WIP 20 th Annual Conference, May 9, 2013 You & the PBA WIP: Opportunities and Challenges Elisabeth...

An Analysis of the 2012 PBA Women in the

Profession Diversity Survey

WIP 20th Annual Conference, May 9, 2013You & the PBA WIP: Opportunities and Challenges

Elisabeth “Dolly” Shuster

The mission of the PBA WIP Diversity Committee is to explore ways to encourage women of all backgrounds to join and be active in the WIP and the PBA and to meet their unique needs in the profession … to create a culture within the WIP and the PBA that effectively values diversity and fosters inclusion … and to promote the full and equal participation of women of all backgrounds in the WIP, the PBA, the legal profession and the justice system in general.

Diversity Committee Mission Statement

Diversity includes, but is not limited to: Race Ethnicity Religion National origin Sexual orientation, gender identity or

expression Disability Age Marital status

Definition of Diversity

Geography (city,small towns, rural) Work Environment (large, small and mid-

size firms, sole practitioners, government lawyers, in-house counsel, judiciary, part-time, full time).

Note: These last two categories are not standard EEO categories.

Diversity Definition con’t

Diversity Definition Survey

Race Ethnicity

White: 622, 90.80%

Black/African American: 26, 3.0%

Hispanic/Latino: 11, 1.61% Asian: 17,

2.48% 2 or More Races: 8, 1.17%Declined to Identify:

1, 0.15%

Diversity Definition Survey con’t

Self Identification as having a disability

Disability No disability: 648, 94.60% Disability:

26, 3.80% Declined to Identify:

11, 1.61%


Persons with a disability specifying the disability

Disability

*Apparent discrepancy – More people identified a specific disability than answered yes to having one.

None: 658, 96.06%* Physical: 14, 2.04% Deaf/hearing impairment:

1, 0.15% Mental health: 5, 0.73%

Cognitive (e.g. ADD, learning disability:

6, 0.88% Speech/language:

1, 0.88% Other: 3, 0.15%


Sexual Orientation, gender identity or expression

Heterosexual: 654, 95.47% Lesbian: 14,

2.04% Gay: 3, 0.44% Bisexual: 3,

0.44% Transgender:0,0.0

% Declined to

Identify: 11, 1.61% TotalLGBT:20,2.92

%


Age Under 25:4, 0.58%

25-35: 241, 35.18%

36-45: 142, 20.73%

46-55: 148, 21.61%

56-65: 124, 18.10%

> 65: 26, 3.80%


Almost two-thirds married, in a partnership or union.

Marital Status Single, never married:171, 24.96%

Married, Domestic partnership, Civil Union: 448, 65.40%

Divorced, Separated, Widowed: 66, 9.64%


Familial status as caregiver

NOT INCLUDED

No caregiver responsibilities:

374, 54.60%

Primary caregiver responsibilities:

242, 35.33% Caregiver

responsibilities, not primary: 69, 10.07%


Almost half do NOT practice in urban area.

Geography Cities Small Towns Rural

Urban Area/Metro: population >200,000

364, 53.14% Suburban Town, pop.

< 200,000 within 30 mile radius of urban/ metro: 236, 34.54%

Rural, pop. < 50,000 not adjacent to urban/ metro: 85,12.41%


The fewest are employed by large firms.

Almost one third are employed in small firms.

Work Environment Large Medium Small Solo Practitioner

Large Firms (>250): 46, 6.72%

Medium (50-250): 64, 9.34%

Small (<50): 207,

30.22% Solo: 106, 15.47%


Work Environment Judiciary Government In-House

Judiciary: 64, 9.34% Gov./Public Entity:

63, 9.20% Not-for-Profit Org.:

49, 7.15% Private Company:

58, 8.47% Not employed as

lawyer/in law: 28, 4.09 %


Work Environment- Work Status

Full-Time Part-Time Not Currently

Employed

Full-Time: 599,

87.45% Part-Time:

59, 8.61%

Not Currently Employed:

27, 3.94%

Survey WIP ProgramsRecommendation

Mentoring - ◦ Long term mentoring

commitments

See WIP Member’s Area on PBA website:

WIP “LINK” Mentoring Program

Volunteer Mentors for Women ◦ Listed WIP members are

available to WIP members to answer questions in their areas of expertise via phone or e-mail.

Survey WIP ProgramsRecommendation

Go to WIP website; read the descriptions.

