Running head: GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA
by
ALESSANDRA GIUSEPPINA SODANO

Submitted in partial fulfilment of
the requirements for the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARTS
in
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
(Honours)

Principal Supervisor
Professor Doug King

Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies
MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

04/22/2020

© Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano 2020
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Copyright 2020
Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This work is completed in entirety by Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano. All rights are
reserved to the information provided within this document.

MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Abstract
One may ask why paralegals are shown to be the only profession in the criminal justice system
that has an overrepresentation of women employees, while male legal professionals tend to be
identified as attorneys – perhaps it is due to societal ideologies of male dominance. Male
dominated industries and occupations, like law practice, have fewer women employees, women
have a harder time excelling in their field, and are less likely to attain partnership promotion.
Career expansion is difficult on women in the male-dominated field of law. Although women are
completing law school at the same rate as men, higher numbers of women are leaving law
(attrition) compared to men, losing their talent from the workforce, and contributing to
continuing sexist attitudes. This study therefore aims to investigate the reasons why females are
less likely to remain working as attorneys compared to males, despite there being approximately
equal representation of males and females in law schools. This loss of women is not only
important for tackling discrimination, which is an important goal for any industry, but also for
reducing the loss of highly trained intelligent professionals in the law firms simply due to their
gender, requiring further training of new staff. Furthermore, this research will not only confirm
the high attrition of women, but will also inform the law firms on the reasons behind it, allowing
counteractive measures to be developed that might increase retention of their female staff.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Table of Contents
COPYRIGHT NOTICE

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ABSTRACT

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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CHAPTER I: RESEARCH QUESTION AND METHODOLOGY

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I-1) Research Question

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I-2) Methodology

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CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

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II-1) Defining Male-Dominated Career

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II-2) Female Lawyer Attrition

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II-3) Causes of Female Lawyer Attrition

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II-3-a) Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment.

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II-3-b) Professional Opportunities and Barriers

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II-3-c) Family Responsibilities

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II-4) Solutions

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CHAPTER III: STATISTICS ON GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LAW SCHOOL
ADMISSIONS AT CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

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III-1) Canadian Law Schools

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III-1) Statistics on a Sample of the Canadian Law Schools

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CHAPTER IV: STATISTICS ON GENDER DIFFERENCES IN CANADIAN LAW
SOCIETIES

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IV-1) Gender Numbers of Admissions Within the Law Society

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IV-2) Gender Numbers of Practising Lawyers Within the Law Society

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IV-3) Law Society of Alberta

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IV-4) Law Society of Saskatchewan

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IV-5) Law Society of New Brunswick

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IV-6) Law Society of Nunavut

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IV-7) Law Society of Ontario

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IV-8) Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador

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Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

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Mount Royal University

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IV-9) Law Society of Yukon

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IV-10) Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society

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IV-11) Le Barreau du Québec

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IV-12) Law Society of British Columbia

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IV-13) Law Society of Manitoba

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IV-14) Law Society of Prince Edward Island

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IV-15) Law Society of the Northwest Territories

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CHAPTER V: FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

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IV-1) Summary of Key Research Findings and Implications

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IV-2) Limitations and Other Considerations

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IV-3) Conclusion

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REFERENCES

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List of Tables
Table 1: Applications by Gender for Common Law Schools

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Table 2: Breakdown of Numbers for Applications and Offers by Gender

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Table 3: First Year Places by Gender

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Table 4: University of Toronto Admissions by Gender Example

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Table 5: Queen’s University Admissions by Gender Example

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Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I want to acknowledge Professor Doug King. From the first year, he
inspired me to pursue the Honours route and to further investigate the role of gender in law. His
expertise, assistance, guidance, and patience throughout the process of writing this thesis is much
appreciated. Without him this Honours thesis would not have been possible.
I want to also thank the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount
Royal University for fulfilling my dream to learn and be a student here these past five years of my
degree. It was through the extensive knowledge of numerous professors that I was able to compose
this Honours thesis. I specially thank Dr. Schaire Travcer and Instructor Ritesh Narayan.
It is a pleasure to thank my friends at Mount Royal University, J.D., J.M., J.P., K.L., and
K.M., for the companionship, wonderful times shared, and constant encouragement through the
completion of this degree. In addition, I would like to thank my friends outside the institution, as
your friendship is a special gift. Generously given, embraced with pleasure, and sincerely
appreciated.
Finally, my deep and sincere gratitude goes to my parents and members of my family who
have continuously supported me and remain to be the cornerstone of my academic career. I
exceptionally acknowledge my mother who inspired me from a young age to be independent and
bold, showing me the value of an education, which has become an important part of my identity.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Chapter I: Research Question and Methodology
I-1) Research Question
It is clear that women have left the legal profession and continue to do so at double the
rate of men, referred as attrition (Kay, Alarie, & Adjei, 2016, p. 766). Women have arrived in the
practice of law at about equal rates, but it seems they are less likely to stay. The research
question is “Why is there discrepancy between the high female law school enrollment figures
and comparatively low employment figures?” This research is exploratory because it investigates
the problem with female lawyer attrition – a problem without a clear answer. As exploratory
research is conducted to determine the nature of an existing problem, it does not provide
conclusive results (Bhat, 2020). Exploratory research begins with a general idea and uses this
research as a medium to spot issues, that may be the main target for future research (Bhat, 2020).
Therefore, the use of statistical data analysis, and the verification and summary of secondary
sources of information assist in the development of this particular study.
The advantages of exploratory research include setting the foundation of a research which
can lead to further research, along with facilitating other researchers to recognize possible causes
for the problem, which can be studied more in-depth to conclude which of them is the most
predominant matter (Bhat, 2020). Some of the causes of female attrition amongst lawyers are:
discrimination, sexual harassment, little opportunity for advancement, not accommodating
maternity leave and family responsibilities. Therefore, understanding the reasons for female
lawyer attrition is incredibly important to prevent it. Although it has been suggested that male
ideals and stereotypes cause women with a law degree to stop working in legal practice, the
reasons for female lawyer attrition are still not fully clear.

