FIU Law Review 

Abstract: The facts are consistent and conclusive. Although women have made some gains in the practice of law, they lag behind men in the numbers going to law school, entering the profession, career earnings, and advancement. Thus, perhaps not surprisingly, they are more likely to leave law practice than men. Compensation — Women lawyers continue to earn less than men; an unwavering finding across most studies of the profession. The evidence for the gender gap in earnings includes findings from the only national, longitudinal study of lawyers in the United States, After the JD (hereinafter “AJD”), panel studies of elite law schools,1 and state level surveys. Considering only at AJD, the most comprehensive look at earnings, women earned five percent less than men, on average, after only three years of practice.2 After seven years, the gap between men and women’s earnings had grown to thirteen percent.3 The Pipeline — Between the 1980’s and 2009, the percentage of women graduating from law schools increased from 40% to 48%,4 although this varies by region. In some of the less populated areas, the Law School Admissions Council reports that women represent only