Motherhood

At law school, around 50% (or, nowadays, even more) of the students are women. But, somehow or other, as you climb your way up the ladder of law firms, eventually reaching the very pinnacle of the top - the equity partners - that percentage falls. A lot. In fact, among senior partners in "magic circle" firms in The City, there are hardly any women at all. How can this be? The answer is, in law, as in many other professions, women face a stark choice between motherhood and a successful career. No-one likes to admit it, but it is very hard to have both. Law firms pay lip service to gender equality, and the successful balance of work and home life, but in reality, maternity is career suicide. Rare is the lawyer who manages successfully to combine both. It does happen, but not often.