We have long been supporters of the American Bar Association’s “Initiative on Long-Term Careers for Women in the Law” and its reports detailing evidence derived from comprehensive data-gathering and statistical analysis of survey responses. The first, statistics-based reports issued as part of the initiative painted a bleak picture. There were—and are—far too many women leaving the practice mid-career, failing to achieve equity partnership and the financial rewards that typically come with that. There were—and are—entirely different perceptions of how things are going by the men and women who participated in the survey. Women reported compensation disparities, lack of participation and a persistent failure of males dominating the legal sector to appreciate, or even recognize the problem. Men reportedly thought things were going fine.

The third of the initiative’s reports, “In Their Own Words,” released May 3, 2021, described the results of focus groups and individual interviews—mostly of women who had left their firms mid-career. This report puts a “face” on the numbers and documents the perceptions of women attorneys. A woman recounted being denied partnership because younger men have families to support. A woman described working up a case only to have men “take over” and take credit for her work. A woman said she prepared a pitch for a client, showed up at the client meeting and then was not assigned a meaningful role. Another spoke of a client who insisted that a woman be removed. Time after time, women in the focus groups told their real-life stories of instances where they believed they were being given less credit, and less money, than the men who had lesser, or less successful, roles on matters.