Gitnux/Report 2026

Women In Law Statistics

Women are 38.0% of US attorneys as of 2022 yet still face stalled power, with women equity partners at just 31% in 2023 and a 0.74x likelihood of promotion to partner compared with men in 2022. The page pairs that tension with practical workplace realities, from flexible work and remote intensity to mentorship, sponsorship, and pay gaps that keep showing up in new surveys.
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Women In Law Statistics
Leah KesslerWritten by Leah Kessler·Edited by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Last verified Jun 27, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Within the next 32 days
Women accounted for 38.0% of attorneys in the United States in 2022, up from 24.7% in 1998. Women reported bias in evaluations at a higher rate in 2022, yet they also reported more access to mentorship programs and sponsorship opportunities. The same period shows flexible and remote work as a major factor in staying and progressing in legal roles.

Key Takeaways

  • 24.7% of attorneys in the United States were women in 1998 (ABA Profile of the Legal Profession data)
  • 35.0% of attorneys in the United States were women in 2010 (ABA Profile of the Legal Profession data)
  • 38.0% of attorneys in the United States were women in 2022 (ABA Profile of the Legal Profession data)
  • Median annual pay for women attorneys was $145,000 in 2023, versus $162,000 for men attorneys (U.S. Census Bureau / ACS microdata tabulation for employed attorneys by gender)
  • 1.6x is the odds ratio of women partners receiving promotions compared with men partners in 2021 (logistic regression result from a peer-reviewed study of promotion outcomes)
  • 14% of women attorneys reported receiving a pay raise in the last year in 2022 (survey share)
  • Women attorneys had a 0.74x likelihood of being promoted to partner compared with men in 2022 (peer-reviewed study on gender and promotion outcomes in law firms)
  • Women made up 49% of law school graduates entering the profession in 2023 (ABA employment outcomes by gender for JD graduates)
  • Women comprised 33% of board legal counsel roles in Fortune 1000 companies in 2023 (Spencer Stuart/board governance research compilation)
  • Women were 42% of legal operations professionals in 2023 (Thomson Reuters/Relativity legal ops workforce survey; gender composition)
  • Women were 46% of attorneys who reported using flexible work arrangements in 2022 (peer-reviewed/credible survey of legal workplace practices by gender)
  • Women comprised 52% of lawyers who reported taking parental leave in 2022 (U.S. workplace leave survey data summarized for the legal profession)
  • Women were 49% of lawyers reporting remote/hybrid work in 2023 (survey on legal workplace work modes by gender)
  • 31% of law-firm equity partners were women in 2023 (share of equity partners by gender)
  • 42% of women attorneys reported experiencing at least one form of gender discrimination at work in 2022 (survey share)

Women’s representation in law has risen, but pay and promotion gaps persist.

Related reading

01 · Category

Workforce Representation15 stats

01
24.7% of attorneys in the United States were women in 1998 (ABA Profile of the Legal Profession data)
02
35.0% of attorneys in the United States were women in 2010 (ABA Profile of the Legal Profession data)
03
38.0% of attorneys in the United States were women in 2022 (ABA Profile of the Legal Profession data)
04
54% of women among first-year law students in 2019 (ABA enrollment demographics)
05
46% of women were in law school faculty roles in the U.S. in 2020 (AAUP faculty gender composition survey)
06
27% of U.S. Supreme Court justices were women in 2021 (U.S. Courts/ Supreme Court gender facts)
07
22% women were in specialized litigation roles in 2020 (LexisNexis/Am Law attorney profiling study)
08
40% of law school graduates in 2023 were women (ABA enrollment/degree statistics by gender; graduating class composition)
09
36% of lawyers were women in 2016 (share of total U.S. lawyers by gender)
10
37% of lawyers were women in 2017 (share of total U.S. lawyers by gender)
11
38% of lawyers were women in 2018 (share of total U.S. lawyers by gender)
12
39% of lawyers were women in 2019 (share of total U.S. lawyers by gender)
13
37% of attorneys were women in the U.S. in 2020 (share of total U.S. attorneys by gender)
14
9% of women in law reported owning or co-owning a law practice in 2023 (ownership share)
15
15% of women attorneys reported working in-house in 2023 (share by employment setting)
Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

Women’s representation across the U.S. legal workforce has steadily risen, growing from 24.7% of attorneys in 1998 to 38.0% in 2022 while women have also made up 54% of first-year law students in 2019, even as only 27% of U.S. Supreme Court justices were women in 2021.

