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Number of women in top legal jobs hits new high
Rashid Razaq9 Sep 2008
The number of women landing senior positions with leading law firms has reached a new high, according to research.
Around 19.6 per cent of partners in the top 100 UK firms are now female - an increase of 0.6 per cent on the past two years. Although there are still four times as many male partners, the total number of equity partners - partners who have a share in the ownership of the firm - who are women has risen by nearly 4.5 per cent this year.
The City's biggest firms were found to have lagged behind smaller firms in improving the ratio of women to men but even at the 10 largest law firms 15.9 per cent of partners are now women, up from 9.6 per cent in 1992.
Pensions specialist Sacker & Partners scores highest with 47.8 per cent of partners being women. This compares with 5.9 per cent at the worst performer, boutique firm Dickson Minto.
Philip Rodney, chairman of Burness - the firm which came second from bottom - said that four women partners have been added since the survey. "Undoubtedly this is something we have to take account of for the future. We're moving in the right direction," he said.
The survey, conducted by The Lawyer, follows a report last week from the Equality and Human Rights Commission which said the number of women securing top jobs in sectors such as politics, media and law had fallen for the first time in five years.
Its report, Sex And Power, analysed 25 job categories - and found that in 12, there were now fewer women in senior positions than a year ago.
The findings led the commission to declare that the glass ceiling faced by women in the workplace is more like a "reinforced concrete barrier".
It added that after a surge in women reaching positions of power in the Nineties, progress has now slowed to a "snail's pace".
According to its research the number of women MPs, Cabinet members, national newspaper editors, senior police officers, judges, NHS executives, trade union leaders and heads of professional bodies has been declining.
However, the number of female media chiefs, MEPs, directors of major museums and galleries, chairmen of national arts companies and senior personnel in the Armed Forces had remained the same.
But The Lawyer's survey indicates progress is being made to tackle sex inequality in the legal profession.
Nabarro managing partner, Nicole Paradise, one of the few women to lead a top 100 firm, said: "As we all get better at flexible working arrangements and not expecting everybody to follow the same career path, the numbers will naturally improve."
Reader views (8)
Noel i think you are speaking rubbish, women are more than just secretaries if you look at the stats you would see that more women graduate with a upper seconds and a first compared to men and they are more then capable of doing the job set. Look what the men in high position have done to this country we are currently in a recession and all the men can do is scrach their heads and ignore the situation.
- Verity Miller, bristol, 17/04/2009 15:32
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Francesca,
If you took Noel seriously then you should consider another career
- Chris, London, 10/09/2008 10:31
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This is no surprise - the law is biased against men and man hating feminists have found yet another lucrative cash cow in the 'legal' profession. How can they lose? Women can murder, maim and falsely accuse with impunity and legal aid is given to women and denied to men. We have laws that work for women and against men. Every man who has been through a divorce or custody battle knows the score and with a domestic violence and rape industry that deems the man guilty before he's even tried and anonymity to the accuser - even multiple false accusers- the 'law' is a tool of social engineering and a gravy train for misandry, injustice and the death of the natural heterosexual family unit. The legal profession is a crime against one whole half of humanity.
- Les Richards, Ely England, 09/09/2008 22:43
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I find 'Noel's' view extremely unfair, as a law student, I know that women strive to be the best. If we shouldnt have senior positions then why is it that so many women are graduating with top law degree's from university?
Your view is extremely chauvenist and outdated.
- Francesca, London, 09/09/2008 19:27
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I believe that we should welcome women as senior figures in busineses....... they have a lot to offer and it would be old fashioned and sexist to deny this.
- Jack Lennard, London, England, 09/09/2008 17:58
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Dare one ask about ethnic minorities and the law?
- Kevin, London, 09/09/2008 17:40
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I think that the fact that there are less women in senior positions now than there was a year ago is startling evidence that the promotion of women was a short-lived experiment that has failed. Once promoted to their level of incompetence, they have either failed to perform and been ousted or just failed to cope with the stress and quit.
- Chippy, London, London, UK, 09/09/2008 16:31
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This is of great concern - do we really want women in senior positions in law firms. I accept they have their place as secretaries.... but senior positions, very risky.
- Noel, Stockwell, 09/09/2008 13:03
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