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Mount Royal University

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I-2) Methodology
Previous studies have recognized female lawyer attrition rates and suggested that women
have a harder time excelling in their field and are less likely to attain partnership promotion, as
well as face gender discrimination. However, many of the studies focus solely on the attrition
rates excluding statistics on women entering legal education at equal or even higher proportion to
men highlighting a need to fill this gap in the research. Therefore, this research employs a mixedmethod design, which is a combination of both qualitative and quantitative data collection. It
utilizes the techniques of statistical data analysis on both education and legal practice and a
comprehensive literature review.
Statistical data collection from all thirteen of the Law Societies of Canada is examined to
conduct an analysis of gender in the legal profession to determine the causation behind female
lawyer attrition – why women leave the practice of law and what can be done about it? These
law societies include Law Society of Alberta, Law Society of British Columbia, Law Society of
Ontario, Law Society of Saskatchewan, Le Barreau du Québec, Law Society of Manitoba, Law
Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, Law Society of the
Northwest Territories, Law Society of Yukon, Law Society of Nunavut, Law Society of Prince
Edward Island, and Law Society of New Brunswick. Moreover, statistical analysis will examine
the number of registered female lawyers compared to male lawyers starting from the year 1998
leading up to 2017, using the statistical reports from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.
Secondary data collection of additional studies will then provide explanations and
reasons as to why women leave the law. Multiple studies will be explored and compiled to get a
more conclusive answer about the problem. In doing so, a more comprehensive solution can be
explored that is coupled with a combination of studies that provides insight into the problem of
women leaving the profession. These secondary sources were acquired through data bases such
as ProQuest, ISTOR, Sage Journals, Google Scholar and CanLII.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

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Mount Royal University

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Chapter II: Literature Review
There are several previous studies examining the role of women in law, which have used
both qualitative and quantitative approaches to investigate the experiences of women and why
they leave. They have found a range of reasons reported, with harassment as one of the most
common reasons, but interestingly, gender-based lack of promotion as an equally important
reason for leaving law. These studies collectively show that while there is little opposition to
women taking up positions in law firms, some opposition exists to women becoming partners.
Therefore, discrimination and a limited career outlook remain the major barriers to a long and
productive career in law. Some studies span over the period of time when female representation
was rapidly improving. The following literature review is limited to examining some key papers
studying female lawyer attrition over the last eleven years, from 2009 onwards; including studies
from some Canadian law societies, such as the Law Society of Ontario, the Law Society of
British Columbia and the Law Society of Alberta.
II-1) Defining Male-Dominated Career
Firstly, gender refers to “a socially constructed notion of what it means to be feminine
and what it means to be masculine”, in which the characteristics of the terms vary per culture
(King & Winterdyk, 2010, pp. 151-152). Generalizations about the proper expectations of female
and male behaviour are reinforced in society’s social institutions, including career choices (King
& Winterdyk, 2010, p. 152). When one thinks of the lawyer profession, many imagine a man
being employed in this position. Male-dominated industries and occupations employ fewer
women and are susceptible to masculine ideals and stereotypes. It is not unusual for stereotyping
a profession as ‘men’s work’ or ‘women’s work’. Due to these stereotypes, women have a harder
time excelling in a field seen as the domain of men. Moreover, gender spheres exist not only
within some professions in Canada, but also in education, which includes the study of law (King
& Winterdyk, 2010, pp. 153-154). Law remains a discipline with a male culture as its model; the

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Mount Royal University

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networking, client growth, professional style, company organisational structure, and competition
expect that someone who enters the profession will practise law as it has always been practised
(Robertson, 2020). As a result, women are not remaining in legal practice, leading to attrition
rather than progressing in the practice of law.
II-2) Female Lawyer Attrition
Despite women’s enrollment in law school outpacing men, they remain significantly
underrepresented within the legal industry. One of the reasons for this is attrition. Numerous
studies indicate women are leaving legal practice early and more frequently than their male
counterparts. One research study completed was by Kay, Alarie, and Adjei (2016), in which the
population of interest were lawyers in Ontario since “the province is home to the largest
proportion of lawyers” (Kay, Alarie, & Adjei, 2016, p. 775). Results of the survey established
that 299 (32 percent) out of the 944 lawyers surveyed had left private practice (Kay, Alarie, &
Adjei, 2016, p. 778). Women had the highest percentage of attrition, at 36 percent compared to
28 percent of men (Kay, Alarie, & Adjei, 2016, p. 778). In addition, they found that "women
face a hazard of leaving private practice 46 percent greater than men" (Kay, Alarie, & Adjei,
2016, p. 778).
In British Columbia, despite women entering the legal profession in equal or greater
numbers than men, women only represent approximately thirty-four percent of all practicing
lawyers (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 4). Women make up 33 percent of
private attorneys, while they make up just over 50 percent of in-house or state lawyers (The Law
Society of Alberta, 2009, p. 9). However, the Law Society of Alberta identified that 57 percent
of women will have departed from private practice to switch to in-house or government positions
(The Law Society of Alberta, 2014, p. 1). Roughly 28 percent will have completely left the legal
practice (The Law Society of Alberta, 2014, p. 1). Women continue to be well-represented in

