White Paper

The Evolution of Legal Career Options For Women in the United States

Kimberly Lerman, Atlanta Talent Manager, Legility

1 The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States

The 1950’s 04

The 1960’s 05

The 1970’s 06

The 1980’s 08

The 1990’s 11

The 2000’s 13

The Start of the “New Law” Era 15

The 2020s and Beyond 17

Contents White Paper

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AUTHOR Kimberly Lerman Atlanta Talent Manager, Legility

3 The Evolution of Legal Career Options For Women in the United States

Today, more than 50% of law school students in the U.S. are women. This is a significant milestone, because prior to the Civil Rights Movement many law schools refused to even admit female applicants. Some brave women were undeterred, matriculating at the schools that would admit them despite the grim prospects for female attorneys seeking employment with established law firms.

For instance, when judicial pioneer to clients and the legal profession. What Burnita Shelton Mathews graduated struggles and challenges have pioneering from law school in 1920 no law firms in women atorneys before us endured and Washington, D.C. would hire her, so she overcome to get us to this point? built her own practice. When she was appointed by President Truman to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia almost 30 years later in 1949, she became the first woman to serve The 1950s as a U.S. District Court judge. When it finally became more common Fortunately, legal career options for for law schools to admit women, many women have improved significantly of the female students found they were since 1920, but it has been a very gradual accused of atending only for the purpose process fraught with frustration for many of trying to find a husband. In addition, highly-qualified women. By 2020, seventy women ofen were discouraged from years afer Justice Mathews’ ground- participating in the classroom unless breaking judicial appointment, about the professor was discussing a case one-third of active federal judges are now that involved a woman. When Justice female. So while change has been slow, Sandra Day O’Connor graduated from women are successfully innovating and Stanford Law School in 1952 (afer having disrupting the traditional practice of law been a member of the board of editors to create opportunities in many working for the Stanford Law Review), women environments — which is of great benefit were not yet permited to serve on juries.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 4 Even though the women’s movement started to take hold in the early 1960s, the employment prospects for female lawyers did not improve significantly during this decade.

