Originally published on June 7, 2010 in our free BigLaw newsletter.
My previous column,
Large Firms Are From Mars, Female Lawyers Are From Venus, discussed several recently-released studies that highlighted the perceived gender inequities of life in the large firm world — with respect to origination credit, compensation, rainmaking, and general workplace parity. BigLaw readers shared some interesting thoughts on the topic, which I've collected here.
The results of these studies came as no surprise to many female large firm lawyers, some of whom acknowledged the difficulty of balancing work and motherhood, and, on a more basic level, the unique challenge that law firm life presents for women.
However, some readers scoffed at the notion of law firm discontent as a gender-specific phenomenon. "In point of fact," posited one, "all but a handful of male partners at large law firms would have the same complaints. In every large firm, there are a few significant rainmakers who carry more clout than other parties and thus influence the inner circle of managers who make compensation decisions. Partners outside that inner circle — whether male or female — often feel they have not gotten a fair shake in compensation decisions but are discouraged from appealing those decisions either because of intimidation or recognition of the sheer futility of an appeal."
Another reader pointed out that men and women may differ fundamentally with respect to what makes them feel engaged, appreciated, and successful — even when the ultimate reward is the same. Compensation and origination credit are examples of this circuit split between the sexes: a system of shared origination credit, notes one reader, encourages collaboration and may result in a more equitable distribution of the compensation pie.
But, she reported, the women at her firm seemed much more willing to share credit and compensation in ways that "made the pie bigger for everyone." The men at the firm, however, were "more territorial," and tended to focus more on "making their slice of the pie bigger." Asked what, if anything, might make female partners happier and more successful in the law firm environment, she responded with a chuckle. "I think you'd have to redefine 'happiness' or redefine 'success,'" she said. "Either way, something has to give."
One respondent, who weighed in on why women-dominated firms are not more prevalent, suggested that "it's probably not a question of 'if,' just 'when.'" Despite the sense (and the research-based indicia) that women have not managed to gain equal footing at law firms, she noted, "we're a lot farther along then we were twenty years ago."
"I think we need to be patient," she continued. "Many of the younger women in practice now didn't experience the absolute barriers to entry that their predecessors encountered. For better or worse, we grew up in an environment in which we could expect the same access to professional opportunities that our male peers were afforded. Trying to make those opportunities work for us is the next challenge, and it may take another generation for that to happen. There are still too many older men in the partnership ranks who simply don't appreciate the challenges presented by working motherhood."
Several women pointed out that, as a general matter, women tend to take a larger role in childcare and handling parenting duties. "The expectations of many of the men I work with simply don't factor that in," said one. "I'm expected to be a full-time lawyer, and it doesn't occur to them that I'm also a full-time mother."
As a result, noted another reader, "we — as women — may have to spend a few more years gaining confidence about our ability to practice alongside male lawyers as equals. Hopefully, at some point, women will ask themselves why they feel the need to achieve in that environment. Why not be a superstar in the context of a firm where work truly is flexible enough to accommodate your needs as a mother? I can't help but think that, sooner or later, women will conclude that sometimes it takes a village to raise a child because Mommy has to make her hours for the month, but also has to pick her kid up from daycare. I suspect that if I worked in a female-dominated firm, the other villagers would help me figure out how to make it work."
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