Sara Carnegie, Legal Director at the International Bar Association’s gender project, and Isla Tobin, project lawyer at the IBA, delivered crucial insights into the evolving landscape for women in the legal profession. Drawing from their comprehensive nine-year study spanning 12 countries and four legal sectors, Carnegie and Tobin revealed both persistent challenges and emerging opportunities as the profession undergoes unprecedented technological transformation.
The Current Reality – Progress But Still Persistent Gaps
The legal profession has reached a demographic tipping point. Women now comprise approximately 50% or more of new entrants across multiple jurisdictions, with some countries showing even higher female representation amongst trainee lawyers. David Rapalski from Baker McKenzie Warsaw confirmed this trend, noting that recent intern cohorts are often 70-80% female.
However, this pipeline success hasn’t translated into senior leadership representation. Carnegie’s research reveals significant disparities at partnership level, with England and Wales showing some of the worst global statistics alongside Chile and Spain. Whilst the public sector demonstrates strong female representation in senior roles, private practice continues to struggle with what Carnegie termed “the funelling effect” – women entering but not progressing to leadership positions.
The Flexibility Imperative
Carnegie identified flexible working is still the most significant factor determining women’s career progression. Data from both institutional responses and individual surveys consistently shows that firms enabling flexible arrangements see higher female advancement to senior positions. The rigid “five days a week in the office, crazy hours, maybe weekends” model remains the primary barrier to equality in private practice.
The IBA’s research methodology combines quantitative institutional data with qualitative individual experiences from nearly 7,000 survey respondents. This reveals concerning statistics: one in three women still experience sexual harassment in the workplace compared with one in 14 men.
Technology as Catalyst for Change
The integration of AI presents both opportunity and challenge. Rather than creating gender-specific barriers, technological advancement may serve as “the great equaliser” – provided training and implementation prioritise curiosity and agile thinking over traditional hierarchical structures.
AI’s emphasis on efficiency and results over physical presence could support flexible working arrangements. The technology’s requirement for continuous learning and adaptation may favour professionals who demonstrate curiosity and change management skills – areas where women often excel.
Generational Shifts and New Opportunities
Younger lawyers increasingly prioritise purpose-driven work and work-life balance over traditional markers of success like partnership. Carnegie noted growing interest in firms’ ethical positions, including client selection and values alignment, with some junior lawyers reconsidering positions based on their employers’ public stances.
The discussion highlighted diversifying opportunities within legal services. Support functions including marketing, business development, and client relationship management have gained strategic importance. The broader legal technology ecosystem creates entirely new career categories that didn’t exist five years ago, requiring enhanced communication skills, client service excellence, and technological fluency.
Building Networks and Moving Forward
Carnegie strongly defended women-focused professional networks, arguing they provide essential support and confidence-building opportunities in a historically male-dominated profession. The IBA’s Women Lawyers Committee offers mentoring toolkits and will launch video testimonials later this year.
The research emphasises that meaningful change requires more than policy adjustments. Firms must examine partnership models, progression pathways, and cultural norms to accommodate diverse career aspirations and working styles. The data suggests organisations enabling flexibility and demonstrating genuine commitment to equality consistently outperform those maintaining traditional structures.
As the legal profession navigates unprecedented change, the evidence suggests that organisations prioritising flexibility, equality, and purposeful work will be best positioned to attract and retain top talent regardless of gender – ultimately benefiting clients, practitioners, and the profession’s future sustainability.