The Decade of the Female Lawyer
The 2026 Women’s History Month theme is “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” announced by the National Women’s History Alliance. It honors women who are rebuilding systems for long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability, promoting equity, justice, and opportunity.
This post is in honor of the women lawyers I know who promote equity and justice today. I doubt many smoke Virginia Slims, but these women have come a long way thanks to the pioneers who cleared the path.
The Numbers: A Shifting Tide
Based on early 2025/2026 data, the legal landscape has been fundamentally reshaped:
Law School Enrollment: Women made up 55.1% of the first-year class in 2025.
Professional Representation: Total women in the legal profession rose to 41.31% by 2025.
The Era: The 2016–2026 period is now widely described as the “Decade of the Female Lawyer.”
The Pioneers
In 1970, the legal field was only 8.6% female. Breaking through required extraordinary resilience:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Began landmark gender-bias litigation with the ACLU in 1970.
Doris Brin Walker: The first female president of the National Lawyers Guild.
Marguerite Rawalt: A tireless advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment.
Hillary Clinton: One of only 27 women in her 1973 Yale Law graduating class.
Kamala Harris: Earned her degree from UC Hastings in 1989, rising through the ranks to the Vice Presidency.
Historical Context: From 1950 to 1970, women consistently made up 3% or less of the profession.
The Personal Cost of Progress
Many lesser-known women paid a heavy price for breaking into this “man’s profession.” I knew a woman who graduated from Georgetown in 1969 with a JD in International Law, later earning an LLM in Taxation. She was an Assistant State’s Attorney for Maryland and a DC lobbyist—a true trailblazer.
However, she was also a victim of the harassment inherent in a male-dominated field. The toll was high; her career took a downward turn, leading her to serve as a hearing officer for the Maryland District Traffic Court. In 1985, due to Veterans’ Preference rules, her role was reassigned to a less-qualified male candidate. She never practiced law again. Her story serves as a reminder that “paving the way” often left the pioneers themselves with the deepest scars.
Prominent DC Lawyers Today
Today, women hold the most influential—and scrutinized—legal roles in the country:
Pam Bondi: Former Florida AG; chosen to lead the U.S. Department of Justice as Attorney General.
Alina Habba: Senior advisor and legal counsel; formerly served as acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.
Harmeet Dhillon: Appointed Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in 2025.
Sally Yates: Former Deputy AG; now a Distinguished Lecturer at Georgetown Law focused on voting rights.
Lindsey Halligan: Former insurance attorney; appointed to a prominent role at the White House.
Christina Bobb: Focused on election-related litigation and government document investigations.
Jenna Ellis: Conservative lawyer and former senior legal adviser to the 2020 re-election campaign.
Admission to the Bar
In order to practice Law, Men and Women lawyers in the United States take a solemn oath to support the U.S. Constitution upon admission to the bar. While specific language varies by state, almost all jurisdictions require this pledge, often alongside a promise to uphold their state constitution and faithfully discharge their duties to clients and the courts.
When you see a woman lawyer this month, thank her for “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”