New Zealand Legal Profession Discusses Gender Representation and Transparency

Jacque Lethbridge, who heads the dispute resolution team at Martelli McKegg, agreed with a call for large law firms to publish three metrics yearly: women’s share of full equity, the partner pay gap, and the leaders of major cases. Lethbridge stated that while there is progress, she is often the only woman in large-scale commercial litigation cases, except for judges. She also noted a denominator problem in the Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association survey.

The discussion addresses labor market structure within the legal industry. The suggestion for firms to publish specific metrics could influence how the legal profession manages its workforce and addresses internal equity.