Stark Gender Divide Between Private and Public Sector Cases in New York

Female attorneys in New York are nearly twice as likely to represent parties in the public sector than private litigants, a study by the New York Bar has found.

The study found that female lawyers accounted for 38.2 percent of lead counsel in public interest cases, and 19.4 percent of lead counsel in private practice. Similarly, women made up 39.6 percent of the attorneys representing public entities and 18.5 percent of lawyers representing private parties in civil litigation. On average, women make up 25.2 percent of court appearances in commercial and criminal cases.

The study analysed 2,800 questionnaires completed by judges in trial, ...