When Justice O’Connor applied for jobs with law firms afer graduating, she was The 1960s ofered a position as a legal secretary. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg graduated Even though the women’s movement from Columbia Law School, where she started to take hold in the early 1960s, was tied for first place in the class of the employment prospects for female 1959. Despite this accomplishment, lawyers did not improve significantly she struggled to find a job working as during this decade. For instance, now- a lawyer. Her first job was as a professor prominent atorneys such as Janet Reno where she was told she would be paid and Elizabeth Dole were rejected by major less than her male colleagues because law firms. Unfortunately, the educational she had a husband with a job. environment for women law students also did not improve significantly in the 1960s despite increasing numbers of female students at many schools. For instance, Janet Reno was one of 16 women admited to the Harvard Law School class of 1963, and at that time the only women’s bathroom on the campus was located in the basement. Elizabeth Dole was one of 24 women in a class of 550 students in the Harvard Law School class of 1965, and one of her professors sometimes asked the female students to sit at the front of the classroom and deliver a poem to the rest of the class. The process of geting admited into law school in the 1960s was also very diferent for women than for men. For instance, some women reported that during their law school admissions interviews they were told that if they were admited they would be taking a spot away from a man.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 5 Since many law schools continued to Even though law firms began to interview be concerned that female applicants female candidates with some regularity were interested in going to law school in the 1970s, many women recalled the only to find a husband, many women felt interview process as being stressful in the burden was on them to convince the ways that their male classmates did not schools that they were truly commited experience. For instance, during the 1970s to practicing law. some female law students still felt as if Throughout the 1960s, law firms were they had to convince law firms that they able to meet their stafng needs by hiring were truly planning to practice law. Many only male graduates. That changed afer law firms seemed concerned that women 1969 because of President Johnson’s would leave the practice of law afer decision to abolish Vietnam War draf a short time to have children, so some deferments for most male graduate women felt compelled to promise their students, including law students, starting interviewers that they would not have with the incoming class of students children soon afer beginning work. Also, in 1967. As a result, the law school some male interviewers did not hesitate graduating class of 1969 was the last to share their hostility towards women class of the draf era in which men were lawyers during the interview process. able to defer eligibility for the draf by For instance, a woman who graduated atending law school. This reduced the from law school in 1977 told me that number of male law school applicants, a male atorney began her interview and then the number of male law school by saying, “I hate women.” In addition, graduates, making it harder for law women sometimes experienced sexual schools and law firms to meet their advances from their male interviewers, needs solely by relying on men. and this type of behavior also permeated the law firm work environment as well as client interactions. The 1970s In the 1970s, the employment prospects for female atorneys started to show signs of improvement, in part because the During the 1970s, Vietnam War draf continued to cause an insufcient number of male graduates to the percentage meet the hiring needs of law firms. Also, during the 1970s, the percentage of law of law students students who were female reached into the double digits. In the corporate world, who were female a woman became general counsel of a Fortune 500 corporation for the first time reached into the in 1979. Despite this, many female lawyers still felt there was an open and stated double digits. hostility towards women in the practice of law during this time.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 6 Many women who were hired by law roles. At that time, many law firm partners firms in the 1970s were encouraged to felt that women were not well suited for practice in the area of Trusts & Estates the aggressive nature of litigation, which because the clients were generally was seen as the “Gladiator” area of the widows. Most law firms seemed to steer law firm where clients expected their women away from departments such as lawyers to be tough. corporate and tax, because the lawyers In addition, during the 1970s the litigation in those departments all worked with atorneys were seen as the “workhorses” male clients. Some women who were of the big law firms in terms of hours begrudgingly placed in the Trusts & billed and travel requirements. When Estates department later realized that it women were able to push their way into allowed them to have more control over litigation roles, they ofen found they were their schedule. For instance, some women assigned “grunt” work, while their male found that Trusts & Estates documents counterparts were taking depositions and could be drafed in the middle of the participating in hearings and trials. Despite night if needed. There was not usually a this, some women were able to break need for Trusts & Estates lawyers to have into the courtroom, and those atorneys access to the law firm library, or access to sometimes found they could use their large boxes filled with documents stored gender to their advantage because at the ofce, so working from home at odd they felt that women litigators were hours was doable in this practice area. As routinely underestimated by opposing a result, many women atorneys wound up counsel. However, unlike their peers in focusing their practice on Trusts & Estates the Trusts & Estates departments, some work throughout the 1970s. female litigators found it more difcult As the 1970s continued, some law firms to balance work and family obligations. started to become willing to consider For instance, litigators couldn’t always women for other types of transactional work from home late at night because the work, though most law firms remained law libraries were closed and the boxes of hesitant to consider women for litigation relevant documents were at their ofce.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 7 With so many obstacles standing between women and a partnership position, it was not uncommon for women to stop practicing law after just a few years.

