E X E C U T I V E
D I R E C T O R ’ S
M E S S A G E
J o h n F. K y n e s - H i l l s b o r o u g h C o u n t y B a r A s s o c i a t i o n
Continued from page 14
And a further breakdown in the numbers shows there
are more than 7,000 attorneys in Hillsborough County.
The ABA report says Florida showed the largest
increase in the number of lawyers since 2009 at 28
percent, with Texas next at 22 percent, and then New
York at 19 percent.
Regarding diversity, the report says the percentage of
lawyers who are racial or ethnic minorities grew slowly
over the past decade.
Collectively, the number of minority lawyers nationally
grew three percent in the past 10 years, from 12 percent
of all lawyers in 2009 to 15 percent in 2019.
The percentage of female attorneys increased slowly
over the past decade as well, from 31 percent in 2009 to
36 percent today.
The ABA study also says that although nearly 50
percent of all law school graduates have been female since
2000, the number of females in senior leadership roles of
law firms has been largely stagnant for a least a decade.
Overall, the number of female equity partners at law
firms is 19 percent, which is only up four percent from 15
percent in 2012.
“It’s really distressing that the percentage of women
equity partners has barely budged over the [past]
decade,” said Roberta Liebenberg, former chair of the
ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession during
the panel discussion.
“It is very clear that the culture and structure of law
firms, as well as implicit biases, impact the ability of
women to attain equity partner in commensurate
percentages as their male counterparts,” Liebenberg said.
One alarming trend, Liebenberg said, is the “dramatic
stampede” of women leaving the practice of law as they
move into their 50s, a time when they should be at the
height of their career.
Liebenberg attributed this attrition of senior female
lawyers to various factors, including: the lack of access
to business development opportunities, caretaking
commitments, the level of stress at work, and the number
of billable hours.
She also noted the dissimilar levels of satisfaction
women receive for the recognition they receive for their
work, and the methods by which compensation is
determined.
Some other facts from the ABA report:
• 52 percent of American lawyers surveyed in 2018
provided pro bono services the previous year, with
the average lawyer working 37 hours.
• 28 percent of the lawyers surveyed in 2016 say they
struggle with depression, and 21 percent of lawyers
qualify as a problem drinker, more than triple the
rate for the general population at six percent.
• In 2018, 23 percent of lawyers say their law firm has
experienced a computer breach, but only 34 percent
law firms have cyber liability insurance.
• After several years of decline, law school applications
in 2018 were up 7.6 percent from the previous year.
• The average law school graduate had $145,500 in
student loan debt in 2016.
If you are interested seeing the full report, you can
access it on the ABA’s website at www.americanbar.
org/profile.
See you around the Chet. n
Congratulations
THBA Award Winners
the hCba would like to recognize two of its members
for winning awards at the tampa hispanic bar association scholarship
Gala on november 2. Congratulations to both Vivian Cortes hodz on
receiving the luis a. “tony” Cabassa award and Judge Miriam
Valkenburg on receiving the “spirit of tampa” award for leadership
and mentoring of young hispanics in the tampa bay area.
Vivian Cortes Hodz
JAN - FEB 2020
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HCBA LAWYER
Judge Miriam Valkenburg
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