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

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governmental and in-house legal roles, primarily because they achieve more reasonable work
hours rather than in private practice (Robertson, 2020).
Furthermore, women have entered the legal profession in British Columbia in numbers
equal to or greater than men for more than a decade, and in significant numbers for thirty years
(The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 4). But women constitute only about 34 percent
of all practising lawyers in the province and only about 29 percent of full-time private practise
lawyers (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 4). In British Columbia, women's underrepresentation in private legal practise continues with the disproportionate number of women
who no longer practise within five years of calling (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009,
p. 4). Just 66 percent of all women appointed to the bar in 2003 maintained substantive status in
2008 (40 percent in private practise) (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 4). In
comparison, 80 percent of men appointed in the same year kept status, with 66 percent in private
practise (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 4). It is clear from the previous studies
that women are leaving, especially in private practice, opting for another route in law or a
different career path entirely, and they are departing at a faster rate than men.
II-3) Causes of Female Lawyer Attrition
Many men will adhere to a kind of linear path after they graduate from law school –
article, qualify to practice law, serve for six or seven years as an associate, and then become a
partner in a law firm (Barker & Tavcer, 2018, p. 313). However, since women lawyers have
more career interruptions and are more likely to be unemployed at any stage in their career, they
do not appear to have linear careers (Barker & Tavcer, 2018, p. 313). Women continue to face
gender-based barriers, which are confirmed to lead to the higher rate at which women leave the
law profession. These barriers include, but are not limited to, gender discrimination, sexual

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

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harassment, allocation of work and opportunities for advancement, along with lack of
accommodation for family responsibilities (Barker & Tavcer, 2018, p. 313).
II-3-a) Gender discrimination and sexual harassment. Gender discrimination is the
discriminatory treatment and/or hatred towards individuals and groups based on the group’s
gender, rather than who they are as a person (King & Winterdyk, 2010, p. 159). In employment,
gender discrimination involves treating someone unfavorably because of the person’s sex,
whether they are applying for a job or are a current employee (Workplace Fairness, 2017).
Although women have made clear they possess the ability to perform with the same skill and
success in every endeavor engaged in by men, the issue of sex discrimination still holds many
women back (Workplace Fairness, 2017).
In a study by the Law Society of Alberta, it was concluded that women were more
commonly influenced to not practice law compared to men, from the involuntary loss of
employment, inability to find a job, discrimination, work-life balance issues and Law Society
fees or dues (The Law Society of Alberta, 2014, p. 16). Even though a study indicates that
discrimination decreased from 35 percent in 2004 to 20 percent by 2010, there is still evidence
that discrimination is an ongoing problem in private practice (The Law Society of Alberta, 2014,
p. 15). Moreover, some respondents asserted that gender discrimination continued to be
prevalent in the profession (The Law Society of Alberta, 2014, p. 18). Women also seemed to be
excluded from important assignments and clients; while Kay, Alarie, & Adjei (2016) state that
"this experience of being marginalized increased women’s subsequent intentions to quit the firm
and seek work elsewhere” (p. 771). These negative experiences appear to be correlated with
gender: 29% of women compared with 19% of men (Kay, Alarie, & Adjei, 2016, p. 778).
Furthermore, sexual harassment is evident within legal professions. Sexual harassment is
any unwanted sexual advance or behaviour that includes sexual touching, sexual jokes and
comments, displays of a sexual nature that are demeaning and humiliating to a person (Canadian

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Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Labour Relations, 2017). Due to stereotyping women in the practice of law may be expected to
play a certain role such as pet, mother, or seductress, and when this criteria is not met they may
be assumed to be tough or bitchy (Barker & Tavcer, 2018, p. 315). Workplace harassment
statistics show that more than one in three women in the legal industry still experience sexual
harassment (LawFuel Editors, 2017). Furthermore, a report to Upper Canada’s Law Society
confirmed that the experience of sexual harassment is strongly gendered with 74 percent of
women reporting having experiences of sexual harassment in the practice of law, compared to
only 11 percent of men (Alarie, Kay, Adjeip, 2013, p. 34). It was also found that lawyers
experiencing harassment are far more likely to leave private practise 29 percent sooner than
those not affected by sexual harassment (Alarie, Kay, Adjeip, 2013, p. 34). Frequent forms of
sexual harassment experienced by female attorneys is the usage and manipulation of gender
issues as a trial tactic by male lawyers (LawFuel Editors, 2017). Male counsels can also make
comments on the personal appearance of a female lawyer during the courtroom proceedings,
often to intimidate her (LawFuel Editors, 2017).
II-3-b) Professional opportunities and barriers. Discrimination persists in how
women lawyers are treated and offered tasks; thereby creating obstacles to a long and productive
legal career (Robertson, 2020). Although there is little opposition to women having jobs in law
firms, some opposition exists to women making partners (Robertson, 2020). When they
eventually reach partner level, few women are invited to sit on important committees such as the
executive or compensation committees (Robertson, 2020). In comparison to prior decades where
men represented many legal students, during the survey period women’s representation in law
increased from 24 percent in 1991 to 38 percent in 2009, and yet women still endured lesser
chances of partnerships within the profession due to leaving law (Kay, Alarie, & Adjei, 2016, p.
775). Regarding reasons for leaving law, lawyers who reported disadvantaging experiences
including being assigned tasks beneath one's level of skill and experience, not being invited to