Litigators also had to travel frequently and others, many women felt that there was were subject to court deadlines and trial an institutional bias operating against calendars, which made it harder for those them, and while that bias did not foreclose atorneys who had to manage both family all opportunities, it did make a partnership obligations and work obligations. position harder to atain for women due Regardless of practice area, the working to their gender. environment at law firms was ofen very With so many obstacles standing diferent for the women than the men in between women and a partnership the 1970s. One woman described this to position, it was not uncommon for me by saying that “men had the escalator women to stop practicing law afer just access and women could take the stairs, a few years. As a result, the few women but if a woman could make it up the who remained at their law firms long stairs then there were opportunities.” enough to make partner ofen found that In addition to the obstacles noted above, all of their peers, clients, co-counsel and many women also felt that their work opposing counsel were male. Further, was scrutinized more closely than that of some women who wanted to continue their male counterparts. Some women practicing law on a long-term basis found reportedly felt pressure to do everything that the law firm environment was not beter than men because they worried that right for them, so they started their own if they made a mistake, everything would practice. One woman who did so in the be harder for the next woman looking to 1970s told me that she felt the law firm get hired by their firm. Many women also environment imposed too much pressure felt that their male counterparts were on women who also had family obligations. geting assigned to the more desirable This woman lef a large law firm to get cases where there was an opportunity to away from the politics, and then on her shine, and felt that men were groomed own she was able to build a successful to be able to develop business, whereas and profitable law practice with more women were not. For these reasons and control over her own schedule.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 8 was ofen dependent on the atitude of the partners for whom they worked. Some men were more accepting of women in the workplace than others, so women had varying experiences in the ofce. When it came to professional opportunities outside of the ofce, though, many women felt excluded from the chance to socialize with and be mentored by male partners. For instance, it was common for the male atorneys to go out to lunch only with other male atorneys, and ofen these lunches took place at country clubs that did not admit women. During this time, informal training and mentorship ofered to young atorneys took place during these lunches with only s the male atorneys included. Also, at the The 1980 start of the 1980s virtually all of the law In 1981, Justice O’Connor became the firm clients outside of Trusts & Estates first woman to serve as a Justice of were male, and it was not uncommon the United States Supreme Court. for male partners to be reluctant to As the 1980s continued, some female allow female atorneys to travel with law students began to notice that their male clients or go to dinner with male male classmates began to welcome clients. In addition, many of the “client them, because the men in their class entertainment” events also took place at wanted to see women be successful at the same country clubs that did not allow the practice of law. Also, some law firms women to enter. All this made it harder for were starting to openly make eforts to female associates to build relationships hire more women, though not all of the with clients, which had the potential male partners supported those eforts. to have a significant, negative impact In addition, in some markets women with on career advancement and financial children still struggled to find employment compensation for women down the road. opportunities. For instance, women with Throughout the 1980s, many female law children would sometimes get grilled firm atorneys opted to wait until afer during interviews with questions inquiring they made partner to have children. about how they could possibly expect During this time, at most law firms the to have a job with a big law firm while partnership track was 5-6 years and also having a child. Sometimes these there was only one partner tier, full equity women found that their male interviewers partner, so once women were elected to assumed that women with children the partnership they were full partners. would be unable to travel for work. Even afer making partner, though, many Once employed, the experience of new women still struggled to balance their female lawyers at law firms in the 1980s careers and any family obligations.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 9 This was especially true for litigators who children’s afer-school activities. were subject to trial calendars and court- Law firms, however, were not inclined ordered hearings for which they had to spend the money to provide this to be present. As a result, many female technology to their atorneys. Some litigators felt the need to have more than female lawyers believe this was because fulltime childcare available to be able the law firms were run by male partners to continue working. One woman who who had no need for a laptop because made partner as a litigation atorney at a they had a wife taking care of their law large firm in 1981 decided to resign a families’ needs at home so these men short time afer making partner because could be at the ofce whenever needed. she did not want to have “somebody While many law firms were not yet else” raise her children. This woman felt focused on diversity hiring and retention that up until she had children she was initiatives in the 1980s, many large always on par with her male peers, going corporations had begun to establish back as far as her high school debate company-wide diversity goals, which led team and continuing into college, law to more women being hired and promoted school and law firm practice. She felt as in corporate legal departments. In if the only element in her life that wasn’t addition, the in-house environment ofered “balanced” when it came to gender was women another path to more senior-level childcare. As a result, even with the means positions than just those in law firms. to aford to hire childcare, she felt that her In most corporate legal departments, obligations to her family would keep her everyone on the legal team works for the from being available to work during nights same client and is focused on helping that and weekends, which meant she felt she client succeed. As a result, the entire in- could not continue working as a law firm house legal team typically works together litigation partner. towards one common goal. This in-house It is noteworthy that by the early 1980s, model appealed to some women as an laptop computers started to become alternative to the law firm model. Many available as an option to allow lawyers women who went this route were beter- some flexibility to work from outside the positioned to advance ofce. Even though these laptops were than they were on the traditional law clunky and heavy, they did allow atorneys firm partnership track, so throughout the opportunity to work from home in the the 1980s law firms found that the evenings, or for those with children to percentage of female clients work from their car in a parking lot during was increasing.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 10 By the late 1980s, women started noticing some additional, significant changes that lowered some of the obstacles they were facing in the law firm environment. Because women For instance, many of the country clubs started to admit women, and were viewed some male partners started to include female atorneys at their lunch outings. In addition, afer the first generation of as excelling in female partners were elected, the next generation of female atorneys at law skills important firms had an opportunity to be mentored by other women. Further, female atorneys for dispute interested in pursuing a career in litigation no longer felt they were working resolution, many against an institutional assumption that women did not have the toughness firms began required to succeed in the courtroom. All of these factors, combined with the encouraging increasing number of female clients, lead to significant improvement in the career female attorneys opportunities for women at law firms. to join their The 1990s litigation In 1993 President Bill Clinton nominated Janet Reno as Atorney General, and department. throughout the 1990s an increasingly greater percentage of law school graduates were female. Law firms began to focus on implementing initiatives to promote diversity in hiring and retention, and more and more women became and firms were openly hiring women into interested in continuing to work afer all practice groups, including litigation. having children. During this time, firms By this time, the nature of litigation was began having internal discussions about changing to become more focused on implementing part-time working policies setlement and dispute-resolution, to accommodate requests from women and as a result women’s “EQ” and with children, though those conversations negotiating skills were considered an were extraordinarily controversial at asset. Because women were viewed most firms. as excelling in skills important for dispute Also during the 1990s, the partnership resolution, many firms began encouraging track was becoming longer for both male female atorneys to join their litigation and female associates, so this meant that department. In addition, many firms began more of the female atorneys’ reproductive ofering women paid maternity leave, years were spent trying to “make partner.”

