Flexible working needed to boost the number of female partners, top women lawyers say
Some of Australia’s most senior female lawyers say flexible working is the key to boosting the number of women in the upper echelons of the profession.
Flexible working in a post-Covid environment is critical if the legal industry wants to boost the number of women in senior roles, according to leading female lawyers.
The number of women in the profession now outstrips men. Since 2011, the number of female solicitors has increased by 67 per cent while male solicitors are up just 26 per cent.
Women also now outnumber men in government, corporate and community legal sectors, according to a report by the Law Society of NSW.
But when it comes to the upper echelons of the profession, women are under-represented, making about 30 per cent of partners in law firms.
DLA Piper managing partner Australia Amber Matthews said flexible working options for herself and her husband were key to her success as they allowed her to balance the stresses of work and family life.
Ms Matthews’s husband Fraser took charge of caring for their two children before returning to part-time work about five years ago.
“Women want to work in organisations that support their development. Flexibility is critical to respond to their needs and Covid-19 has made flexible working the norm,” Ms Matthews said.
“One key factor leading to the attrition of women is that they are often ready to start a family at a time when their career is taking off. Some women struggle to see how they can make it work.
“Firms must make it manageable and achievable for women, and all people, to maintain a career and life outside the law. “
Ms Matthews will come together with other female members of the profession at ChilliIQ’s Advancing Women in Law conference on November 19 to celebrate 100 years of women in law and plan a pathway for the next decade.
NAB group executive for legal and commercial services Sharon Cook said the profession had made progress on gender equity over her 35-year career both in-house and at firms.
“When I had my first child 31 years ago there was no maternity leave, paid or unpaid. And there were no flexible work practices,” Ms Cook said.
“I became King & Wood Mallesons first part-time solicitor when I returned to work three days a week in 1990. So groundbreaking was that at the time that it was reported in the newspapers.”
She said flexible work conditions and gender ratio targets had to be accompanied by solidarity among women in the workplace.
“Women shouldn’t be drawbridge raisers. We have all experienced those women,” she said.
“They get into a leadership role and then pull up the drawbridge for other women following after them, enjoying their unique position. They should be Rapunzels – letting down their metaphorical hair to help bring other women into leadership roles.”
Rebecca Maslen-Stannage, chair and senior partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, said many firms were on the front foot in implementing flexible working while actually understanding the complications of balancing work and family.
“Because many women are looking to have children around the time partnership promotion usually occurs, proactively assisting aspiring and junior partners to develop and maintain their practices while taking parental leave is critical,” she said.
“Some women are afflicted by mother guilt and put a lot of pressure on themselves for not meeting their own superhuman image of the perfect parent when they are juggling work and family priorities.
“So I am big on encouraging everyone – male and female – not to judge others who are balancing family priorities and instead to be empathetic.”
General counsel and executive general manager at Origin, Kate Jordan, was formerly deputy chief executive partner at Clayton Utz where she was promoted while on maternity leave with her first of three children.
Ms Jordan said the growth of hybrid working models and the increase in men taking parental leave was heartening, but added firms must remain vigilant in ensuring women who make the choice to work remotely aren’t left behind.
“Women still bear the brunt of carer responsibilities in our society and as a result, may be more likely to embrace working from home than their colleagues,” Ms Jordan said.
“We need to ensure that presenteeism doesn’t trump substance and that women who may be less visible are given the same opportunities.”
Rachel Besley, chief strategy officer and partner at Deloitte Tax & Legal said change was in the air, with the current skills shortage in the industry forcing certain firms to prioritise inclusivity to attract staff.
“The talent shortage at the moment is forcing certain players in the legal industry to shift their policies, culture and practices to be more inclusive,” she said.
“We also need to shake up the status quo. Diversity, equity and inclusion need to be an important part of each firm’s strategy, not an afterthought or a bolt-on.”
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