Leopard Solutions Releases Report on Why Women are Leaving the Legal Industry

Leopard Solutions’ just released Women Leaving Law report provides vital insights to law firms on how to create more equitable workplace cultures to ensure the retention of women lawyers at all levels.

Our research shows that women are outpacing men in joining top law firms in entry-level positions but as they progress in their career those numbers begin to change. Many of those female associates don’t make partner, many leave Big Law, some grow disillusioned with the industry and leave the practice of law entirely.

The data and real-life stories mined from the Women Leaving Law report provide insights to help law firms foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for women lawyers to excel.

The reasons cited in the survey by respondents on why they left their Big Law positions included gender biases, microaggressions, billable hour target pressure, preservation of mental health, lack of mentorship, unequal pay, as well as isolation, long hours and unpredictable schedules, lackluster career trajectory prospects and insufficient work-life balance, among others.

Key insights from the report:

• 70% of respondents cited that childcare was not a driving factor in their decision to change jobs
• Workplace cultures accounted for 90% of why women departed their Big Law positions
• Lack of flexibility in work schedules influenced 82% of women to leave their firms
• 74% of respondents stated that the lack of career trajectory drove their decision to leave their jobs

Laura Leopard, the founder and CEO of Leopard Solutions stated, “Common wisdom suggested that women left their Big Law firm jobs during the pandemic due to family concerns, but what we found through our research was that these women predominantly left their jobs due to a lack of support and opportunity at their firms.”

To learn more about why women are leaving Big Law, the ongoing systemic barriers women still face in the legal profession and how firms can improve their retention rates, download your copy of the report.