Washington and Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons

In 1975, the first class of women law students graduated from Washington and Lee University. Over the past forty years, the legal profession has evolved to better support the female sex. Today, women lawyers work as respected equity partners, members of Congress, law school deans, and justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. They run their own law firms and they run for U.S. President. Women have progressed because they have fought hard for a seat at the table, yet disparities in pay and barriers to advancement still persist.

The panelists explored the state of women in the law based on their professional and personal experiences. The first panel, comprised of alumnae representing four decades of W&L law women, addressed the advancement of women in the profession. The second panel discussed the persistence of gender disparities in the legal field and how young female attorneys can bridge barriers they may face in the workplace through a roundtable discussion.