Pennsylvania Bar Association’s “Report Card” on Women in Pennsylvania Law.

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | July 5, 2009

Posted by Cliff Tuttle

Pennsylvania Bar Association posted its 15th annual Report Card on the participation of women in the law in our Commonwealth.

Exactly half of the Common Pleas Judges in Philadelphia are women. That’s remarkable when you consider that women comprise about 1/3 of Pennsylvania lawyers and are concentrated among the younger members of the profession. Thirty five years ago, there were only a handful of women in each law school class. Today, the representation among law graduates is roughly equal. But it will take another decade or more before there are a significant number of women among the most senior members of the profession.

Nevertheless, women have been predominantly employed at the lower pay grades of organizations and have tended to fall out of the partner track in law firms more frequently than men. Some of that is due to a greater voluntary preference among women for part time or less intensive work schedules. However, there is a widely held opinion that it is still harder for women to advance in the profession. The Allegheny County Bar Association has been active in this area and its Gender Equality Task Force publishes and updates its own Report Card.

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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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