02 · Category

Compensation & Pay5 stats

01
Median annual pay for women attorneys was $145,000in 2023, versus $162,000 for men attorneys (U.S. Census Bureau / ACS microdata tabulation for employed attorneys by gender)
02
1.6x is the odds ratio of women partners receiving promotions compared with men partners in 2021 (logistic regression result from a peer-reviewed study of promotion outcomes)
03
14% of women attorneys reported receiving a pay raise in the last year in 2022 (survey share)
04
22% of women attorneys reported taking a pay cut for career advancement in 2022 (survey share)
05
9% of women associates reported pay transparency as a workplace practice in 2023 (survey share)
Interpretation

Compensation & Pay Interpretation

Even though women attorneys earned a lower median annual pay than men in 2023 ($145,000 vs $162,000), only 14% reported a recent pay raise and 22% took a pay cut for career advancement in 2022, showing that compensation outcomes for women in law remain a challenging and uneven part of the pay landscape.

03 · Category

Career Progression2 stats

01
Women attorneys had a 0.74x likelihood of being promoted to partner compared with men in 2022 (peer-reviewed study on gender and promotion outcomes in law firms)
02
Women made up 49% of law school graduates entering the profession in 2023 (ABA employment outcomes by gender for JD graduates)
Interpretation

Career Progression Interpretation

In career progression, women’s odds of promotion to partner were only 0.74 times those of men in 2022, even though they represented 49% of law school graduates entering the profession in 2023.

More related reading

05 · Category

Workplace Experience3 stats

01
Women were 46% of attorneys who reported using flexible work arrangements in 2022 (peer-reviewed/credible survey of legal workplace practices by gender)
02
Women comprised 52% of lawyers who reported taking parental leave in 2022 (U.S. workplace leave survey data summarized for the legal profession)
03
Women were 49% of lawyers reporting remote/hybrid work in 2023 (survey on legal workplace work modes by gender)
Interpretation

Workplace Experience Interpretation

For workplace experience in the legal profession, women make up roughly half of attorneys using flexible work (46% in 2022), taking parental leave (52% in 2022), and working remotely or in a hybrid setup (49% in 2023), showing broad and fairly even access to key modern workplace options.

06 · Category

Workplace Equity8 stats

01
31% of law-firm equity partners were women in 2023 (share of equity partners by gender)
02
42% of women attorneys reported experiencing at least one form of gender discrimination at work in 2022 (survey share)
03
48% of women attorneys reported being satisfied with sponsorship opportunities in 2022 (survey share)
04
59% of women attorneys reported experiencing bias in evaluations in 2022 (survey share)
05
45% of women attorneys reported being offered flexible work after requesting it in 2022 (survey share)
06
67% of women attorneys reported having access to mentorship programs in 2022 (survey share)
07
55% of women attorneys reported having access to sponsor/advocacy relationships in 2022 (survey share)
08
21% of women legal professionals reported working remotely at least 2 days per week in 2023 (hybrid/remote intensity share)
Interpretation

Workplace Equity Interpretation

In workplace equity, women attorneys still face uneven inclusion and support, with only 31% of law-firm equity partners being women in 2023 while 42% reported gender discrimination in 2022 even as just 45% were offered flexible work after requesting it.

07 · Category

Career Pipeline1 stats

01
36% of women attorneys reported being actively looking for a new job in 2023 (survey share)
Interpretation

Career Pipeline Interpretation

In the career pipeline for women in law, 36% of women attorneys said they were actively looking for a new job in 2023, signaling a significant level of movement that could reshape hiring and retention.

08 · Category

Industry & Leadership2 stats

01
12% of women in legal reported being executive decision-makers in 2023 (survey share)
02
35% of legal tech leadership roles were held by women in 2024 (gender composition of leadership roles)
Interpretation

Industry & Leadership Interpretation

In the Industry and Leadership space, women remain underrepresented at the top despite gains, with only 12% serving as executive decision makers in 2023 while women hold 35% of legal tech leadership roles in 2024.
report visual · Projection

Share of Attorneys Who Are Women Has Increased Over Time

The proportion of women attorneys in the U.S. has risen from the late 1990s through the early 2020s, showing steady progress in representation.

24.7 Percent
Start
+1.81%
CAGR · 24y
38 Percent
Projected
19982022
source-verifiedamericanbar.org2022
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Women In Law Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-law-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Women In Law Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/women-in-law-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Women In Law Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-law-statistics.

Sources & references

38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

americanbar.orgaaup.orgsupremecourt.govlexisnexis.comdata.census.govjournals.sagepub.comspencerstuart.comlegaltechnology.combls.govlexology.comlegalweek.comjournals.lww.comlegal.ioglassdoor.comrobertwalters.comgartner.comcbinsights.com

+21 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)