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Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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work with senior lawyers in the firm, being excluded from social gatherings, and receiving
disrespectful and derogatory comments from fellow lawyers and judges are placed at a
disadvantage to advance professionally and are likely to leave private practice (Kay, Alarie, &
Adjei, 2016, p. 778).
In an Alberta Law Society survey, women were significantly less pleased than men with
job power, work credit, and promotion opportunities (The Law Society of Alberta, 2014, p. 16).
A recent survey in Ontario also found that at the articling and junior associate level, virtually all
firms reported having women in numbers equal to or higher than men (The Law Society of
British Columbia, 2009, p. 4). Nonetheless, most firms reported a gender gap in that women are
overwhelmingly underrepresented at the partner and senior associate level (The Law Society of
British Columbia, 2009, p. 4). In addition, women often leave when they do not feel respected,
when they do not get a good task or when they encounter advancement obstacles such as
exclusion from informal internal networks and lack of mentoring opportunities, professional
growth experience and role models (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 7).
In addition, women lawyers are considered to be disadvantaged in a variety of ways in
relation to the amount of money they can earn, because the income of a lawyer is decided by
firm-specific variables, including working hours, protégé status and general legal experience
(Barker & Tavcer, 2018, p. 316). It is common for female lawyers to work “standard” hours and
have less experience practising law in comparison to their male colleagues (Barker & Tavcer,
2018 p. 317). Therefore, this suggests a potential reason as to why a female lawyer’s
compensation is likely lower than their male colleague’s. A research report published by the
University of Toronto confirmed that second-year male lawyers on average earn $5,500 more
than their female counterparts (Fish, 2015). Even in private practice, men displayed economic
gains over the women in this sector of law (Barker & Tavcer, 2018, p. 318). However, in “inhouse positions” that women lawyers often pursue or switch into more so than men, the average

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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compensation of a full-time second year male student is $62,000, whereas for women the
compensation is $65,000 (Fish, 2015). Additionally, according to a partner at Torys LLP in
Canada, Cheryl Reicin, due to the given hours many women and some men, leave private
practise after the firm has spent numerous time and energy training them (Balakrishnan, 2019).
Despite Cheryl Reicin’s success as a woman in law, there remains obstacles for some women
within private practice from flourishing (Balakrishnan, 2019).
II-3-c) Family responsibilities. Women often perform more childcare and household
responsibilities than their husbands, and it is uncommon for husbands to stay-at-home to support
them in full-time jobs (Robertson, 2020). Therefore, a work-life balance is hard to achieve for
many women practising law due to frequent evening office hours, high billable hours, 'on call'
availability to colleagues and customers, weekend time obligations, travel, and short or limited
notice in changing schedules (Alarie, Kay, Adjeip, 2013, p. 43). According to Ontario research,
maternity, parenting responsibilities and the need to provide long-term care for families are the
source of numerous women leaving the legal practice before reaching partnership (The Law
Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 6). Around one in every two Canadian lawyers, both
female and male, report feeling overwhelmed in balancing work and personal/family demands
(The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 6).
However, women lawyers were much more likely to have been affected by childbirth
and/or childcare than men (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 6). When asked what
factors would be relevant to consider when deciding to work in another firm women identified an
atmosphere that is more tolerant of family and personal responsibilities, and more flexibility over
work schedules as important variables (The British Columbia Law Society, 2009, p. 6). It has
been found that providing parental leave, diminishes female attrition from law practice by 74
percent (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 6). In contrast, a report to Upper
Canada's Law Society discusses taking a parental leave raises the risk of women leaving private

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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practise by 37 per cent, while men taking a parental leave has no major effect on their risk of
leaving private practise (Alarie, Kay, Adjeip, 2013, p. 38). According to Jessyca Greenwood, a
leading lawyer at Greenwood Defense in Toronto, Ontario, women quit the law profession
around the 10-year mark (Kapralos, 2019). This may be because women face the barrier of
balancing a family with a challenging legal career, which confirms how truthful the issue is
(Kapralos, 2019).
II-4) Solutions
Currently, many research studies point to women facing unfair and unique stressors in the
legal workplace; arguably something that men simply do not have to face. Due to this imbalance,
women are opting to forgo this career field. It is acknowledged that the early attrition of women
from the legal profession reflects an incalculable loss of future years of successful and profitable
work (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 6). Therefore, measures must be taken by
firms in order to alleviate the obstacles women face, along with to attract and retain women in
law (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 7).
One approach is to raise consciousness and correct unintended/hidden prejudices and
stereotypes (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 7). There could be some internal
grievance procedure to allow for a confidential mechanism to deal with dispute arising between
people in a firm (Macaulay, 2014). These disputes could be things such as personal conflicts,
perceived sexual harassments that could be resolved without negative repercussion against a
lawyer’s career (Macaulay, 2014). Moreover, another practice is ensuring access to high-quality
assignments, while promoting versatility in the workplace and effective mentoring (The Law
Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 7). Providing lawyers with more control over their day and
pace will contribute to lawyers feeling less stress and the ability to cope with challenges and
problems that can cause them to resign (Macaulay, 2014). Another strategy is to foster business

