When reflecting on the status of women in the legal profession, and women in legal technology in particular, International Women’s Day is a great point to pause and reflect not only on how far we have come but also to recognise the need to continue to focus on gender diversity in the industry.
The history of women in law in Australia is one of a slow start, gradual progress, and increased representation. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women faced significant barriers to entering the legal profession, and it was not until the 1960s and 1970s that women began to be more commonly admitted to the bar and appointed as judges.
In the early days, women were not permitted to study law at university, and even if they were able to gain admission to a law firm as a clerk, they were generally not allowed to appear in court or receive clients. However, women’s persistence and activism helped to change these attitudes, and by the mid-20th century, many universities had begun to admit women to their law programs.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the feminist movement in Australia helped to further break down barriers for women in law, and many women began to enter the profession in larger numbers. Today, women are well represented in the legal profession more broadly. As of 2021, women make up a significant portion of the legal profession in Australia. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, women account for around 45% of solicitors and 37% of barristers. Women are also well represented in the judiciary, with women making up around 38% of all federal and state judges.
Despite this progress, women still face discrimination and barriers to advancement in the legal profession. For example, women tend to be underrepresented in senior positions in law firms and in the judiciary. Additionally, women tend to earn less than men in the legal profession, with a gender pay gap of around 19% for solicitors and 27% for barristers. This is also reflected in the fact that the number of female partners in law firms is lower than that of men. There is still an ongoing challenge to address these issues and promote equality for women in the legal profession.
With the legal industry statistics in mind, let’s consider gender diversity in the Legal Technology Industry. The Australian Legal Technology Association (ALTA) has cast a lens over the challenges facing female founders in the legal tech space, resulting in the establishment of Women of the Australian Legal Technology Association (WALTA) – a program to empower and inspire women in legal technology and enact change.
Access to funding is a significant challenge for many female founders in the tech industry in general in Australia. According to a 2020 report by the Australian government, women-led start-ups receive significantly less funding than their male counterparts. In the venture capital (VC) sector, only around 8% of funding goes to start-ups with a female founder. In addition, women-led start-ups are less likely to receive angel or seed funding. Legal Technology as a specific sector is no different.
Several factors contribute to this lack of access to funding for female founders in the tech industry in Australia. One is the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in the venture capital and angel investing communities. This can make it more difficult for female founders to secure funding, as they may have fewer connections or less access to decision-makers. Additionally, unconscious bias and stereotypes can lead to female founders being perceived as less capable or less likely to succeed, which can make it more difficult for them to secure funding.
Following the release of a research paper commissioned by ALTA Diversity in LegalTech – It’s Time for Action, WALTA aims to create tangible changes for women in the Australian legal tech community. Presenting the report’s findings at ALTACON21, Jodie Baker, founder and Chief Executive at Xakia Technologies and WALTA committee member, outlined three “calls to action”: funding, female visibility, and creating a voice for female founders and participants in Australian Legal Technology. “Funding is crucial to the survive-to-thrive transition for early-stage companies and is a critical roadblock for female founders” Ms Baker said. “By creating a community where founders and funders can come together, female founders can seek guidance on how to navigate this difficult stage and overcome some of the existing barriers to funding for female founders.”
WALTA has kicked off its program of change with the creation of the WALTA Collective: a portal that connects founders to funders and provides education, resources and training. WALTA will also focus on the creation of a directory of legal tech founders and professionals – and attempt to improve the visibility of women in the legal tech space, where they remain largely unseen, according to the ALTA report.
“We want to raise the visibility and profile of female LegalTech professionals and provide a means for the legal industry to consciously include diversity as part of the procurement process,” Karen Finch, Founder and CEO of Legally Yours, and President of ALTA, states. “By making female LegalTech leaders visible, WALTA will facilitate this change in the legal industry.”
Additionally, WALTA recently released the WALTA Playbook – For Women on a Legal Technology Journey. In this Playbook, WALTA has gathered some of Australia’s top LegalTech talent and collated the best ideas, tips, learning and resources to ensure women of Australian LegalTech have the best possible opportunity to find success with their innovations. This work is a reflection of an inspiring, strong community of LegalTech women who want to support other women in the industry and is available to anyone to download and either utilise in the development of LegalTech or to show support for women in LegalTech. I encourage you to take a look here: WALTA Playbook.
You can find out more about WALTA initiatives here: WALTA.
