Research highlights leadership bias

Women working as lawyers in London are least likely to be partners in a law firm, compared to other parts of the country, research shows. By contrast, the East Midlands, Wales, East and South East England have a higher than average proportion of partners who are women. The statistics have been collated by the Law Society for its Women in Leadership in Law report, published last week. Countrywide, 62.2% of new solicitors in 2018 were women but only 30.8% of partners in private practice were women. Law Society president Christina Blacklaws said: ‘More than half of the respondents we interviewed cited perceived unconscious bias as the greatest barrier to women’s career progression with an overwhelming 91% saying flexible working is critical to improving diversity.’