Karen Dyck at Slaw asks "Where are all the women in the future of law?" From her post:
I've posted here previously about how the exodus of women from private practice might serve as an alert to the fact that something needs to change in the private practice model.
More recently, I've been wondering why it is that many of those who have left that model behind are not engaging in the current discussions about where the practice of law is headed. I suspect these women have strong opinions and good ideas about what needs to change. I'm also not hearing the voices of more recently called lawyers, although I appreciate that the pressures of the early years of practice may make it especially challenging to form an opinion, never mind to find time to weigh in.
But this is, it seems to me, the perfect moment to "lean in" and speak out about what it is that drives women out of legal practice, and even more importantly, what could be different so that more women will remain in the practice of law. At this time, when there is a growing understanding that change is not only inevitable but coming at an accelerating rate, when there is a call for innovative approaches that better meet the needs of both clients and their lawyers, there is also an incredible opportunity for women lawyers to step forward to drive and lead this process.
