The depressing statistics on female retention and advancement in law firms are unfortunately all too familiar. Based on current research, women still constitute approximately half of all law students and half of all law firm associates, but only 20 percent of law firm partners. While the causes of this decline from associate to partner remain the focus of much debate and scholarship, I submit that on a micro level the issue for many women, and in particular working mothers, comes down to one simple question: Is it worth it? That is, is the constant struggle to find some degree of “balance” between home responsibilities and work obligations worth it?
As a mother of three and a full-time litigator, this is a question I find myself asking on a daily basis as I try to ensure that my kids, colleagues and clients all feel that I’m there for them and committed to their needs. And while, after a particularly rough day or after a particularly long series of weeks, the answer may be not be so resounding, I have found over the course of my career that the ultimate answer has consistently been “yes.” This, I believe, has everything to do with my decision to initially join and remain in a smaller law firm.
