Women remain underrepresented in top law review leadership positions, according to data from New York Law School and Ms. JD, a nonprofit supporting the advancement of women in the legal profession. Women comprised just 31 percent of editors-in-chief at the flagship journals of American Bar Association-accredited law schools last year, and only 29 percent of top editors at the flagship journals of law schools that landed among the top 50 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking, the Law Review Diversity Report concluded. That figure declined by 5 percent since the previous year.
Law review editor positions are highly competitive and often are a prerequisite for the most desirable law jobs. The disproportionately low percentage of women editors-in-chief may well factor into employment trends, researchers said. “When viewed in the context of female achievement in the legal profession, questions arise about whether the low percentage of female [editors-in-chief] is a precursor to the low numbers of women on the state and federal benches, in law firm partnerships, and as general counsel of Fortune 500 companies,” the researchers wrote.
