LSAG Legal Briefs - Vol 2

Women in Law San Francisco 2019 BY KATIE MICKELSEN & BRANDON ROSSOTTI (CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD) T he practice of law is changing at an incredible rate. However, when it comes to increasing female representation at all levels at law firms, from first year associate to equity partner, that rapid rate of change we see elsewhere is not yet echoed.

at least 40% of law students for the past 30 years and more than 50% of law students since 2016, according to the American Bar Association. However, women do continue to make some gains, with some firms reporting that they have more than 50% female non-partners and more than 30% female partners. To encourage this momentum, and to highlight and learn from some of the top female leaders in the legal industry, Cushman & Wakefield’s Women’s Integrated Network (WIN) and Legal Sector Advisory Group (LSAG) continue to host our Women in Law Leadership Event series each year. In November 2016, the inaugural Women in Law event took place in New York City at Skadden Arp’s world headquarters, with over 100 attendees joining seven of the top female law firm leaders for a lively discussion. The following year, the Women in Law Leadership Event expanded in scope, with highly successful events in Chicago at Cushman & Wakefield’s headquarters in June 2017, in Washington, DC at K&L Gates in October 2017, and back to New York City and Skadden in November 2017. In 2018, we hosted our third successful Women in Law event in New York City at the Durst Organization’s brand-new event space. At each event, law firm leaders engaged in dynamic discussions on their careers, the key opportunities and mentors that helped propel them into leadership positions, and advice for the next wave of women leaders. For its fourth year, Cushman & Wakefield took the Women in Law Leadership Event to San

Law 360’s 2019 Glass Ceiling Report notes that women represent just 36.3% of attorneys at firms – a number that has stayed consistent across the past six years of their annual law firm survey. Among non-partners, women make up 45.5% of the attorney workforce, but among partners, women represent only 24.8% of the group. At the equity partner rank, women account for just 21.5%. These numbers suggest that fewer women are rising through the ranks than men, despite representing

26 | Legal Sector Advisory Group | ADVISING FOR EXCELLENCE