Discrimination Against Women Lawyers in England and Wales: An Overview

Abstract

Traditionally, the legal profession has been a white male profession; women's and ethnic minorities' entry is quite recent. Despite the opening up of the profession, white males still account for the vast majority of senior positions, even though women have been present long enough to be part of the selection pools when vacancies for senior positions arise. One may infer from this observation that discrimination does take place in the legal profession in spite of the anti-discrimination legislation which has been implemented since the 1970s. What is at stake is a cultural legacy that disregards women and creates a glass ceiling preventing them from reaching the upper rungs of the ladder. In order to give an overview of discrimination against women lawyers in England and Wales, the author first presents the legislative and historical background, then focuses on various manifestations of sex discrimination in the legal profession (the pay gap, the glass ceiling and maternity leave), and lastly illustrates these issues with a case study