Women in law
Law firms are overwhelmingly white and male, despite efforts to recruit people of color from prestigious institutions.
"[6] According to a November 2015 NALP press release, at just 2.55 percent of partners, minority women remain the most underrepresented group at partnership level.
Women of color reported feelings of exclusion, isolation, and as though they were receiving more unwanted critical attention than their counterparts.
In both law firms and corporate legal departments the findings were that women of color "receive less compensation than men and white women; are denied equal access to significant assignments, mentoring and sponsorship opportunities; receive fewer promotions; and have the highest rate of attrition.
Recruiting of minority women has been increased through law firms finding summer associates by doing interviews “at the Southeast Minority Career Fair, MCCA/Vault Career Fair, Specialty Bar Association, Lavender Law Career Fair, and at schools such as Howard University School of Law and North Carolina Central School of Law.”[8] In 2010 in Canada, "there were 22,261 practicing women lawyers and 37,617 practicing men lawyers.
[9] The study included Algeria (28%), Bahrain (27%), Egypt (26%), Iran (30%), Iraq (28%), Israel (43%), Jordan (33%), Kuwait (30%), Lebanon (29%), Morocco (22%), Oman (25%), Palestine (26%), Qatar (29%), Saudi Arabia (31%), Syria (25%), Turkey (35%), United Arab Emirates (28%), and Yemen (22%).
[10] Researcher Rania Maktabi noticed that compared to other nations in MENA, women's issues in Morocco, Lebanon and Kuwait have been addressed less violently and also have the highest rates of female employment in the region.
The Austin Manifesto calls for specific, concrete steps to tackle the obstacles facing women in the legal profession today.
The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) is a United States non-profit organization founded in 1972 and based in Washington, D.C.
LEAF performs legal research and intervenes in appellate and Supreme Court of Canada cases on women's issues.
LEAF has been an intervener in many significant decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, particularly cases involving section 15 Charter challenges.
[19] WILL was formed to provide professional support, advocacy skills, and a platform for discussion on ways for development of women lawyers.
First, feminist jurisprudence seeks to explain ways in which the law played a role in women's former subordinate status.
Feminists from the postmodern camp have deconstructed the notions of objectivity and neutrality, claiming that every perspective is socially situated.
Notable scholars include: Feminist philosophy of law "...identifies the pervasive influence of patriarchy on legal structures, demonstrates its effects on the material condition of women and girls, and develops reforms to correct gender injustice, exploitation, or restriction.
"[21] As with feminism in general, there are many subtypes of feminist philosophy of law, including "...radical, socialist and Marxist, relational, cultural, postmodern, dominance, difference, pragmatist, and liberal approaches.
[21] In the United Kingdom, the first woman to pass a law degree was Eliza Orme, who graduated from University College London in 1888.
This had been challenged in 1914 in a case, Bebb v Law Society, in which the Court of Appeal found that women did not fall within the legal definition of "persons" and so could not become lawyers.
Saudi Arabia, along with several other Gulf countries, has decided to put an emphasis on promoting jobs rather than oil production to help their economy.
[23] Four years later, the first female students graduated with law degrees, but could not practice in courts, which consisted of an all-male judiciary.
"[24] The campaign brought attention to the discriminatory treatment of women who were not allowed to practice law in their own countries, despite their degrees.
[25] In April 2013, the Justice Ministry allowed a King Abdulaziz University graduate from Jeddah, Arwa al-Hujaili, to become the first female legal trainee in Saudi Arabia.
[24] As a trainee, she was allowed to practice law, similar to a "legal consultant," but given a full license after three years of apprenticeship.
[27] Zahran began her legal career with dedication to domestic violence issues, then focused on criminal law.
[22] At the end of the nineteenth century, Canadian women were barred from professional or jury participation in the legal system–women could not become lawyers, magistrates, judges, jurors, voters or legislators.
Clara Brett Martin (1874 – 1923) became the first female lawyer in the British Empire in 1897 after a lengthy debate in which the Law Society of Upper Canada tried to prevent her from joining the legal profession.
W. D. Balfour sponsored a bill that provided that the word "person" in the Law Society's statute should be interpreted to include females as well as males.
With the support of the Premier, Oliver Mowat, legislation was passed on April 13, 1892, which permitted the admission of women as solicitors.
Marlys Edwardh CM (born 1950) is a Canadian litigation and civil rights lawyer who was one of the first women to practice criminal law in Canada.
[48] Some Canadian lawyers have become notable for their achievements in politics, including Kim Campbell, Mélanie Joly, Anne McLellan, Rachel Notley and Jody Wilson-Raybould.
