Credit Checks
Parents Still Want Children To Be (Or Marry) Lawyers
In a recent survey by Lawyers.com, a majority (64%) of U.S. parents indicated that they would be supportive of a child’s decision to become a lawyer. In a related question about the desirability of marrying a lawyer, mothers and fathers were of differing opinions: 55% of mothers favored their children having a lawyer as a spouse; only 38% of fathers, however, shared this sentiment.
Source: Global Legal Post | US parents still want children to become lawyers
Commentator: BigLaw Focus On Short-Term Profitability Is Short-Sighted
Editorializing about the findings of a recent Altman-Weil survey, Am Law Daily commentator Steven J. Harper remarked that managers of big law firms need to address economic trends and shifts in how legal services are provided. Harper cited the views of the survey’s author, Thomas Clay, who said many large firms are “almost operating like Corporate America . . . managing the firm quarter-to-quarter by earnings per share.” Clay suggested that firms would benefit from focusing, instead, on improving value to clients.
Source: The Am Law Daily | Proof of the Profession’s Crisis
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