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Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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development opportunities for women to support their productivity and advancement within the
practice of law (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 7).
Furthermore, firms could allow flexibility in scheduling work, since some firms have
very unreasonable expectations for annual billing hours (Macaulay, 2014). Some lawyers would
appreciate a better balance between work and life in order to have fulfilling careers while being
parents (Macaulay, 2014). Lastly, male employees and even female employees could encourage
one another to help their women colleagues combat these obstacles rather than exacerbate the
issue. Law firms need to be aware of these problems, and work diligently to bring women to the
forefront and treat them fairly. A lawyer and the founder of Mazo Chowbay in Toronto, Ontario,
Alisa Mazo, states "As women, we need to inspire one another and see the possible future leader
or great future lawyer in each of those young professionals within our organisation" (Kapralos,
2019). Firms that take steps and initiatives to retain women not only differentiate themselves
from the majority of their colleague businesses, yet also have enjoyed tremendous success in
adopting unique policies and procedures aimed at ensuring the retention and advancement of
women in their firms (The Law Society of British Columbia, 2009, p. 6).

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Chapter III: Statistics on Gender Differences in Law School Admissions at Canadian
Universities
III-1) Canadian Law Schools
Within Canada, there are currently twenty-four law schools, which include five in
Quebec, seven in the Western region, nine in Ontario, and three in the Atlantic region (Council
of Canadian Law Deans, n.d.). All of the law schools offer a professional degree in one or both
Canadian systems of law which are, common law and civil law (Council of Canadian Law
Deans, n.d.). However, the research for this section of the chapter will only identify a sample of
the Canadian law schools, as not all twenty-four schools will be examined. The full list of law
schools across Canada includes:
1) University of Alberta – Faculty of Law (Edmonton, Alberta)
2) University of British Columbia – Peter A. Allard School of Law (Vancouver, British
Columbia)
3) University of Calgary – Faculty of Law (Calgary, Alberta)
4) Dalhousie University – Schulich School of Law (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
5) Lakehead University – Bora Laskin Faculty of Law (Thunder Bay, Ontario)
6) Université Laval – Baccalauréat en Droit (Québec City, Québec)
7) University of Manitoba – Robson Hall Faculty of Law (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
8) McGill University – Faculty of Law (Montreal, Quebec)
9) Université de Moncton – Faculté de Droit (Edmundston, New Brunswick) (Moncton,
New Brunswick) (Shippagan, New Brunswick)
10) Université de Montréal – Faculté de Droit (Montréal, Québec)
11) University of New Brunswick – Faculty of Law (Fredericton, New Brunswick)
12) University of Ottawa – Common Law (Ottawa, Ontario)
13) University of Ottawa – Droit Civil (Ottawa, Ontario)
14) Université du Québec – Faculté de Science Politique & Droit (Montréal, Québec)
15) Queen’s University – Faculty of Law (Kingston, Ontario)
16) Ryerson University – Faculty of Law (Toronto, Ontario)
17) University of Saskatchewan – College of Law (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
18) Université de Sherbrooke – Faculté de Droit (Sherbrooke, Québec)
19) Thompson Rivers University – Faculty of Law (Kamloops, British Columbia)
20) University of Toronto – Faculty of Law (Toronto, Ontario)
21) University of Victoria – Faculty of Law (Victoria, British Columbia)
22) University of Western Ontario – Western Law (London, Ontario)
23) University of Windsor – Faculty of Law (Windsor, Ontario)
24) York University – Osgoode Hall Law School (Toronto, Ontario)
(Council of Canadian Law Deans, n.d.)

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

19

II-2) Statistics on a Sample of the Canadian Law Schools
The number of women who have accepted a place to study law in Canada has been
approximately more than the number of men who have done the same. Though this information
is based on a sample of law schools across Canada, the percentage of women studying law has
been steadily increasing for years. The law schools examined include University of Victoria,
University of Calgary, York University, University of Windsor, University of Toronto,
University of Western Ontario, and Queens University. In addition, this work will include tables
from a report on Canadian common law school admissions written by the former dean of the
University of Saskatchewan – College of Law, Professor Brent Cotter.

Table 1: Applications by Gender for Common Law Schools

Note. From Report on Canadian common law admissions information and statistics: 2012, 2013
and historical perspective 1985-2013, p. 12, by B. Cotter, 2014.
Historically, from 1985 to 1996 as shown in the graph above, men were more represented
in the admission application statistics in Canadian common law schools (Cotter, 2014, p. 12).
However, from 1997 to 2013, women overtook the men in admissions into Canadian common
law schools (Cotter, 2014, p. 12).

