New Survey Highlights Best Law Firms for Women
Women making choices about law firm employment want to know which firms will reward their talents and accommodate their interests — both personal and professional. Since 2007, annual research on that topic has been conducted by the Working Mother Research Institute and the consulting firm Flex-Time Lawyers — and these partners recently released their 2013 results.
A well-put-together Executive Summary is available here as a PDF.
Source: Inside Counsel | 50 best law firms for women
Competitive Law Firm Cultures Foster More “Strategic Flirtation”
A new study of 281 female lawyers (at 38 southeastern U.S. firms) concludes that “masculine” law firm cultures are more likely to foster “strategic flirtation” from female employees.
What’s a “masculine” culture? It’s not about the male/female ratio. Researchers used terms like “competitive, aggressive and risk-taking” to distinguish these firms from those exhibiting “feminine” cultures — with more cooperation, loyalty and empathy.
What’s “strategic flirtation”? In scientific terms, it’s “socio-sexual” behavior intended to advance one’s interests in the workplace. Just how effective is this behavior? Some of the findings may surprise you. Check out this story from The Washington Post.
Source: ABA Journal | ‘Strategic flirtation’ study
Low Number Of Minority Lawyers — Is LSAT Not A Key Factor?
On average, LSAT scores for Hispanic and African-American law school applicants are lower than those of their Asian-American and white counterparts. And lower LSAT scores result in lower law school acceptances…which result in fewer minority attorneys. Right?
The issue is not that simple, according to a recent article* by University of Virginia School of Law professor Alex Johnson, Jr. Prof. Johnson, who has served on law school admissions committees, argues that other factors (such as disproportionately large numbers taking bar exams in “low-pass” states) are more relevant to the dearth of minority lawyers.
*“Knots in the Pipeline for Prospective Lawyers of Color: The LSAT Is Not the Problem and Affirmative Action Is Not the Answer” appears in the current edition of the Stanford Law & Policy Review.
Source: National Law Journal | Don’t Blame LSAT For Dearth Of Minorities
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