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 11 In addition, law firms began expecting a greater number of billable hours from their lawyers, which meant that both male and female atorneys were expected to dedicate more time to work. At this same time, a non-equity partnership tier started to become more common, and this non- equity track proved to be a way for law firms to elect female partners without giving them an equal voice to those who were equity partner. The non-equity partners also did not have the same job protections or compensation packages as equity partners, most of whom were male. While the non-equity tier allowed law firms to make it appear to the outside world as if they had women in partnership positions, in reality many of them were not on par with the equity partners in terms of their influence, standing at the firm, or compensation. Given the fierce disagreement and controversy around allowing part-time drafing articles, and volunteering in the associates, law firms ofen did not community. Unfortunately, many women implement an ofcial part-time policy until found that their firms did not respond a “rock star” female associate requested by rewarding this non-billable work to work part-time. As these policies financially. In addition, women weren’t became more common, many women always comfortable speaking up for began to realize that if they returned from themselves when it came to their maternity leave to a part-time working compensation packages. arrangement, their law firms may stop Throughout the 1990s, most of the advancing their careers. Instead, many senior partners at law firms were law firms focused on the benefits they men and they typically held on to the were geting from retaining these female origination credit for their firms’ work atorneys without focusing on what the for clients brought into the firm 25+ years firms could ofer to these women in earlier. In many cases, younger partners terms of their career development. were doing the bulk of the work to With more women staying in the work maintain and expand these relationships force longer, law firms increasingly but were not geting financial credit benefited from the tendency of women for doing so. These younger partners to be team players willing to step-up included many women who weren’t and help with non-billable projects comfortable elbowing their way into such as pro bono representation, the discussions about assigning serving on firm commitees, recruiting, origination credit.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 12 Ofentimes, this lef female non-equity partners feeling as if they weren’t geting compensated adequately for the work they were doing, and as a result, women sometimes lef their law firms due to frustrations over their compensation 48% package. In addition, many law firms were still more inclined to groom new Percentage of all female male atorneys for equity partnership summer associates in the roles, rather than women, because it was assumed that the male atorneys would United States in 2005. continue working for the firm long enough to become eligible for a partnership position. Some young female atorneys felt they weren’t geting the same mentorship, the same client exposure, or the same opportunities to shine that their male colleagues were receiving, and 44% were concerned this would put them at a Percentage of full-time disadvantage when it came time for the firm to elect new partners. This caused female associates in the some women to question whether the United States in 2005. law firm environment was the right fit for them. At the same time, many top female lawyers were able to land coveted in- house positions. Others, however, wound up giving up the practice of law altogether. in those positions as well. Fortunately, corporate diversity eforts led more women to take on roles as in-house The 2000s counsel, and as women became law firm By 2005, women represented 48% of clients and corporate decision-makers, all summer associates in the United they began to have some leverage to States and 44% of full-time associates. advocate for changes at the law firms However, while women were making pitching for their business. Most of the great strides in these more junior-level law women in these in-house roles began firm roles, the percentage of women in their careers at law firms, where they partnership positions was not increasing became familiar with the process for at a similar rate and women were still assigning origination credit, and now that underrepresented in equity partnership these women were in a position of being positions. Along those same lines, while a client, some were able to influence the number of female general counsels at their outside law firms to fairly assign Fortune 500 companies also continued to origination credit to female atorneys who grow, women remained underrepresented were handling their maters.