Low percentage of women representation on the legal rankings

At the beginning of September, the new Chambers and Partners guide for Latin America, Chambers Latin America 2021, was published, guide in which the prestigious international directory highlighted the best firms and business law professionals in Latin America.

Among the novelties presented in this new publication, we find some new practice areas such as Banking & Finance in Ecuador, Consumer Law in Argentina and Project Finance for all Latin America.

Statistical Data provided by Chambers Latin America 2021 regarding diversity and inclusion

During a virtual event presented by the new editor, Mónica Tantaleán, several statistical data were communicated, some evident by the size of the markets such as, for example, the jurisdictions where more practice areas are covered -Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Colombia in decreasing order- and others in terms of current trends in the legal market, such as the interest in technology issues (LegalTech and Fintech), data privacy and venture capitals.

While these are always useful data to assess the state of this significant market, the most interesting aspect of this new publication was the stir caused by the information shared regarding diversity and inclusion statistics. In data shared in Chambers Latin America 2021, it is noted that, in this region, out of a total of 4,784 individuals with a ranking, there is only a 19% female presence.

For anyone who has worked in and with firms in these countries, this is not a surprise, as just by looking at the teams on the websites of the Law firms, it is easy to notice that while in terms of associates the ratio of men/women is similar, this at the partner level drops to considerable levels, in some cases directly 100% of partners are composed of men.

Another very interesting fact that emerged from this event is that no relationship was found between the economic development of the country and the representation of women in the profession. For example, Cuba is the country with more women lawyers in its rankings, with 63%, followed by Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. In last place is Mexico with 9%, followed closely by Chile with 12%.

So, why is this data taken as surprising, and why is this directory accused of not promoting equality in the rankings? The reality is that the entire legal industry must modernize and work towards a more equitable model where there really is greater representation, not only in terms of equal opportunities for men and women, but also to include underrepresented minorities in a sector that tends to be conservative and inflexible.

In this case, the fact that the directory considered the gold standard for the sector has presented these statistics in a way that is transparent to all should be identified as positive. This has highlighted the need to continue this conversation at all levels of the industry and that more and more legal professionals, both men and women, are working towards a more egalitarian industry.

If you want the full article on Chambers Latin America 2021, click here.

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