Firms Set Women Partnership Targets

A number of law firms have set targets for women in partnership.

Last week Taylor Wessing announced initiatives that would help reach a 25% figure by 2018. Herbert Smith Freehills also announced a similar target, aiming for 30% female partnership by 2019.

On top of this, magic circle firms Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, Freshfields and Linklaters all have an aim of 30% female partnership by the end of 2015. The initiatives come after a 2012 study that revealed men were ten times more likely to rise to partner level than women. This is despite the fact that in 2012, women made up 62.4% of students accepted onto university law degree courses. Additionally, 61.5% of trainees were female and as of July 2013 and 48.6% of solicitors on the Roll were women.

Margaret Hatwood, chair of the Association of Women Solicitors London and partner at Anthony Gold, said, “[I work in family law], which has a good, strong tradition of female lawyers. But there are areas where women are not well represented, such as commercial law. Anything that can be done to [help] career progression will be superb.”

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