Despite all the attention, the Law Society still does not have a coherent strategy with respect to women and law. The initiatives it has created are overly simplistic and not effective. Sadly the Law Society does not even have a way to measure the success of the hodge podge of initiatives that it has created.
But I am most concerned about the Law Society’s propensity to pit genders against each other.
As a solo practitioner and single father of two children, I fully understand how difficult it is to run a law practice and raise a family. I have adjusted my practice and have made trade-offs in my life to spend more time with my family. So I find it deeply offensive when the Law Society states that I have an advantage in law because of my gender.
The practice of law is unfair to all lawyers in equal measure. Each lawyer must choose the sacrifices that he or she is prepared to make, and not make, in his or her career.
The real issue is work/life balance for lawyers who want it.
The greatest enemies to work/life balance are the structure of law firms and the billable hour. It is time for Ontario to follow the lead of the UK and Australia and allow for alternative business models that will change how legal services are delivered thereby permitting greater work/life balance for lawyers.
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