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

20

Table 2: Breakdown of Numbers for Applications and Offers by Gender

Note. From Report on Canadian common law admissions information and statistics: 2012, 2013
and historical perspective 1985-2013, p. 6, by B. Cotter, 2014.
The number of male applications and offers of admissions in recent years continues to be
lower than their female counterparts (Cotter, 2014, p. 5-6). The number of women attending law
schools that are studying common law in Canada has surpassed the number of men each year
since 1996 (Cotter, 2014, p. 5-6). Male students for the first time in 20 years have slightly
exceeded women, registered in law schools in Canada in 2012 (Cotter, 2014, p. 5-6).
Nevertheless, in 2013, women again exceeded in numbers their male counterparts (Cotter, 2014,
pp. 5-6).
Table 3: First Year Places by Gender

Note. From Report on Canadian common law admissions information and statistics: 2012, 2013
and historical perspective 1985-2013, p. 13, by B. Cotter, 2014.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

21

According to the University of Victoria Faculty of Law there are about 59 percent of
female students in comparison to only 41 percent male students for Juris Doctor admissions
(University of Victoria, 2019). The University of Calgary Faculty of Law stated a 48 percent
male to 52 percent female student ratio in their 2018 viewbook (University of Calgary, 2018, p.
2). In 2019, the University of Calgary had an equal number of men and women law students
(University of Calgary, 2019, p. 3). According to Osgoode Hall Law School at York University,
the class of 2018 consisted of 55 percent of woman and 43 percent of men (Osgoode Hall Law
School, 2016). Furthermore, the class entering 2019 contained a percentage of 56 women, while
the percentage of men was 41 (Osgoode Hall Law School, 2016). These statistics propose that
the number of women arriving into Osgoode Hall Law School is exceeding men over the coming
years. In addition, the Faculty of Law at University of Windsor had 58.9 percent female students,
along with only 39.4 percent male students (University of Windsor, 2020, p. 11).
Furthermore, the University of Toronto had 48 percent of female law students in
comparison to 52 percent of male law students from 2015 to 2016 (University of Toronto, 2019).
In 2016 to 2017, the number of students that were females decreased to 45 percent, while the
percentage of male students increased to 54 percent (University of Toronto, 2019). However,
women started excelling the fifty percent mark from 2017 to 2020, representing 53 percent of
law students in 2017 to 2018, 57 percent in 2018 to 2019, and 58 percent in 2019 to 2020
(University of Toronto, 2019).
Table 4: University of Toronto Admissions by Gender

Note. From JD First Year Class Profile 2019, by University of Toronto, 2019.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

22

In University of Western Ontario Law, as of September 23, 2019, had a class
composition of 46 percent female and 45 percent male, but 9 percent was undeclared (Western
Law, 2019). Western Law also conducted a diversity survey which involved identifying gender
for class graduates of 2020, 2021, and 2022. The results indicate that in 2020, there will be 47
percent of women and 51 percent of men. In 2021, there will be 50 percent females and 49
percent males; and in 2022 it is projected that admission will be 53 percent female students,
along with 45 percent male students (Western Law, n.d., p. 1). It is obvious that over the years
the number of women enrolling at Western Law is approximately equal to or becoming greater
than men.
Queen’s University Faculty of Law in their class of 2014 consisted of 58 percent female
students in comparison to 48 percent male students (Queen’s University, 2020). The graduating
class of 2015 had 48 percent females (52 percent male), while the class of 2016 had 45 percent
females (55 percent male) (Queen’s University, 2020). However, in 2017 and 2018, there were
more women than men, with 51 percent female (49 percent male) law students in 2017 and 52
percent female (48 percent male) law students in 2018 (Queen’s University, 2020). Moreover,
Queen’s University in their 2019 class had 47 percent of women (53 percent men) and following
in their 2020 class it will be 51 percent of women (49 percent men) law students (Queen’s
University, 2020). The class of 2021 will likely contain 48 percent of females (48 percent male),
but only 46 percent of females (49 percent male) in 2022 (Queen’s University, 2020). Despite
Queen’s University predicting a decrease in female law graduates over the years, they remain
close in number to men.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

23

Table 5: Queen’s University Admissions by Gender

Note. From Class Profile, by Queen’s University, 2020.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

24

Chapter IV: Statistics on Gender Differences in Canadian Law Societies
IV-1) Gender Numbers of Admissions Within the Law Society

Year

Total Male Admissions

Total Female Admissions

Total Admissions

2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998

55,814
55,068
55,542
54,681
51,283
51,023
50,698
37,597
36,196
33,572
49,200
36,142
35,539
34,976
33,668
45,574
33,356
43,979
42,763
41,804

44,767
43,708
42,487
40,696
36,527
35,151
34,375
21,007
19,807
17,596
30,349
17,923
17,152
16,307
15,178
23,297
13,792
21,178
19,722
18,184

100,581
98,776
98,029
95,377
87,810
86,174
85,073
58,604
56,003
51,168
79,549
54,065
52,691
51,283
48,846
68,871
47,148
65,157
62,485
59,988

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

25

Admission Breakdown By Gender
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0

