Women solicitors in New South Wales are being paid less than their male counterparts, despite outnumbering men in the profession.
This finding comes out of annual research commissioned by the Law Society of NSW. The data was compiled by consultancy firm Urbis using information from the Law Society database and responses to a voluntary practising certificate survey.
In 2022, NSW had 40,000 solicitors, with 3,305 more women than men. This means 54 per cent of the state’s solicitors were women and 46 per cent were men, making it the sixth year in a row that female solicitors outnumbered male solicitors.
And yet, there was still a significant pay gap where 58 per cent of the women reported earning less than $150,000 compared to 47 per cent of the men. This gender disparity held true regardless of age, years since admission or the sector where the solicitor is employed.
About 28 per cent of male solicitors reported earning more than $200,000, compared to 19 per cent of the women.
Speaking to the ABC, Law Society of NSW president Cassandra Banks said the organisation is working to address the issues appearing in this latest research.
“I sit on a lot of interview panels and women still undersell themselves,” said Banks.
“Knowing what to ask for is something that we’re looking at for women and there needs to be more transparency about salaries and how to progress.”
Along with pay inequality, there’s a leadership gap in the profession as well, with only a two per cent increase of women who hold principal or partner roles, bringing it to 35 per cent.
However, the research shows an even proportion of men and women in private practice for the first time.
Women also hold a slight majority of Group General Counsel and Head of Legal Team leadership positions– Fifty-two per cent work for the corporate sector and 53 per cent work for the government.
In other results, the research shows a diversity problem exists for solicitors even beyond gender.
Less than one per cent or about 360 of the solicitors surveyed identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Indigenous female solicitors outnumber their male counterparts as well, with 57 per cent identifying as women and 43 per cent as men.
There’s also a shortage of solicitors in regional NSW as nearly half work in the Sydney CBD. Thirty-three per cent work in Sydney’s suburbs and only 12 per cent in regional NSW.
Speaking to the importance of helping more Indigenous people and those in regional NSW to join the profession, Banks said, “we need to think about different ways to practise serving more of the state.”