Florida Bar's smart effort to reduce gender bias

The Florida Bar is taking seriously the undeniable problem of gender bias in the legal profession. Last year, the Bar learned from surveying its members just how pervasive discrimination remains against women, regardless of whether it is subtle or overt. Rather than shrinking from that disturbing reality, the Bar tackled the issue head-on and has released a substantive list of recommendations to improve the situation.

In 2015, the Bar sent out a survey on women in the legal profession to a random sample of 3,000 young female lawyers. Some 43 percent reported experiencing gender bias in their career, including harassment. They also cited a lack of advancement opportunities, unequal pay and a continuing struggle to balance work and home life. Those findings prompted Bar president William J. Schifino Jr. of Tampa to appoint a committee last year to study gender and diversity issues. The group sent out a larger survey to 6,000 lawyers (both male and female), sought advice and input from an array of experts on the legal profession and gender bias, and came up with recommendations that could help begin to change a culture where women are still called "sweetheart" in the courtroom.

The recommendations could apply broadly to most any professional organization or workplace but are smartly tailored to the Bar and its members.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-the-florida-bars-smart-effort-to-reduce-gender-bias/2329028