From Supergirl to Invisible Woman: The Divide between Student Perception and Professional Reality in Corporate Legal Practice
Alternative Law Journal, Vol. 35, No. 3, p. 138, 2010
Monash University Faculty of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2010/28
6 Pages Posted: 19 Sep 2011
Date Written: 2010
Abstract
While increasing numbers of women are studying law, females remain under-represented in the senior ranks of the legal profession. One factor influencing the participation of women in corporate legal practice is the dominant conception of the legal professional as a person with a single-minded commitment to the firm. Many law schools properly promote participation in the legal profession as a reason for studying law. However, the full story should also involve a discussion with students about the range of possible work options available to them in the law, and a commitment to promoting a range of representations of 'legal practice' in the law school culture. In this way, concern with the inevitable progression of super girl to invisible woman may be replaced by a critical analysis of the very structure of legal practice.
Keywords: supergirl, invisible woman, women, corporate legal practice, student perception, law firms, under-representation, gender, law schools
JEL Classification: K00, K10, K19, K31, K39, K40, K49
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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