Florida Bar: Young lawyers division survey finds gender bias

Tallahassee -- The Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar has just released findings from its 2015 YLD Survey on Women in the Legal Profession, suggesting that young female attorneys continue to feel held back by gender stereotypes. According to the report, which emailed a link to a survey to a random sample of more than 3,000 female members of The Florida Bar’s Young Lawyer Division, 43 percent of respondents reported experiencing gender bias during their legal career.

The survey’s results encompassed feedback from more than 400 young female lawyers who responded between Oct. 21 and Nov. 24, 2015, and revealed a number of key findings:

• Many respondents indicated they had experienced one or more serious issues, such as gender bias and harassment from opposing counsel, and employer or the court.
• More than one-quarter reported resigning from a position due to a lack of advancement opportunities, a lack of work-life balance and/or employer/supervisor insensitivity.
• 21 percent of respondents felt that they were not paid comparatively to their male counterparts.
• 42 percent cited difficulties in balancing work/life responsibilities as a challenge or concern they face as practicing attorneys.

“There is no doubt that this presents a very sobering picture for our profession,” said Ramón A. Abadin, president of The Florida Bar. “The true takeaway from this survey lies in the comments – 90 pages of eloquent, often troubling, personal accounts and opinions – that make clear this is not an issue to be ignored.”

In a letter disseminated to bar leaders statewide, Abadin went further. “It is not appropriate for any lawyer, regardless of gender, to be made to feel diminished or disrespected by a colleague, a client or a member of the court. No lawyer, male or female, should feel forced to choose between family and career, or be penalized for trying to balance work and home, just as no law firm should place unfair expectations on its young attorneys,” he said.

“It was disheartening. I was not expecting those sort of results with it being 2016,” said Gordon Glover, president of The Florida Bar’s Young Leaders Division. “I didn’t personally think that a lot of the issues that showed up on the survey are taking place and they are. I was extremely surprised.”

According to Abadin, the findings presents not just a challenge but an opportunity, as the profession is experiencing an exciting time of change and progress. Law schools across the country are nearly evenly split between men and women. Additionally, female attorneys hold 46 percent of the leadership positions at the law reviews of the top 50 colleges and universities ranked by U.S. News & World Report. And the ABA’s top four leadership positions could soon be held exclusively by women, including the recent nomination of Florida attorney Hilarie Bass for president-elect.

“As president of The Florida Bar, I am proud more female lawyers serve in committee positions for The Florida Bar than at any point in the history of our organization, and to truly make a difference, our efforts are ongoing,” said Abadin.

Following the survey, The Florida Bar and its Young Lawyers Division are working to increase dialogue on the issue and encourage its members to work together toward a solution. In April, the YLD will host a series of events through its “Women in Law” initiative and, in partnership with the Florida Association for Women Lawyers as well as various local FAWL chapters, The Florida Bar also will host a number of upcoming discussions on gender diversity.

“It is our hope that by hanging a lantern on this issue, we can work together to ensure that all members feel respected and that hard work will yield equal opportunity,” said Abadin. “Every attorney should know, regardless of gender, that there is room at the top for them.”

Tags: Government/Politics & Law