The VBA Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Bar Association.
Issue link: http://vba.epubxp.com/i/99281
Snapshot of women at law Árms Number of Lawyers % Women United States Total 124,912 % Minority % Minority Ofces Women Surveyed 32.61% 12.70% 6.23% 1,349 Northern Virginia 628 25.00 11.78 4.62 15 Richmond, Virginia 647 30.29 6.34 3.86 6 13,279 34.38 6.67 2.92 11 Washington, D.C. SOURCE:NALP,2011,ofoóceslistedinNALPDirectoryofLegalEmployers A look at partners and associates Number of Partners % Women United States Total 56,599 % Minority % Minority Women 19.54% 6.56% 2.04% Number of Associates % Women 56,599 % Minority % Minority Women 19.54% 6.56% 2.04% Northern Virginia 293 14.33 6.48 1.71 293 14.33 6.48 1.71 Richmond, Virginia 314 15.61 4.46 1.59 314 15.61 4.46 1.59 5,396 20.33 8.10 2.54 5,396 20.33 8.10 2.54 Washington, D.C. SOURCE:NALP,2011,ofoóceslistedinNALPDirectoryofLegalEmployers "I was very determined that I was going to keep working," she said. "I enjoyed my work." Gould said her workplace allowed her the fexibility to balance her responsibilities, but she said she understands why some women leave private practice to pursue careers in other areas of law. Te path to equity partnership is driven by bringing in business, which requires mentorship and a heavy investment of time early in one's career. She said women still face obstacles when it comes to competing with their male colleagues to bring business to their frm. "Many women who work in large frms feel like they are banging their heads, not against the glass ceiling, but against the high and hard shoulders of the man in front of them," Gould said. "Tere are exceptions, superwomen who excel at bringing in business, but they are few and far between." Some lawyers believe corporate workplaces are ahead of private practice in providing fexibility that attracts and retains talented people. "It might be more family friendly working in-house, where people don't have to bill hours in order to be productive," said William Galanko, vice president of law at Norfolk Southern Corp. in Norfolk. "We try to take advantage of that 24 • VBA JOURNAL 24 • VBA JOURNAL to hire high-quality women lawyers. We try to be fexible enough that women can take a leave of absence and not be shut out of opportunities here." As women rise to leadership positions within the law, they can infuence changes that pave the way for future female lawyer-leaders. According to Demleitner, the pace of change will quicken when clients begin to demand it. "One hears that clients want to see diversity refected in the lawyers representing them," she said. "If this is truly an issue for clients – and especially for large corporate clients – law frms will feel the pressure to make changes. Tey will not only hire more but also work harder to retain diverse lawyers." Tat improves the law profession as a whole. "Te future of women in law is very favorable, and I say that from a competitive standpoint. I think the more diverse the profession becomes, the more it can attract talented people," said Robert Grey Jr., a partner with Hunton & Williams in Richmond and Washington, D.C., who is executive director of the national Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. "Tat will improve outcomes not only for women, but also for the organizations they are a part of and for the entire profession." n