As part of Law360’s coverage of International Women's Day, Milbank associate Micaela Manley was quoted in Law360’s Modern Lawyer column on the state of gender equity in the legal field, and her hopes for progress and future change.
Ms. Manley, a member of the firm’s Litigation & Arbitration Group, notes that while decades have passed since the first US woman lawyer, Arabella Mansfield, was admitted to the Iowa bar, there are still limitations within the profession. She comments:
Merriam-Webster defines opportunity as "a favorable juncture of circumstances." Women in the legal industry have always taken opportunities when circumstances are not favorable. More than 150 years ago, Arabella Mansfield was admitted to the Iowa bar. The "law on the books" described "any white male citizen" as eligible to be a lawyer. She argued that nothing in the law forbade a woman to be a lawyer, and she won the right to be an attorney.
Decades later, women in the legal industry have endless opportunities — the only limitation is, still, our gender (the same must be said for race). Attorney attrition rates of women and people of color are still disproportionate. Today's cultural climate, however, demands advancement of women in the legal industry.
While women at the "top" are few and far between, women represent nearly half of up-and-coming attorneys. Peer advocacy and support as well as targeted training programs improve firm cultures and workplace micro-environments, which either encourage or inhibit women. By cultivating inclusivity as the custom, change is possible over time. While the legal industry's structural shift from patriarchy will not happen overnight, I'm reminded that big ships take the longest to turn.
To read the full article, “Women Leaders, Junior Attys On Gender Equity Battles Ahead,” please click here. A Law360 subscription is required for access.