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 13 Throughout the 2000s many law firms typically allowed, these jobs became were showing an increased willingness to so coveted that demand outweighed ofer part-time associate-track positions, the supply. As a result, many well- and while this was becoming more credentialed, highly-regarded atorneys accepted by the senior partners, the (both male and female) spent years option was far from perfect. The feedback pursuing in-house opportunities without provided by many women about the success. However, the atorneys who realities of this working arrangement has were able to land an in-house job ofen been fairly consistent from 2000 through found that a beter work-life balance today. Ofen part-time associates work was atainable even as they sought to full-time (or close to full-time) hours, but advance to leadership positions. That said, they only get paid for part-time work. male general counsels were, on average, This is because it is common for women earning more money than their female working under part-time arrangements counterparts, and that well-known frequently to be called upon to do large fact may have deterred some women amounts of non-billable work, such as from pursuing a demanding general prepare for and atend client pitches, counsel position if the compensation handle pro bono maters, serve on ofered didn’t reflect market rate for law firm commitees and engage in their male counterparts. community and civic volunteer projects. During the 2000s, new forms of Women have shared that they feel more technology had begun to permeate pressure to participate in non-billable everyone’s lives, and law firm managing activities than do their male counterparts, partners were providing laptops, cell and as a result may wind up working full- phones and/or blackberries to their time hours but geting paid for part-time firm’s atorneys. While this ofered some work. Even into the 2020s, this scenario flexibility for lawyers to be away from the continues to lead some women to give ofce but still available to their clients up their law firm careers before becoming during the workday, it was a double-edge eligible for a partnership position. sword for those seeking to maintain a While many in-house legal positions healthy work-life balance because it also provided more flexibility than law firms provided an avenue for clients to reach atorneys at nights and on weekends. As a result, while technology helped create some flexibility for atorneys during working hours, and also allowed lawyers the option to work from home (or elsewhere) on nights and weekends, technology simultaneously made it harder for atorneys to disconnect from their work obligations during the evenings, weekends and holidays. Suddenly, atorneys felt obligated to be “on call” at all hours of the day and night to answer phone calls and respond to emails.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 14 In response to the growing demands placed on lawyers, the legal industry The Start began to evolve in ways that would soon lead to a disruption in the traditional practice of law. For instance, companies of the “New emerged to provide new types of employment opportunities for atorneys Law” Era looking for flexible career options that In 2010, at a time when three of the nine would still allow them to engage in a Supreme Court Justices were women, sophisticated practice of law. One such the U.S. was starting to recover from the company, Legility, provides opportunities “Great Recession” and many general for lawyers to work on a contract basis counsel faced pressure to reduce their supporting law firms and corporate legal legal expenditures. Also, many companies departments. Legility’s flexible legal talent had been forced to reduce headcount and business was created specifically to were still in the midst of a hiring freeze. provide an avenue for talented atorneys As a result, many general counsel had to obtain flexibility while also remaining to find ways to reduce outside counsel engaged in a sophisticated practice of spend without adding internal resources. law. This model provided a benefit not At the same time, many highly-regarded, only to atorneys looking for a flexible well-qualified lawyers were out of work work environment, but also to clients as a result of reductions in force at their looking for flexibility to meet their legal companies during the recession. From this needs, because it ofered corporate legal backdrop, the New Law era emerged. departments and law firms a source of high-level, experienced atorneys to help The timing was ripe for this disruption fill temporary and part-time needs. The within the legal industry, because at model also addressed the realities forced the same time that general counsel by women seeking work-life balance became more willing to consider hiring who were "part-time" associates working contact atorneys to provide overflow fulltime (or nearly fulltime) hours, but only assistance to their teams, there was also geting paid for part-time work — this is an abundance of extremely well-qualified because atorneys working on a lawyers interested in finding contract contract basis are paid for each and work. Many general counsel found that every hour they work and do not have working with contract atorneys was a the added obligations of performing cost-efective alternative to paying large non-billable work. law firm rates.

