Although the number of women studying Law at universities has surpassed men for decades, female presence drastically decreases as one moves up the professional hierarchy. The so-called 'leaky pipeline' accurately describes how, despite massive access to education, invisible barriers persist that hinder women's advancement to positions of prestige, power, and decision-making.

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The Gender Gap in Law

1. Law Firms

In large law firms, the presence of women among junior associates is equal to or greater than that of men. However, the gap appears when it comes to accessing partnership. Recent studies show that less than 25% of equity partners in Spain and Latin America are women. Explanatory factors include rigid career models, lack of female role models, and biases in client allocation. As a result, many women leave or move to in-house legal departments where work-life balance is more feasible.

2. The Judiciary

The judicial career shows a paradox: more than 60% of lower court judges in countries like Spain are women. However, in higher courts, female representation falls to less than 25%. The reasons include promotion systems based on male-dominated networks, stereotypes about judicial authority, and lack of work-life balance measures in senior courts.

3. Academia

In law schools, many women hold junior or mid-level academic positions, but less than 30% of full professorships are occupied by women. Although women publish and lead projects, recognition and awards mostly go to men. This perpetuates the invisibility of female scholars and limits their influence in teaching and research.

4. High Courts

In constitutional and supreme courts, female representation is exceptional. In Spain, women have been a minority in the Constitutional Court, and at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, female judges were almost absent until recently. This means that major constitutional decisions are made from a predominantly male perspective.

Conclusion

The gender gap in law is not due to a lack of talent: women are the majority in classrooms and produce high-level research. The problem lies in promotion and recognition mechanisms. Closing the gap requires real work-life balance policies, gender quotas in power bodies, visibility of female role models, and training on biases.