For several years, Russell Reynolds Associates has been collecting and examining data relating to prior experience and path taken for Fortune 500 general counsels, with a particular focus on women and their representation at the top of the legal profession.

The number of female general counsels in the Fortune 500 continues to grow, with women now holding the top legal job in 28 percent of companies, up from 26 percent last year. This is particularly poignant against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, with workplace diversity issues taking center stage and receiving more attention than ever before. Typically, underrepresentation of women is never more apparent than at the very top. Women now hold just over a quarter of general counsel positions among the Fortune 500, but when viewed together with other C-suite roles (5 percent of CEOs and 13 percent of CFOs are women), we realize that the underrepresentation of women in the top legal position is part and parcel of a broader issue.

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