Legility provides opportunities for lawyers to work on a contract basis supporting law firms and corporate legal departments.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 15 Moreover, because New Law companies such as Legility were willing to provide contract atorneys on either a part-time or full-time basis, general counsel were able to assemble a highly-customized legal team that included the right subject mater experts working the exact % amount of hours required to meet their 31 companies’ needs. It wasn’t long before many atorneys doing contract work found that they preferred the flexible working arrangement, and many of them decided not to return to “permanent employment.” Percentage of women that by 2019 As word spread about the healthy work- held General Counsel positions. life balance that could be achieved by contract atorneys who wanted an advanced practice of law AND flexibility by starting with eDiscovery or due at the same time, more and more diligence document review work, as well atorneys began to transition to a as more substantive work such as legal contract atorney career track. research and writing and contract drafing New Law companies became part of and negotiation. At times these roles the mainstream legal industry, and many lead to opportunities for advancement expanded their service oferings to into project-management roles or to provide even more options for atorneys more sophisticated legal work. This new seeking a flexible work environment. avenue for re-entering the workplace has These new services also provided general provided atorneys with a path to resume counsel with additional cost-efective their legal careers afer taking time away options for meeting their companies’ from the practice of law, which has been legal needs. For instance, Legility began a benefit to many women lef their law to ofer a variety of types of managed firm jobs to focus on family obligations. services, a model under which teams During this period of growth in the New of atorneys can quickly and efectively Law industry, women continued to make handle large volume projects such strides in law firm and in-house roles as eDiscovery, contracts review, due as well. For instance, by 2019 in the U.S., diligence, and compliance projects in women held 31 percent of the General a cost-efcient manner. Counsel positions. And more than ever Some lawyers also discovered that New before, the variety of career options Law companies provided them with a way available for lawyers made it easier for to re-enter the work force afer taking both male and female atorneys to find time away to focus on other obligations. the right career-track to fit their desired For instance, many New Law companies lifestyle. Hopefully this broader-base of provided opportunities for lawyers who possible career tracks for atorneys will had been away from the practice of law continue to lead to increased career for 5-10+ years to re-enter the workplace longevity for more and more women.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 16 trainers, artists, caterers, entrepreneurs, The 2020s etc. Also, it is now common to see atorneys return to the practice of law afer taking a break from their careers. and Beyond These changes are largely a result of Now that we’re into the 2020s, about innovation in the industry that was one-third of active federal judges are driven by women. female and it has become common The changes engineered by the women to see women in the Board room, the who founded New Law companies C-Suite, equity partner and managing recently have shown to be of benefit not partner ranks, and even as Vice President just to individual atorneys and clients, of the United States. At the same time, but also to the legal profession as a there are now many New Law working whole. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic environments which ofer flexible hours reminded us all about the importance of so that working parents have the flexibility, and New Law companies ofered opportunity to practice law fulltime the legal industry the flexibility needed to while also being at home. re-balance resources. This re-balancing The New Law era also has made it easier was critical because the crisis caused for lawyers to participate in the gig companies in some industries, such as economy, which is of particular interest grocery stores, products manufacturing, to some recent law school graduates. home improvement, and home delivery to A significant number of these junior experience a sharp increase in business. atorneys have chosen to work for a Many companies in these industries New Law company as lawyers while also needed temporarily to increase their pursuing other careers; for instance, at workforce to meet the new demands Legility we have had lawyers work for placed on their business as a result of us practicing law while also working as many people sheltering in place for an professional photographers, athletic extended, but temporary, period of time.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 17 On the flip side, other industries such as The New Law industry initially emerged, travel, entertainment, and oil & gas saw in large part, to provide an alternative a sudden decrease in demand for their working environment for atorneys products/services and were forced to looking for a legal career which ofered furlough or lay of a high percentage of flexibility, many of whom were women. their workforce. A number of atorneys At the same time, women were becoming employed by companies which were increasingly prevalent in the equity negatively impacted by the pandemic partner ranks and the general counsel found themselves suddenly out of work, seat. The legal career options available and many of them became interested in for women have come a long way since doing contract work. At the same time, Burnita Shelton Mathews graduated from companies which saw a temporary uptick law school in 1920. One hundred years in their business from the pandemic were later, there are more women than men in need of additional resources to help graduating from law school each year, meet their spike in business. New Law and women are well-positioned to make companies were perfectly positioned to further inroads into the positions of power provide companies with well-qualified and influence in the legal community. contract atorneys to provide temporary Women are also well-positioned to legal support. This temporary reallocation further disrupt the traditional legal of atorneys allowed many lawyers to industry by continuing to find new and remain employed and allowed many innovative ways to pursue a challenging general counsels to alleviate the increased and sophisticated legal career while also workload placed on the permanent preserving a healthy work-life balance. members of their team as a result of the sudden, unexpected, temporary growth in their business.

