This guide outlines the strategies every female lawyer should know for a successful career.
Living as a woman in a man’s world has significant challenges. Navigating communities and structures built primarily to benefit men is difficult enough in one’s daily life. Still, these inequalities could be particularly noticeable in careers or industries that men have historically dominated.
Despite many strides toward a more equitable legal profession, women, especially women of color, are still at a disadvantage.
According to the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession, the female lawyer is still a minority in the legal profession and earn around $20,000 less than their male counterparts.
Female lawyer success strategies
If you’re a woman who wants to pursue a career as a female lawyer, we’ve got some tips to help you stay resilient and achieve your career goals.
Start Building Your Network as Soon as Possible
Building a professional network is essential in any industry, but it is imperative to a female lawyer when you’re part of a minority in your field.
Start as early as you can. Make friends with your classmates and professors in law school. Build and nurture relationships with potential clients and employers. These relationships could lead to opportunities to grow your career in the long run.
Find a Female Mentor
Try seeking out established women mentors near you. Although it is essential to learn from different people in your profession, female lawyers could offer valuable insights as to what you could do to build a long and successful legal career.
They could give you sound advice on what practices could help you succeed in your career, as they have gone through many of the same things you are experiencing now.
Make Allies of All Sexes
Female perspectives in the legal profession are of great importance, especially if you are just starting your career. However, it is also important to make allies of both males and females.
Fellow women in your workplace could help you navigate the systems more effectively, especially considering the nuances of being a woman. Conversely, due to their privilege, men could help you by advocating for your interests and pushing for a more gender-inclusive workplace.
Learn as Much as You Can
Be constantly on the lookout for opportunities where you could further develop your skills and knowledge, be it an apprenticeship, a conference, a workshop, or a new job.
Gaining experience and building your roster of skills will help expand your network, get more opportunities, and improve your confidence as a female lawyer.
Be Confident
Being a female lawyer is challenging enough, and it becomes more difficult when dealing with gender-based prejudice. It might be easy to give in to impostor syndrome, but you need to be confident in your abilities to succeed.
You will, unfortunately, encounter difficulties and other people’s biases against you, especially if you come from a racial minority in your workplace. It’s important to consciously fight against these biases and assert that you belong in your profession and have the chops to do your job well.
Conclusion
Women face many challenges daily in most, if not all, fields of work. We hope our tips can help you navigate your professional journey as we strive to build a more gender-inclusive workforce for women and minorities worldwide.
