The Problem:

While fifty-percent of their class may be female, women still comprise only about 20% of the leadership - partners, judges, elected officials - of the legal profession. The formal barriers to women entering the legal profession have diminished, but there are still subtle structural barriers to women's ascension to leadership in the profession. It's time for a whole new kind of "issue-spotting." Here are three reasons why law schools should offer a course that explores these barriers.

1. There is a significant amount of research and scholarship on women and the legal profession that lends itself to academic study. A seminar is an important way to educate law students about this research and scholarship prior to their entering the profession. A summary of relevant research studies is available through the University of Maryland School of Law's Women, Leadership & Equality Program and lists of relevant scholarship are available on Ms. JD's Library.

2. This kind of seminar brings together interdisciplinary research from the fields of law, social psychology, organizational behavior, political science, and history. It differs from a course in "Women and the Law" since it has an empirical focus on women in the legal profession while the latter has a doctrinal focus, for example the evolution of sexual harassment as a cause of action. An example of this kind of interdisciplinary seminar is available here.

3. There are very few law schools offering this kind of course so your law school can be on the forefront of this innovative new movement to study the legal profession from this unique scholarly perspective.

The Solution:

1. Find out if there is a full-time faculty member who is interested in teaching this course. If not, find an adjunct interested in teaching it.

2. Talk to the Associate Dean of your law school and find out which faculty members are on your law school's curriculum committee and who chairs the committee. Ask if there is a student representative on the committee.

3. Work with the faculty member to develop any new course approval forms that the curriculum committee requires as well as a proposed syllabus.

4. Work with the faculty member to submit the form and syllabus to the curriculum committee for approval.

For more information on how to get your law school to add this kind of seminar to its curriculum, please contact Professor Paula A. Monopoli, Founding Director of the Women, Leadership & Equality Program at the University of Maryland School of Law at or Jessie Kornberg, Executive Director of Ms. JD.