A Look at the Challenges Faced by Female Lawyers

Some female attorneys have made huge strides in the law industry, serving some of the biggest law firms in the world. However, many other women have had problems working in an industry they describe as “gender biased”. Nothing is factual when it comes to the challenges of working as a female attorney, but many people believe it’s much harder for women to make a success out of their careers because of the obstacles that prevent them from doing so. So, what are the obstacles? And what problems do some female lawyers face on a daily basis?

Gender Bias

It’s one of those industries that is predominantly male dominated. This doesn’t necessarily mean the industry is gender biased, but there have been cases where female lawyers haven’t had the promotions they’ve worked so hard to earn just because males have been picked in front of them. Some female lawyers have even gone as far to say that men haven’t deserved the promotions, as they haven’t served the company for as long as they have. Some women lawyers find it a very hard industry to make a success in because of the competition with men. In fact, not many female lawyers make it as a partner in law firms, and that could suggest it’s a very gender biased industry.

Sexual Harassment

Again, this is no reflection of the legal industry itself, but because it’s a male dominated industry, some successful female lawyers have outed some of their male colleagues in sexual harassment claims. This, of course, doesn’t suggest all women are going to be victim to such behavior in the workplace, but it’s still a strong claim and the law workplace environment is not short of such claims either.

Bullying

Another challenge that most female lawyer’s face is being the victim of a bully. While this, usually, doesn’t take place in the office itself, some successful attorneys have said they have been bullied by other lawyers who they’re working against in court – and usually, they’re males.  

Long Working Hours Make Home Life Harder

Many women in the industry have families and are parents of younger children. Therefore, the long working hours that are expected of them make it much harder for them to become a success. The hours of learning, being in court, and filing paperwork is practically endless. Men, however, are usually not single parents, so they have a better chance of working and learning more with less stress on their plates. Some female parents don’t have the time to take advantage of the Practice Management Institute program run by Lawbiz and that can sometimes have an impact on their careers.

In conclusion, whether it’s factual or not, it seems female lawyers have a tougher time of making a success out of their legal career. Of course, with all the obstacles and challenges that females face in the industry, many of them do make hugely successful careers and they don’t let anything get in their way.