Women in British Columbia have been entering the legal profession in numbers equal to or greater than men for more than a decade. Yet women represent only 34% of the province’s practicing lawyers, and only 29% of lawyers currently in full-time private practice.

To address this gap, JES’ Mapping Her Path project explored the barriers facing women in the legal profession in British Columbia and created tailored resources to improve their retention and advancement in the field.

In 2015, the JES project team conducted a needs assessment within BC’s legal sector with participation from 400 respondents, most of whom were practicing women lawyers. Of the 119 who had left private practice, 71% described it as incompatible with desired work-life balance, and 61% cited the workplace environment as a contributing factor to their decision. Over 60% experienced harmful situations where they believe gender played a role at work—leading to negative treatment, harassment, or the requirement to make untenable choices.