National Jurist - February 2009 - (Page 8)

THEFIRMREPORT Women outnumber men among part-time lawyers Most large law firms have made parttime schedules available to their experienced attorneys for many years, but overall the number of lawyers working part-time continues to be very small. In 2008, just 5.6 percent of attorneys were working part-time and most of them, about 74 percent, were women. This reflects the fact that women are much more likely to be working part-time than men. Among women attorneys overall, 12.8 percent work part-time. Among female partners, 12 percent are working part-time. Among women associates, the rate was 9.7 percent. This contrasts with a rate of just 2 percent among all male attorneys. These are among the findings of the most recent analyses of the NALP Directory of Legal Employers, the annual compendium of employer information published by the National Association of Legal Placement. The findings In 2008, nearly all offices (98 percent) allowed part-time schedules, either as an affirmative policy or on a case-by-case basis. But as has been the case since NALP first compiled this information in 1994, very few lawyers are working on a part-time basis, even though the percentage of offices allowing part-time schedules has increased from 86 percent 14 years ago. In 1994, just 2.4 percent of partners and associates were working part-time. By 2008, the number of lawyers working parttime had crept up to 5.6 percent. The growth rate of part-time work among partners has been greater, rising from 1.2 percent in 1994 to 3.2 percent in 2008. Other lawyers, such as of counsel and staff attorneys, show the highest rate of part-time work, almost 20 percent, compared with about 17 percent in 2006 — the first year with comparable information. In 2008, nearly all associates working part-time (90 percent) were women. Among partners working part-time, 69.6 percent were women. The markets The recent data also reveal that parttime work varies a great deal by geography. The three largest markets, Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C, account for one-third of the lawyers reflected in the Directory. Part-time partners are more than twice as common in Chicago and Washington, D.C., at over 4 percent, than in New York City, at 1.9 percent. Part-time associates are also more common in Chicago (5.2 percent) and Washington, D.C. (5.6 percent) compared with New York City (4.2 Overall, number of lawyers working part-time is small, according to new study percent). About 11 percent of women associates work part-time in Chicago and Washington, D.C., compared with 8.3 percent in New York City. Looking at all cities, the presence of part-time partners varies even more. For example, part-time partners are most common in Portland, Ore., San Diego and San Francisco, with 6-7 percent of partners in those cities working part-time. Parttime women partners are most common in Boston, Milwaukee, San Francisco and Seattle. Entry-level lawyers in search of parttime schedules found their option more limited. Nationally, 52 percent of offices that offered a part-time option precluded entry-level associates from using that arrangement. Nonetheless, an entry-level’s chances of finding part-time work were somewhat higher in Cincinnati, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Miami and San Diego. The cities least likely to offer a part-time option were Austin, Richmond and Orlando. For more information on this study, see an extended version of information at www.nalp.org. Part-time work at law firms in 2008 Total # % Part-time % Who are women working part-time 2.30% 4.4 11.8 4.2 % Who are men who are working part-time 1% 0.5 8 1.5 % of Women working parttime 12% 9.7 32.6 12.8 % of Men working part-time 1.20% 0.9 12.6 2.2 % of part-time lawyers who are women 69.60% 90 59.4 74.2 Partners Associates *Other lawyers Total 61,402 62,897 13,650 137,949 3.20% 4.9 19.8 5.6 * Includes counsel/of counsel, staff attorneys and senior attorneys Source: 2008-09 NALP Directory of Legal Employers 8 THE NATIONAL JURIST February 2009 http://www.nalp.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - February 2009

National Jurist - February 2009 Contents Entertainment: Get Organized! The Firm Report: The Part-Time Lawyer News: Keeping Ethics Intact, New Law Deans, Latest Survey Findings Seattle Law Students Secure Asylum for East African Women Laptops in the Classroom Attorneys Dissect Health Law Law Students Contribute to 2008 Election Process Remembering Professors Obama and Biden Bar Exam Diaries How Well Balanced are Law Students? How to Choose a Summer Program Career Hotline Linguistic Gymnastics Disturbing the Peace

National Jurist - February 2009

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