Raising the Bar: Women in Law (Phase 2)

Phase 2 Engagement

Phase 2 Engagement

Phase 2 comprised a global survey, open to women working across all legal sectors, including private practice, in-house roles, the public sector, academia and non-governmental organisations, as well as women who had left the profession within the last five years. It explored the individual experiences of women in the profession, offering insights into the barriers they have faced, their reasons for staying in or leaving the profession, and what has helped them to thrive in their legal careers.

We want to hear from you. We are keen to hear from stakeholders engaging in initiatives promoting gender representation in the law. Please email Sara.Carnegie@int-bar.org with details.

Raising the Bar - Phase 2

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Phase 2 Report

The IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit, supported by the IBA Diversity and Inclusion Council and Women Lawyers Committee, has released its Phase 2 Report, the 15th report to be released as part of the Raising the Bar: Women in Law project, exploring women's representation in the legal profession.

Phase 2 comprised a global survey, open to women working across all legal sectors, including private practice, in-house roles, the public sector, academia and non-governmental organisations, as well as women who had left the profession within the last five years. It explored the individual experiences of women in the profession, offering insights into the barriers they have faced, their reasons for staying in or leaving the profession, and what has helped them to thrive in their legal careers.

Conducted in four languages – English, French, Spanish and Portuguese – the report includes recommendations for structural and cultural change, normalising flexible working, support for women’s wellbeing and life stages, and how to build sustainable career pathways for women.

It was launched at an in-person event at Debevoise & Plimpton in London on 12 March 2026.

The event explored the report’s key findings and recommendations, alongside a discussion of practical, evidence-based approaches to advancing gender equality in the legal profession.

Key findings and recommendations from the Phase 2 Report
English French Spanish Portuguese
Raising the Bar: Women in Law – Phase 2 Report

Download Phase 2 Report

Watch the Report Launch

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Event launch and closing remarks

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Session 1

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Session 2

Photos from the Report Launch

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Raising the Bar: Women in Law - Phase 2 Report Launch

Explore the Phase 2 recommendations

Select the category that best describes you to view the most relevant suggested actions.

Recommendation 1: Structural and Cultural Change Around Workplace Initiatives

The challenge: While initiatives exist, 32% of women do not access them due to workload constraints, lack of transparency, or manager discretion.

Suggested actions for legal workplaces

  1. Publish clear, accessible information about available workplace initiatives.
  2. Review & formalise the administration of initiatives, for example mentoring and leadership training.
  3. Incorporate workplace initiative participation into performance and promotion discussions.
  4. Provide training across all levels encouraging role-modelling to reduce stigma around such initiatives.

Suggested actions for professional bodies

  1. Develop best-practice guidance on equitable access to workplace initiatives.
  2. Provide training and awareness campaigns highlighting the positive impact of workplace initiatives.
  3. Consider recognition of workplaces that support women’s careers in law, such as a pledge or awards.

Suggested actions for members of the profession

  1. Share evidence of the benefits of initiatives across professional networks.
  2. Encourage education on the value of workplace initiatives.
  3. Highlight senior practitioners who visibly model participation in such initiatives.

Recommendation 2: Embedding Flexible Work Practices

The challenge: Despite being one of the most popular initiatives, flexible working is undermined by “return-to-office” mandates and a cultural stigma that labels it as a lack of professional commitment.

Suggested actions for legal workplaces

  1. Treat flexible work as standard rather than an exception or privilege.
  2. Track use of flexible working arrangements by role and seniority to identify potential bias or disparities in access.
  3. Provide targeted manager training on supervising hybrid teams and evaluating performance based on outcomes rather than presence.

Suggested actions for professional bodies

  1. Develop training and best practice on hybrid and flexible work.
  2. Encourage workplaces to share case studies of successful flexible working arrangements.

Suggested actions for members of the profession

  1. Champion flexibility as integral to professional excellence.
  2. Encourage open dialogue on the professional benefits of hybrid work.
  3. Senior lawyers and leaders can act as role models by using and publicly supporting flexible work arrangements.

Recommendation 3: Building Sustainable Career Pathways for Women

The challenge: Women make up 45% of lawyers but only 34% of senior roles. Opaque selection processes and 24/7 billable-hour cultures remain major barriers.

Suggested actions for legal workplaces

  1. Establish structured mentorship and sponsorship programmes with clear objectives, eligibility criteria and regular evaluation.
  2. Integrate leadership development and succession planning programmes for mid-career women.
  3. Recognise and reward partners, supervisors and managers who actively mentor or sponsor women.
  4. Provide accessible leadership skills and return-to-work training for women and caregivers returning from career breaks.

Suggested actions for professional bodies

  1. Develop national and regional mentorship networks to connect women.
  2. Offer continuing professional development courses on inclusive leadership, sponsorship and effective mentoring.

Suggested actions for members of the profession

  1. Share examples of effective mentorship models and success stories.
  2. Actively participate in cross-organisational mentoring and sponsorship programmes.
  3. Champion gender diversity as integral to ethical leadership, public trust and professional credibility.
  4. Those who engage external counsel can require evidence of implementation of these recommendations as part of procurement criteria, panel selection and ongoing performance evaluation.

