nant at the time, and she took a couple of years to recover her sense of self. Now, she’s going to work as a prosecutor.” Sterling says this experience is far from unusual and
helps explain why so many women leave large firms. “Many women have been devastated in partnership
votes,” she says. “One woman failed by one vote. Tis was her second time being voted on for partnership. After that traumatic event she left the firm, and she’s now a vice president of a bank.” Another obstacle to women’s advancement in law firms
and other settings is the lack of access to mentors who can help them develop their careers. “It is known that the most powerful mentors in law firms
are white men,” she says. “While a woman may find another woman more comfortable as a mentor, this mentorship may not push her up the ladder. And even though men will
one vote. This was her second time being voted on for partnership. After that traumatic event
devastated in partnership votes,” she says. “One woman failed by
she left the firm, and she’s now a vice president of a bank.”
22 “One issue that is holding women back is unconscious
Percentage of salary women attorneys make compared to men attorneys
80%
“ IN A MAJOR FIRM, IF YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE BEING EVALUATED AND ONE is a woman, even if she is not pregnant, manage- ment will think she is going to get pregnant. Then the assumption is that she will stay home with her child/children, and that perception will color the evaluation of her. Similarly, women are less likely to be asked to travel or to get plum assignments that are essential to success, because the perception of them is that they have responsibilities at home that may conflict.”
bias that is allowed to creep into decision making,” Calvert says. “Te decision-maker is not even aware of the factors that are driving his or her decision. For example, when we see a female partner who is hard-charging, we perceive her differently from a male partner. Te woman may be viewed as too aggressive because of the way we expect women to behave, while a man will be seen as intense and hard- working. If a man makes a mistake we tend to forgive him, while if a woman makes a mistake we tend to fit that into stereotypes of women’s behavior.” Another factor that holds back women’s advancement
and thus depresses their salaries, Calvert says, is the way in which people are rewarded in law firms. “If a woman does great work, it is often attributed to
good fortune,” she says, “while a man gets credit for his skills. It has been documented by social scientists that men get promoted based on their potential, including their potential to bring in business. Women only get promoted for their actual achievements.” Calvert also notes that women face what is known as
“maternal wall discrimination. “In the first place, pregnant women are seen as less com-
petent than others,” she says. “In the second place, there is a concern that a woman who is pregnant won’t be com-
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® JULY/AUGUST 2014
MCCA.COM “Many women have been
insist that they are not motivated by gender bias, the fact is that they tend to naturally mentor people who look just like themselves.” Te salary disparity uncovered in the survey does not
surprise Cynthia Tomas Calvert, principal of the con- sulting firm CT Calvert & Associates and a nationally recognized expert in the advancement of women lawyers. Calvert, who consults with law firms on implementing non- stigmatized flexible work schedules, was not involved in the AJD study.
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