Women lag in law review leadership

[National Law Journal]

Add another category to the list of legal jobs in which women are underrepresented: Top law review editors. A survey of law reviews found that women account for 44% of staffers but only 33% of editors-in-chief.

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[forum_admin]

Re: Women lag in law review leadership

A survey of law reviews found that women account for 44% of staffers but only 33% of editors-in-chief. Ms. JD, a non-profit organization that seeks to advance women in the legal profession, surveyed general interest law review staffs at the top 50 law schools, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. The organization looked at the 2008 and 2009 academic years.

The survey focused on law reviews to gauge women's leadership and achievement in law schools, said Ms. JD executive director Jessie Kornberg.

"Rightly or wrongly, law review membership — law review leadership in particular — is seen as an important indicator in the most competitive job markets, including clerkships and academia," Kornberg said.

Some of the survey results were encouraging, Kornberg said. For instance, women accounted for 46% of those with leadership positions at law reviews, roughly equivalent to the percentage of women law graduates during the survey period. This should help position women for the most competitive jobs, Kornberg said.