Recommendation 4: Supporting Women’s Wellbeing

The challenge: Women report significantly lower average wellbeing scores (46%) than men (57%) and face high rates of burnout and stress.

Suggested actions for legal workplaces

  1. Implement comprehensive wellbeing policies (e.g. access to confidential counselling, employee assistance programmes).
  2. Provide leadership training to identify and respond to stress, burnout and vicarious trauma.
  3. Regularly review workload allocation and billing structures to reduce overwork.
  4. Incorporate wellbeing objectives into performance and promotion frameworks, recognising leaders who foster psychologically safe environments.

Suggested actions for professional bodies

  1. Consider integrating wellbeing into professional conduct rules and continuing professional development requirements.
  2. Develop centralised peer support networks and wellbeing resources.
  3. Recognise and promote organisations that demonstrate excellence in wellbeing practice through accreditation or award schemes.

Suggested actions for members of the profession

  1. Challenge stigma around mental health conversations through visible leadership example and open discussion.
  2. Model balanced working habits and encourage peers to take rest and recovery seriously as elements of professional competence.

Recommendation 5: Recognising and Supporting Life Stages and Caring Responsibilities

The challenge: 64% of women balance work with caregiving, yet only 7% have access to formal carer support. Support for menopause and fertility is nearly non-existent (2%).

Suggested actions for legal workplaces

  1. Normalise uptake of parental leave in the workplace, through visible leadership endorsement and communication from senior management.
  2. Provide flexible return-to-work options and reintegration programmes following extended absences, including phased returns and workload adjustments.
  3. Co-design with those affected, menopause and perimenopause, menstrual cycle, fertility treatment and family-planning policies with appropriate confidentiality protections and training for managers.

Suggested actions for professional bodies

  1. Issue model policies and practical guidance on supporting caring responsibilities and life stage transitions across different legal sectors.
  2. Provide continuing professional development training for leaders and HR professionals on inclusive management of parental, carers and medical leave.
  3. Recognise and promote organisations demonstrating best practice in supporting life stages.

Suggested actions for members of the profession

  1. Advocate for equal sharing of caring responsibilities within the profession through mentoring, education and leadership visibility.
  2. Engage publicly in dialogue around menopause, menstrual cycle impacts and other life stages and promote the positive benefits of support.
  3. Support policy reform within organisations and through professional associations that embeds ‘life stage’ inclusivity as a standard part of workplace culture.
  • Women Layers’ Committee’s toolkit for Male Champions for Change
  • Norton Rose Fulbright’s UK and Middle East firms have introduced six weeks paid paternity leave.
  • Law Society of Scotland’s Menopause Support Guide
  • Russell Cooke’s HrTEA group shares experiences, tips and guidance on menopause.
  • Countries such as Portugal, Spain, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea have introduced statutory menstrual leave. Other countries, including France, Greece, Italy, Japan, Malta, Portugal and Ukraine, have legislated fertility treatment leave.
  • Clyde & Co has introduced ten days paid leave for fertility treatment.
  • Law Society of England and Wales’ Back to Law Ambassadors
  • Diversity Lab’s OnRamp Fellowship

Recommendation 6: Supporting Solo Practitioners, Smaller Workplaces and Women in Chambers

The challenge: Solo practitioners face the highest barriers to support; 20% of barristers report having no access to support / initiatives.

Suggested actions for professional bodies

  1. Develop tailored toolkits and policy templates for small firms, solo practitioners and barristers addressing wellbeing, flexibility and other workplace initiatives.
  2. Offer reduced-cost or subsidised access to continuing professional development and legal education programmes and training on leadership development for those who are working in organisations with fewer resources.
  3. Create regional mentoring exchanges or partnership initiatives that pair small-practice lawyers with leaders from larger organisations.

Suggested actions for members of the profession

  1. Participate actively in peer support and mentoring networks to foster support and shared learning.
  2. Advocate for inclusion of solo and small-practice perspectives in professional-body policymaking and research.
  • The New York State Bar Association’s Attorney Well-Being Program offers structured frameworks (Eight Pillars), tools, and resources for all lawyers.
  • The Washington State Bar Association’s Member Wellness Program explicitly offers group sessions and peer-based support spaces.
  • The Institute for Well-Being in Law promotes community-based wellbeing discussions and shared programming across firms and individuals.
  • Law Society of Scotland’s Lawscot Wellbeing lists resources, insights and practical tools on wellbeing.
  • Consider partnering up with Institute for Well-Being in Law to accomplish this task.
  • Law Society of Scotland’s Lawscot Wellbeing’s member resources section lists partners to work with on mental wellbeing issues.
  • The Law Council of Australia’s Equitable Briefing Policy encourages briefing entities to brief women barristers in at least 30% of all briefs and ensure that they receive at least 30% of the value of all brief fees. Both the targets have been achieved during the 2024–2025 reporting period.

Phase 1 (Country Reports)

Since 2021, the first phase of the Raising the Bar: Women in Law project has produced several country reports.

Phase 1

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