"The legacy of one-income households and male-dominated workforces permeates the law profession, even as so much has changed in legal education, opportunities for young female lawyers, and the U.S. workplace generally. That means that taking leave is still perceived as contrary to firm goals and a net loss for a team and the individual. Systems are not structured to plan the time, optimize it, and identify and appreciate long-term benefits of parental leave."
"Yet, despite the fear and judgment about time away, policies are often relatively generous at law firms, for legal professionals if not support staff, in comparison to many other industries. Law firm leave policies fill a gap left by federal policies that poorly support working families in the country. The United States is the only OECD country without mandatory paid leave. In the past several years, an increasing number of states have initiated paid leave requirements; big firm policies generally surpass those plans as well."
Many lawyers hide pregnancies, dread conversations about time off, and managers often avoid parental-leave discussions to avoid saying the wrong thing. Sixty-nine percent of US adults have children, yet legal workplaces retain legacies of one-income households and male-dominated cultures. Taking parental leave is often perceived as contrary to firm goals and a net loss for teams and individuals. Systems rarely plan leave, optimize transitions, or recognize long-term benefits. Law firms frequently offer relatively generous paid leave that exceeds federal protections and many state plans, but generous policies coexist with stories of poor treatment, lost opportunities, and sidelining.
Read at Above the Law
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