Women solicitors work-life balance examined

The results of one of the largest surveys of women solicitors in England and Wales are published today. 800 female solicitors, including partners, associates and assistants, from the large City Law firms to smaller regional and High Street practices participated in the survey by King's College London and The Association of Women Solicitors (AWS). The survey conducted by Janet Walsh, Professor of Human Resource Management and Employment Relations, Department of Management at King's examined the attitudes of women solicitors to their careers and work-life balance and their utilisation of flexible work arrangements. Professor Janet Walsh comments: 'The career development and work-life balance of women solicitors are issues of major concern for the future of the legal profession. Unfortunately there is a perception among some women solicitors that law firms pay lip service to work-life policies and to flexible working and are not fully committed to their implementation. If law firms wish to avoid higher levels of burnout and dissatisfaction they need to look carefully at the issue of women's career progression, particularly at senior associate/associate level, and to address women's concerns about work-life balance and flexible working at all levels of the profession.' The findings indicate that women solicitors enjoy their jobs and are highly committed to their work and to the legal profession in general. Forty two per cent of women solicitors in private practice law firms indicated that advancement to partnership was their main measure of career success.