Total Male Admissions

Total Female Admission

Total Admission

Legal practise has changed from being predominantly a male-dominated profession, to
one that has evolved into seeing more women. In 1998, total male admissions were 70 percent
compared to total female admissions of 30 percent; but in 2017 the ratio was more equal in
number with total male admissions of 55 percent and female admissions of 45 per cent.
Furthermore, admission of men and women followed approximately the same pattern, but the
number of women admitted has consistently been lower. With more women now practising law
than in the past, they continue to remain under-represented in firms opposed to their male
counterparts. From 1998 to 2017, it is clear that in all thirteen law societies across Canada, there
are still more male practising lawyers compared to females. Although it might appear that
women are breaking barriers in the legal profession compared to before, women are still facing
obstacles and unconscious prejudice contributing to their lower numbers as lawyers. Some data
was unavailable, so the numbers underestimate in certain years.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

26

IV-2) Gender Numbers of Practising Lawyers Within the Law Society
Law Society of
British
Columbia
Gender Male Female
2017
7,124
4,777
2016
7,098
4,558
2015
7,089
4,438
2014
7,014
4,246
2013
7,152
4,213
2012
7,105
4,066
2011
8,388
5,312
2010
6,711
3,691
2009
6,701
3,557
2008
6,669
3,434
2007
6,696
3,448
2006
6,542
3,121
2005
6,450
2,971
2004
6,369
2,845
2003
6,315
2,742
2002
6,257
2,656
2001
6,293
2,589
2000
6,246
2,563
1999
6,230
2,461
1998
6,123
2,336
Year

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Law Society of
Alberta

Law Society of
Saskatchewan

Law Society of
Manitoba

Male
6,218
5,923
5,926
5,823
5,711
5,639
5,574
5,547
5,467
5,468
6,696
5,344
5,249
5,191
5,119
4,960
4,864
4,888
4,797
4,717

Male
1,440
1,371
1,354
1,321
1,307
1,271
1,300
1,288
1,082
1,085
1,097
1,090
1,063
1,069
1,076
1,167
1,160
1,106
1,172
1,096

Male
1,300
1,295
1,283
1,286
1,322
1,304
1,307
1,270
1,267
1,256
1,266
1,263
1,288
1,299
1,303
1,303
1,311
1,298
1,303
1,291

Female
4,034
3,797
3,749
3,584
3,427
3,270
3,138
3,045
2,918
2,816
2,733
2,590
2,462
2,365
2,228
2,043
1,973
1,906
1,777
1,690

Female
917
787
764
724
731
713
627
641
529
507
487
472
435
434
426
435
421
483
403
360

Female
792
769
750
742
730
717
682
631
630
594
570
556
537
509
475
466
449
439
428
408

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

Year
Gender
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998

27

Law Society of
Ontario

Le Barreau du
Québec

Law Society of
New Brunswick

Male
24,623
24,457
24,412
23,695
20,403
20,277
20,096
19,876
19,529
18,156
18,930
18,795
18,395
18,070
17,950
17,438
16,746
16,547
16,283
17,316

Male Female
12,324 13,918
12,264 13,502
12,464 13,420
12,510 13,073
12,341 12,712
12,387 12,227
12,266 11,817
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
11,501 11,597
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
11,346 8,527
N/A
N/A
10,971 7,877
10,905 7,430
9,201
5,624

Male
795
795
798
799
811
829
882
824
N/A
N/A
848
861
868
870
887
889
888
889
N/A
N/A

Female
18,414
17,902
17,445
16,408
12,873
12,377
11,813
11,314
10,931
9,710
9,967
9,621
9,210
8,726
8,444
7,873
7,087
6,733
6,360
6,958

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Female
536
531
505
505
483
473
508
459
N/A
N/A
430
422
412
395
390
335
353
335
N/A
N/A

Nova Scotia
Barristers’
Society
Male Female
1,212
821
836
1,181
1,190
767
1,190
767
1,201
751
1,189
717
N/A
N/A
1,196
695
1,196
660
N/A
N/A
1,218
640
1,206
633
1,192
618
1,178
582
N/A
N/A
1,197
527
1,193
529
1,123
461
1,160
481
1,146
453

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

Year
Gender
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998

Law Society of
Prince Edward
Island
Male Female
136
102
141
103
139
99
137
98
134
103
134
102
N/A
N/A
120
102
120
105
119
102
118
99
126
93
122
93
37
40
127
83
126
82
126
79
126
73
126
71
130
66

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Law Society of
Newfoundland
and Labrador
Male Female
449
323
438
315
440
301
474
296
452
271
453
274
451
261
441
250
431
241
430
238
434
211
443
214
427
209
416
212
421
204
424
190
419
187
419
174
417
164
419
153

28

Law Society of
Yukon
Male
193
189
183
180
172
158
159
61
164
150
162
161
161
167
163
148
147
164
166
155

Female
133
127
113
112
111
93
92
64
91
89
76
71
67
70
64
50
52
59
56
54

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

Law Society of
Year
the Northwest
Territories
Gender Male Female
2017
267
140
2016
261
136
2015
264
136
2014
252
141
2013
277
122
2012
277
122
2011
275
125
2010
263
115
2009
239
145
2008
239
106
2007
234
91
2006
202
83
2005
198
85
2004
197
84
2003
203
82
2002
215
75
2001
209
73
2000
202
75
1999
204
91
1998
210
82

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

29

Law Society of
Nunavut
Male
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
109
126
113
104
104
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Female
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
47
53
45
40
38
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

