Today, I received exciting news from DRI, the international membership organization of all lawyers involved in the defense of civil litigation. For the first time in history, women have swept the presidencies of the nation’s three largest organizations for attorneys.
The women who hold these esteemed positions are Mary Massaron Ross, President of DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar, Laurel Bellows, President of the American Bar Association, and Mary Alice McLarty, President of the American Association for Justice (Plaintiffs Bar).
In a press release from DRI, Mary Massaron Ross shared her thoughts on the historical occasion:
“The story is, of course, much bigger than three women being elected president. It’s a dramatic demographics shift in the profession. In 1963, only 3.7% of law school students were women. Today, it’s nearly half. And that shift is part of a larger societal shift. For instance, we’ll have a record number of women in the Senate next year. This says that America is more and more fully utilizing the talents of all of its people.”
The gender gap in business law is still large, but hopefully a real shift is starting to happen and more women will get the recognition and opportunities they deserve in the legal profession. There is still a long road ahead of female attorneys, but a path is being carved. To learn more, you can follow the link to get the inside story of what it’s like to be a woman Fortune 500 general counsel.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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