Eversheds research highlights pay imbalances and continuing gender inequality in legal profession

Women lawyers are generally earning more than their male peers at the junior stages of their careers, but face earning less than male lawyers as their careers progress, new research from Eversheds has found.

The report found that men are paid 14% more than women on average, but that female lawyers aged 21-25, just starting out in their careers, are being paid 30% more than their male counterparts. The research shows that the trend reverses for women lawyers over the age of 25.

Some 1,800 lawyers provided data for the research and many expressed a desire to address gender imbalance and other perceived failings in the legal profession, with 40% stating their belief that the partnership model is no longer fit for purpose. The rejection of partnership as a fit model for career progression was even more pronounced among women, with 57% of female respondents expressing an ambition to become partners compared with 77% of the men to take part.

Lee Ranson, managing partner of Eversheds, commented: "It is clear that we need to find ways of ensuring women enjoy a long-term career within a law firm and ensure they are remunerated fairly throughout that career. What we are seeing today is a female 'brain drain' from the traditional firm model which does not provide a flexible enough working environment. Significantly, after the age of 27, our research found that a better work/life balance is the most cited reason for female lawyers to change jobs. The legal sector is evolving to become more commercial and meet the changing demands of both the businesses it serves and the lawyers within it. With equality and diversity issues important to 91% of young female lawyers, this generation really could be agents for lasting change."