Networking◦ For minority attorneys,

especially in rural areas.◦ Strong networking for

caregivers, especially to help find reasonable flexible work.

◦ Job networking for women and minorities.

◦ Non-work-related networking to help provide work-life balance.

WIP ListServe WIP Committees:

◦ Report Card Committee◦ Promotion of Women◦ Mentoring◦ Diversity◦ Annual Meeting◦ Retreat◦ Midyear Meeting◦ Communications (Voices &

Views publication)◦ Quality of Life◦ Legislative◦ Public Service

Education & SurveyAction IssuesWho Needs To Be Educated?◦Male/non-minority lawyers

◦Other women lawyers

Why are there issues with other women lawyers? Age breakdown

Caregiver breakdown

Geography

Education & WIP/PBAAction Issues con’t

More published information on best practices for firms to improve diversity.◦ Alternative billing & pay

arrangements.◦ Internal mentoring &

support programs.◦ Flextime/part-time/family

friendly work hours.

WIP website, Public Resources Button◦ Model Policies for

Alternative Work Schedules◦ Proposed Alternative Work

Arrangement Policies◦ Women in the Profession

Report Cards

20th Annual Conference Coursebook

Education & WIP/PBA/PBIAction Issues con’t

Mandate consideration/ inclusion of people of diverse backgrounds on panels.

Hold a symposium on diversity & staff panels with diverse speakers.

PBA Diversity Team encouraging inclusion.

PBI adopting encouragement of inclusion of diversity on panels.

WIP’s 20th Annual Conference as a start to follow-up on the survey.


Stereotyping of women by relegating them to particular areas of law – family law.

Need to break down male dominated areas of practice.

Equal Pay.

WIP Report Card WIP Honor Roll of

Legal Organizations Welcoming to Women

Anne X. Alpern Award Lynette Norton Award WIP Diversity

Committee


Harassment & discrimination against women – Perception that legal community finds this acceptable.

Greater outreach and education on the importance of diversity throughout the bar associations, especially in rural areas.

WIP Committees, Annual & Mid-Year meetings, Fall retreat, Awards, Report Card, Voices & Views, ListServe

PBA Diversity Team

WIP annually recognizes PA law firms for their commitment to the advancement of women. In 2009 the Commission established its Honor Roll of Legal Organizations welcoming to Women Professionals which honors PA firms, corporate law departments or other organizations providing legal services either public or private, that have instituted programs or initiatives that help women lawyers continue and advance in their careers while maintaining a work/life balance. Since its inception more than 18 firms, legal organizations and in-house legal departments have been named to the annual list.

WIP Awards – Honor Roll

Recognizes a female member of the PA Bar who practices or conducts professional activity primarily in Pennsylvania, has had a significant professional impact in Pennsylvania having demonstrated leadership in her law-related profession and her community and having practiced mentoring activities and have engaged in significant activities on behalf of women in the profession.

WIP Awards con’t Anne X. Alpern Award

Recognizes a female member of the PA Bar who excels in litigation of any type who has demonstrated leadership in mentoring female attorneys.

WIP Awards con’t Lynette Norton Award

The PBA Diversity Team establishes resources and forums for enhanced communication among PBA groups with diversity initiatives. It is committed to work collaboratively with PBA leadership, staff and all other PBA-related groups and entities, including the PA Bar Foundation, the PA Bar Insurance Fund and Trust Fund, PABAR-PAC and the PBI, to promote and enhance diversity. Each member of the Diversity Team (Diversity Ambassadors) works collaboratively with PBA groups to promote and enhance their existing diversity initiatives and/or assist with creating new opportunities. WIP has a Diversity Ambassador. The PBA Diversity Team was established by recommendation of the PBA Diversity Task Force, as unanimously approved by the PBA Board of Governors on Nov. 17, 2010.

PBA Diversity Team

The Diversity Team is assisted in its work by PBA Diversity Officer, Janis M. Leftridge, who works with the Diversity Team, the PBA Board of Governors and senior staff to develop and execute the PBA's diversity programs and works with the state's legal community to provide resources and tools in support of diversity goals, objectives and initiatives.

The Diversity Officer is meeting with the local bar associations to work on improving diversity.

PBA Diversity Team con’t

WIP 20 th Annual Conference, May 9, 2013 You & the PBA WIP: Opportunities and Challenges Elisabeth...

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