BigLaw -- Is There a Woman Problem?

 The Intrepid One™ does the heavy lifting here.

Increasingly, women, frustrated by unequal pay and opportunity for partnership, are leaving Big Law, taking their chances with smaller firms or by going solo.

Women have been grappling with the challenge of succeeding at law firms for decades. While many firms have taken steps to address women's concerns about balancing their work with parenthood by offering flex-time, the conversation now appears to have shifted to money — equal pay, equity partnerships and training to develop that crucial book of business.

Increasingly, the focus is on whether big firms have women on key executive and compensation committees and why there are so few female managing partners.

At a recent international law conference in Miami Beach, a panel of top managing partners, all male, conceded law firms are not doing enough to promote and retain female lawyers. While the law firm leaders noted they offer flex-time to women, two female lawyers in the audience raised their hands and declared they are more concerned with other issues these days.

"It's all about money and business development," said Peggy Kubicz-Hall of Minneapolis-based Greene Espel. "You have to think about who the second is on your project. Ultimately, it's a business, and for women to get ahead they have to have clients."

Of particular concern to many women, including members of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, are several recent studies showing female lawyers are earning less and making partner at lower rates than their male counterparts, both in Florida and nationally.

What say you big-firmers?

Can anyone dispute that the challenges, opportunities and -- yes -- pay -- are different than for male counterparts?

That doesn't mean you can't succeed and succeed big inside a big firm, but it's hard to argue everything is exactly 100% equal.

In other news, the Lewis Tein/Miccosukee Tribal case returns to the 3d DCA on the plaintiffs' emergency petition to stop an evidentiary hearing so the plaintiffs can get more discovery or expand the scope of the hearing (or something like that).

As always, judge for yourself.

Evan B. Plotka: "I Sue Jews. I Defend Muslims."

To be fair, Evan from Hollywood sues and represents lots of people of all varieties and color, and sometimes even clients who lack any color at all:

The last wills I drafted were for a Puerto Rican couple (man and woman). The last power of attorney — a Hispanic. I sue Jews. I defend Muslims. Earlier today, I drafted a motion to dismiss for an albino...

First of all, I'm really happy Johnny Winter has solid legal representation.

But I'll go you one better -- I had a client walk in the other day who I swear was a one-legged transgendered Gypsy small person Kutchi who happened to hail from the Principality of Andorra.

(BTW, I checked and there is in fact a Bar organization devoted to these people -- the OLTGSPKPA Bar Association.)

Evan, however, sees a world where all lawyers melt into a giant pot of legal stew:

I call on the presidents of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the Cuban American Bar Association, the Puerto Rican Bar Association, the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Bar Association, the Wilkie D. Ferguson Bar Association, and the Muslim Bar Association, together with other segregated bar associations not mentioned in the article, to disband. Everyone can then meet at the DCBA like one big happy family. 

Question -- have you been to big family gatherings? 

In my experience they are rarely happy, and usually involve at least one drunk Uncle who won't stop asking about who you've been dating.