Persistent Structural Barriers to Gender Equity In the Legal Academy and the Efforts of Two Legal Writing Organizations to Break Them Down

Abstract

This paper explores the structural barriers to equality for skills-focused faculty in the legal academy, including social and cultural, external organizational, and institutional barriers. It posits that these barriers perpetuate inequality in the academy as much as they do in the workplace generally, and the data indicate that the percentage of women teaching skills-focused courses with less pay and security of position is increasing. The article concludes by summarizing the tireless efforts of two national organizations, the Association of Legal Writing Directors, and the Legal Writing Institute, to break down these barriers and improve the respect for and status of skills-focused faculty in legal education.

Keywords: gender, disparity, discrimination, salary, equity, equality, barriers, faculty, doctrinal, skills

JEL Classification: I23, I24, K31, K42