How Difficult Is It to Treat Woman Lawyers Equally in an Indian Law Firm?

Abstract

Law in India has been, and is, a male-dominated profession. However, the development of a chamber-based and technology-enabled corporate law practice has created more opportunities for women lawyers. The majority of the lawyers in our firm, Samvad Partners, is, and has always been, women, and this has translated into a women-dominated leadership in the firm. This happened only because we treated women no differently than male applicants in the initial years — judging them only on their qualifications and skills. If we understand the fact that knowledge, ability and skills are not constrained by gender, it becomes easier to make gender-neutral decisions. I will draw from our experience over the last eight years, looking at specific instances and examples, to argue that it is possible to treat women equally in the legal profession and facilitate their growth into leadership positions. The only impediments are our mindsets and approach.