Remarkable women throughout history continue to defy societal norms, shatter barriers, and pave the way for future generations. Arabella Mansfield and Charlotte Ray, historically two of the first female attorneys in the US, left an indelible mark on the legal profession.
Although Iowa state law restricted the bar exam to white men only, Mansfield sat for the exam and earned high scores .
Three years after Mansfield passed the bar exam, Ray became the first Black female attorney and the first woman to open her own practice in the US.
Ray was a solo practitioner for only a few years, reportedly unable to find clients, although a contemporary called her “one of the best lawyers on corporations in the country.” She eventually took a teaching position.
Women continue to be directed toward less lucrative practices, affecting compensation, their ability to make partner, and a path to firm leadership. This is the biggest contributor to the wage gap in the legal profession.
Experienced female attorneys still often leave their legal careers due to gender-related challenges such as disproportionate caretaking commitments, being mistaken for lower-level employees, and other social constraints.
Women currently make up only 27.76% of all partners, with Black and Latina women representing less than 1% of partners, according to 2024 data from the National Association for Law Placement. The number is even lower for equity partners, with women at just 23.7%.
The disparity is also apparent in compensation data. Female attorneys earned on average 19% less than their colleagues, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Firms can help create gender parity by including women in client succession planning. They should also examine how female associates are allocated to practice areas at the beginning of their careers, and create a pipeline for women onto the leadership track.
Advocacy, activism, and allyship—especially from men—are vital to shaping an inclusive, progressive, and ultimately equitable profession. Among firm leadership, men are still largely making the policies, deciding compensation, and determining advancement. They now have an opportunity to shift the status quo toward inclusion.
Last year was a banner year for female attorneys. Compensation and partnerships were up, and for the first time ever, there were more female associates than male associates. Even so, the numbers still show that women are underrepresented in partnership, and leadership and receive less compensation.
Female attorneys have come so far from those founding women of American law. But to bridge the significant gender gap, we can still look to the past for some objective lessons to help us obtain better gender parity.