Page 17 - Delaware Lawyer - Winter 2019

firms they view to be more progressive, more sophisticated and more skilled. And today, that means firms that cultivate di- verse teams.
Moreover, the loss in productivity that results from the enormous gender-based attrition is incalculable. We see a 40-per- cent decrease in the representation of one group in our ranks over the course of about 10 years. The impact of that consistent, continuous loss is enormous. Potential costs to employers include re- cruitment and interviewing costs, train- ing costs, lost knowledge, overworked remaining staff and decreased positiv- ity. We are not simply “leaking” a few promising professionals. The profession is hemorrhaging talent, which means that it is also hemorrhaging money and produc- tivity. And all of this converges with the ever-increasing pressure to rein in costs and produce efficient service.
What Causes the Problem?
Many factors contribute to this pre- cipitous decline in gender parity and have been explored in depth elsewhere: inflex- ible work schedules and pressures that are incompatible with balancing other responsibilities, deficient sponsorship and mentorship opportunities, and subtle and misunderstood implicit biases that nega- tively impact women’s advancement. Why are Things Changing?
But the next generation of lawyers is optimistic that it can make real change. Greater awareness of and education about these issues, increased interest in progress from all genders, more egali- tarian division of labor with respect to household responsibilities, and the rec- ognition that diverse perspectives help the bottom line, drive the next genera- tion of lawyers to think differently about the profession.
New law students want to know from day one of law school how to prepare for the challenges the profession presents for women lawyers, how to integrate their perspective into a profession that has been slow to change and how to ascend and lead in the organizations they join at graduation.
Law schools are responding in a vari- ety of ways that help students contribute
Without ... engaging with our partners
in the profession, we prepare our students for one reality, and they discover another at graduation.
their own generational perspective to the conversation while also preparing stu- dents to enter a practice unaccustomed to change. From programs on executive presence for women and education about practice areas in which women are under- represented to enhanced mentorship and sponsorship relationships across genera- tions of alumni and students, law schools work to contribute to the success of all lawyers in our profession.
What are the Unintended Consequences?
But as these savvy students graduate from responsive and nimble law school professional-development programs into practice, they may be unprepared for how ingrained the impediments to progress can be. This may be particularly true be- cause of how forward-thinking many law schools have become around these issues.
So, how can practicing attorneys re- spond to the next generation of lawyers, who expect greater parity and equity in the profession? What will happen when the heightened expectations of law school graduates meet reality? And how can new law graduates understand when to push for change, when to step back and adopt a more circumspect approach and how to balance all of this with learn- ing to practice and delivering for their supervisors and the clients who depend on all of them?
These are challenging issues to navi- gate for all stakeholders. To truly evolve,
law schools, graduating lawyers and the profession must have a more integrative and fluid discussion of how all partici- pants discuss and respond to these issues together.
At the law school level, we are realiz- ing that as we enhance the programming that responds to the challenges that face our profession — whether those chal- lenges relate to gender and diversity eq- uity or well-being or expectations around work arrangements — we can only make so much progress. Without also engaging with our partners in the profession, we prepare our students for one reality, when they discover another at graduation. The result is an intergenerational collision of ideas and expectations, which could lead to frustration, conflict, attorney turnover and lowered productivity and morale. Without greater collaboration, the goal — greater equity across the profession, from day one of 1L year through retire- ment — could be negatively impacted by the very efforts to promote it.
What are the Solutions?
So, how can the profession comple- ment law school professional-develop- ment programs to support real change? Awareness and Intentionality
Before we can even begin to change, we must be aware of the issues that have plagued our profession. Reading this article and the thousands of other chronicles about women and the law is a start. Another rich resource for up-to- date publications, guidance and news about forward-looking initiatives is the ABA’sCommissiononWomeninthePro- fession (www.americanbar.org/groups/ diversity/women).
We must each individually commit to engaging with the issue with intentional- ity. This intentionality includes educat- ing ourselves and reframing our daily ex- periences, noting occasions on which we observe and experience gender inequities and setting an intention to change our responsive behavior. As with any aspect of our lives, once we practice continu- ous awareness and intentionality, we will begin to see patterns in the way we and our organizations engage with women attorneys.
WINTER 2019 DELAWARE LAWYER 15