Reports

The legal sector is still lagging a long way behind other industries when it comes to the gender pay gap with progress remaining stubbornly slow, particularly among larger City firms.

Research in 2022 from the Next 100 Years and pay analytics company Gapsquare analysed hourly pay rates provided by law firms under the statutory gender pay reporting guidelines for 2022 which showed a gender pay gap of 25.4% – a figure that has remained largely unchanged since 2017, when mandatory reporting first came into effect for businesses with 250 staff or more.

The research echoes the findings of the Law Society that showed, on average, women in the largest law firms earn a fifth less than men, with the gender pay gap 50% wider than the average UK business.

The report also analysed gender pay gap reports filed with the UK government, suggesting that if we do nothing, the legal services sector will not see pay equity between women and men for another 86 years.

Women lawyers themselves were not optimistic, with 84% believing they won’t see true gender pay equality in their working lives and 29% anticipating it won’t happen in the next 100 years.

This year’s report was a special centenary edition to mark 100 years since the first women were admitted as barristers and solicitors in England and Wales in 1922.

This year’s report is more exciting than ever as we release our special centenary edition to mark 100 years since the first women were admitted as barristers and solicitors in England and Wales in 1922.

This year’s edition of our Women Who Will report, celebrating the progress of women’s leadership in law, in partnership with the Next 100 Years Project.

Produced in association with The Next 100 Years to champion the talent and potential of women in law.

Now in its 4th year, The Women Who Will report published by Obelisk Support in partnership with the Next 100 Years project, shines a light on the exceptional women in the legal industry – recognising those who have shown exemplary leadership, vision, and action in the legal community.