I came across this article from the Charlotte Observer - "Female partners scarce at law firms
: Charlotte ranks last in percentage of women in leadership" by Mike Drummond (Sunday Oct. 23, 2005).
The NALP conducted a gender and diversity survey for about a decade and found that only 11% of the partners in law firms in Charlotte-area NC were women. That's nothing to be proud of, for certain. There were excerpts from the article that were expected:
As in other cities, Charlotte's low female representation, in part, reflects law-firm practices that put a premium on billable hours over work-life balance.
In a field still dominated by white males and heavily dependent on networking and mentoring -- often at male-dominated bastions such as golf courses -- women often feel left out.
However, I was struck by this:
The Charlotte Women's Bar, formed in April, already has 133 members. [Women's Bar??]
And the Mecklenburg County Bar launched its first special diversity committee last year.
Mary Howerton, who stepped down as executive director of the Mecklenburg County Bar in 2003 after 18 years in that position, says that in that time the group paid little attention to lifting the profile of female lawyers.
She recalls that in the 1980s, a collection of hard-charging female lawyers were climbing the ranks. She viewed them as a vanguard. Howerton says she thought there was no need for a women's bar.
She has since changed her mind.
Women need their own local bar association to help them define and advance their own issues, such as increasing the numbers of female partners, she says.
As a professional woman with two small children who is also the sole breadwinner for our household, I understand the challenges and the demands on your time.
I say bravo to the women attorneys of Charlotte who are taking part in this Bar Association. If we haven't learned yet that we can't change the game, we can certainly take a look at changing some of the rules.
Life is short. Think differently and define "success" on your own terms.
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