Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession

When Brittany Lovely, a student at Georgetown Law, asked to take her exams at home or early so as to not coincide with her baby's due date, she was denied (see: https://lnkd.in/gPNfd8JE). While a number of federal and state laws insist on support and accommodations for pregnant and postpartum students, students—even those in law schools—often meet with bias and discrimination. In this issue of #ThePractice, we spoke with people who gave birth during law school and the unfortunate challenges they met during what is supposed to be—hopefully—a happy time in someone's life. As Bree Koegel, who entered law school with one child and had another during the course of her legal education, "It seemed as though the school forgot that they’re teaching us how to interpret the law."

In a survey with the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession, 61% of mothers in law firms reported hearing demenaing comments about being a working parent; this was compared to 26% of fathers in firms. Roughly the same percentage of mothers vs fathers heard such comments in other legal settings. In the latest ABA report on the "Legal Careers of Parents and Child Caregivers," the depressing stats continue. Read more about the report—and its recommendations for reform—in the Practice:

"Women, and especially women with children, face unique biases and obstacles in the workplace that impede their advancement as compared to their male colleagues. These challenges are exacerbated by policies and practices used by many legal employers that are too inflexible to accommodate the child care and home life responsibilities that mothers disproportionately bear compared to fathers." In the latest issue of #ThePractice, we highlight the American Bar Association report, "Legal Careers of Parents and Caregivers." Read more 👇

Join us TODAY, Thursday, 11/21, 12:15 pm ET at Harvard Law School for a conversation with Luis Franceschi, Assistant Secretary General of the Commonwealth, an intergovernmental organization of 56 countries, 2.5 billion people, and one third of the world. Professor Franceschi is the founding dean of Strathmore Law School.

Join us today 11/19 at 4pm ET for a conversation between Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel at NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., and Ronald Collins, author of "Tragedy on Trial: The Story of the Infamous Emmett Till Murder Trial." Register in-person or zoom: https://lnkd.in/emKUdAbt

As a student fellow with the Center on the Legal Profession, Shiv Panda JD'25 aims to interrogate the role the NIRF system is having in the rapidly changing world of legal education in India. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ePesAvwt

For many lawyers who are also mothers, the more that things have changed in recent years, the more they’ve remained the same. A recent HLS event highlighted the challenges faced by caregivers working in the legal profession. https://lnkd.in/eQBKeQx3

What does it mean to lawyer on behalf of a campaign? Take a look back at our May 2024 issue this Election Day. https://lnkd.in/exBNJFjQ

"Toward the end of this year’s event, [Sherrilyn] Ifill had a discussion with David B. Wilkins, Lester Kissel Professor of Law at HLS. Wilkins, an expert on the legal profession, asked her what role lawyers play in the quest for a healthy, truly inclusive multiracial democracy. Though some have damaged our norms and institutions in recent years, most 'lawyers are leaders' and problem-solvers who are grounded in facts and the rule of law, which are foundational building blocks of any democracy, she said. But it’s not their job alone. 'Democracy is an ecosystem' in which we all have to do our part, Ifill said."

It was great to host this event with Paulette Brown, Michelle Browning Coughlin, and Hannah L. Kilson to spotlight the challenges for lawyers caring for children.