About the Author Kimberly Lerman is a Legility Talent Manager in Atlanta. She works primarily with atorneys, placing them in a variety of positions in corporate legal departments across numerous industries as well as at law firms. Prior to the start of her career in recruiting in 2015, Kimberly spent 15 years practicing law in Atlanta, and she was involved in hiring atorneys throughout that time. In her last legal role she served as Vice President & Associate General Counsel for a large company in Atlanta. In addition to seven years of in-house experience, Kimberly also worked as a litigation associate at local law firms, including several years at both King & Spalding and Eversheds Sutherland. Throughout her law firm tenure, Kimberly was involved with interviewing law students and lawyers at job fairs, on-campus interviews and onsite interviews. She also was a member of the Hiring Commitee at Eversheds Sutherland from 2005 – 2007. Kimberly currently serves as Co-Chairman of the Duke Atlanta Women’s Forum, and is a Member of the Duke Law Atlanta Board.

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We transform legal teams by designing best-in-class, seamless legal experiences, driven by strong values and rooted in the world-class technology, strategy, and talent required for operational excellence. Everyone and everything at our company is driven by a core mission of building strong and proactive relationships between lawyers and their clients — whether those clients are internal or external. Our lean, interdisciplinary teams work in close collaboration with our clients, helping them to in turn solve their clients’ biggest problems. Our lawyer-centric, data-driven approach focuses on creating a seamless experience across all operational areas — from litigation to risk and compliance, from contract review to case strategy. This unified legal experience results in a much more consistent, impactful, and valuable relationship between legal teams and their clients and business stakeholders. Legility is a legal services company providing data hosting and management, technology-enabled services, consulting, flexible legal talent, and managed review services to in-house law departments and law firms. Legility is not, and none of its afliates are, a law firm and does not provide legal advice as part of its services and nothing contained herein should be construed as such.

The Evolution of Legal Career Options for Women in the United States 20