Greetings Lady Esquires! This one’s for you!
I am Jennifer Duclair, a mindset expert with a focus on helping women in the legal field achieve a fulfilling and balanced life. In this series, we will explore the unique challenges faced by women in a male-dominated field and offer practical solutions for improving work-life harmony.
First up, let's talk about negotiating fair compensation. As women in the legal field, we often face pay disparity, making less money for the same work as our male colleagues. This not only places a burden on us, but it can also impact our quality of life, especially if we're not partnered with a high earner. This pay gap can also make it seem like our male colleagues are more competent, leading to promotions and raises faster, further increasing the pay disparity.
It is crucial for us to advocate for ourselves and secure better salaries from the start. This requires being armed with accurate and up-to-date information about market salaries in our area of law and geographic region. However, accessing this information can be difficult and using it in negotiations can be even more challenging.
To overcome these challenges, I suggest consulting indexes such as Robert Half's Legal salary publications or your law school's career department for their estimations. Additionally, reaching out to online groups and forums specifically for women in the legal field can provide valuable insight. You can post a question asking for opinions on what would be considered a fair compensation for someone with your credentials. Comparing these answers to data from sources such as Glassdoor.com or Indeed.com can also provide a more comprehensive picture.
It is important to note that there may be gender-based biases and other factors such as cultural norms and low self-confidence that can prevent you from using the information you've gathered to negotiate a higher salary. However, in the next article, we will discuss strategies for overcoming these challenges and negotiating a better salary with confidence.
Join me in this series as we work towards building a law life we love, with grace and ease.
About the author
I am a certified Jungian Psychology Coach with years of experience in the corporate world. My expertise and passion for helping women gain the recognition and the income they deserve make me well-suited to offer practical advice and compassionate support to women in the legal field. Whether you're just starting your journey as an attorney or are a seasoned professional, I believe my insights and advice will add value and empower you.