Why do women lawyers still speak in court far less frequently than their male counterparts? I promise to provide my answer here. But first, a quick look back.

Three years ago, a committee of the New York State Bar Association conducted the first-ever observational survey asking judges throughout New York state to track the gender of lawyers speaking at proceedings in their courtrooms. The evidence gathered at that time was not encouraging, but it was widely reported, including in an opinion piece I wrote. (See “Female Lawyers Can Talk, Too,” The New York Times, Aug. 8, 2017.)