Tackling female brain drain

Law firms could face a major talent drain and a blow to the bottom line if high-flying female lawyers continue to desert the profession.

Major international research, commissioned by LexisNexis and the Law Society, shows that firms need to develop and draw on a diverse talent pool to ensure ongoing commercial success.

The results suggest that the biggest changes required are cultural: flexible working, new performance measurements, and leadership programmes which veer away from the traditional male-oriented routes to promotion. However, according to one respondent: “Flexible working only works if it is not considered an alternative to career progression. Where firms adopt flexible working, and many do not in any way encourage it, it is at the sacrifice of partnership.”

The Women in the Law survey, launched at the Law Society’s International Women in Law Summit this week, also makes reference to an “unconscious bias” towards men within the profession, the challenges of a tough work-life balance, and the difficulties of combining the job with family life.

These barriers to success remain significant, despite the fact that for the past decade, women have accounted for more than half of new solicitors. One respondent commented that “it promotes confidence in clients to see staff who are reflective of society at large”, and that the lack of women partners was “a waste of training and talent”.

Although the number of female partners is increasing incrementally, nearly half of men in private practice are partners in their firm, compared with just one in five women. Aside from arguments over fairness and diversity in the workplace, many firms now acknowledge that it is simply bad management not to tap into all the talent that is available. With far more women than men leaving practice well before normal retirement age, there could also be negative commercial consequences for firms if they do not address female career development.

More than 1,100 responses were received from across the globe—90% of respondents were female. Judy Vezmar, LexisNexis international chief executive, said: “We had an extraordinary response to the survey. It is clearly a hot topic and quite provocative.”

Law Society President John Wotton, said: “These results demonstrate that the drive for change is ever present but a lot more needs to be done.”