Women Lawyers' Advancement and Compensation: How Far Have We Really Come? Part I

Megan Monson, Nicole Fulfree, and Rachel Moseson Dikovics are joined by Kirsten Scheurer Branigan, managing partner of KSBranigan Law P.C., and Debra Lancaster, executive director of the Center for Women & Work at Rutgers University, to discuss the Center's recently published study, Women in Private Law Firms Slow Progress on Equality of Promotion and Compensation, which finds that women lawyers' rate of professional advancement is the same today as it was in the early 1990s. Though women often outperform their male counterparts in law school, on bar exams, and in their legal careers, when it comes to advancement, especially the partner track, the perception that things are improving is far from accurate. The panelists agree that women are still "supposed to work like they don't have kids, and parent like they don't have a job"; and they address possible ways law firms can prevent women from leaving the practice of law, such as by destigmatizing maternity leave, part-time policies and part-time partnership. Speakers: Megan Monson, Partner, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Nicole Fulfree, Counsel, Bankruptcy & Restructuring Rachel Moseson Dikovics, Associate, White Collar Criminal Defense Debra Lancaster, Executive Director, Center for Women and Work (CWW) Kirsten Scheurer Branigan, Managing Partner, KSBranigan Law P.C.