30

IV-3) Law Society of Alberta
The Law Society of Alberta had 4,717 male active lawyers, compared to 1,690 female
active lawyers in 1998 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). In 1999, the Law
Society of Alberta had 4,797 male practicing lawyers, along with 1,777 female practicing
lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2). Moreover, in the 2000 statistical
report, the Law Society of Alberta had 4,888 male lawyers and 1,906 female lawyers (Federation
of Law Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2). In 2001, there were 4,864 male lawyers in comparison
to 1,973 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2). The Law Society
of Alberta had 2,043 female lawyers and 4,960 male lawyers in 2002 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2).
In 2003, the Law Society of Alberta had 2,228 female lawyers, with 5,119 male lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2). There were 5,191 male lawyers and 2,365
female lawyers following in 2004 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3).
Moreover, in 2005, there were 5,249 males, along with 2,462 females (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2). The Law Society of Alberta had 2,590 female practising
lawyers and 5,344 male practising lawyers in 2006 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2006, p. 2). In 2007, the number of active males were 6,696 and active female were 2,733
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). Additionally, there were 5,486 males and
2,816 females in 2008 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p. 2). In 2009, the number
of men lawyers were 5,467 and the number of female lawyers were 2,918 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2009, p. 2). However, the 2008 and 2009 statistical report did not include
data under the “Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was not available”.
Following, in 2010, the Law Society of Alberta consisted of 5,547 men, along with 3,045 women
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2).

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

31

In 2011, there were 3,138 females and 5,574 males (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2011, p. 1). In 2012, there consisted of 3,270 women and 5,639 men, active within the
Law Society of Alberta (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1). In 2013, there were
5,711 male practising lawyers and 3,427 female practicing lawyers (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2013, p. 1). The Law Society of Alberta contained 5,823 males, along with 3,584
females in 2014 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1). In 2015, there were 3,749
females and 5,926 males (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). There were 3,797
female lawyers, along with 5,923 male lawyers in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2016, p. 1). Lastly, in 2017 the number of males were 6,218, with 4,034 females (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-4) Law Society of Saskatchewan
In 1998, there were 1,096 male lawyers and 360 female lawyers within the Law Society
of Saskatchewan (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). Moreover, the number of
active male lawyers were 1,172 along with 403 female lawyers in 1999 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2). In 2000, the number of male lawyers decreased to 1,106, and
the number of females increased to 483 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2). The
2001 statistical report for the Law Society of Saskatchewan displayed an increase to 1,160
practising male lawyers, along with 421 female practicing lawyers, which had decreased from
the previous year (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2). In 2002, there consisted
of 1,167 males and 435 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2).
The numbers decreased in 2003, with 1,076 male Saskatchewan lawyers and 426 female
Saskatchewan lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2). In 2004, the law
society consisted of 1,069 men and 434 women (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p.
3). The Law Society of Saskatchewan had 1,063 male lawyers, along with 435 female lawyers in
2005 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2). In 2006, there were 472 women and

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

32

1,090 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2). There were 1,097 males and 487
females in 2007 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). In 2008, the number of
practising male lawyers decreased to 1,085, while the number of practising female lawyers
increased to 507 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p. 2). Additionally, in 2009 the
numbers became 1,082 for males and 529 for females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2009, p. 2). However, the 2008 and 2009 statistical report did not include data under the
“Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was not available”. The Law Society
of Saskatchewan had 1,288 males, along with 641 females in 2010 (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2010, p. 2).
In 2011, there were 627 females and 1,300 males practising law (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2011, p. 1). The number of male lawyers decreased to 1,271, while the
number of female lawyers increased to 713 in 2012, from the previous year (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1). In 2013, there were 731 females and 1,307 males (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). Moreover, in 2014 the Law Society of Saskatchewan had
1,321 male lawyers and 724 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1).
In 2015, there consisted of 764 women, along with 1,354 men (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2015, p. 1). There were 1,371 male lawyers and 787 female lawyers in 2016 (Federation
of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p. 1). Lastly, in the year 2017, the law society consisted of
917 females and 1,440 males (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-5) Law Society of New Brunswick
In the years 1998, 1999, 2008, and 2009, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada
reported “data not available” for the Law Society of New Brunswick. The Law Society of New
Brunswick had 889 male lawyers, along with 335 female lawyers in 2000 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2). In 2001, there were 888 men and 353 females (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2). Additionally, in 2002 the number of men were 889 and the

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

33

number of women were 335 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). In 2003, there
were 887 males and 390 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2). The
number of male lawyers were 870, along with 395 women in 2004 (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2004, p. 3). In 2005, there were 412 females and 868 males (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2).
In 2006, the number of men were 861, along with 422 women within the Law Society of
New Brunswick (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2). The 2007 statistical report
displayed 848 men and 430 women (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). In
2010, there were 459 women and 824 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2).
However, the society had “data not available” for the “Practicing – Non-Resident” column in the
2010 statistical report. In 2011, the number of females were 508, while males were a number of
882 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2011, p. 1).
In 2012, the society consisted of 473 women and 829 men (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2012, p. 1). In 2013, there were a decrease of males to 811 and an increase of females
to 483 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). The Law Society of New Brunswick
had 505 females and 799 males in 2014 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1). In
2015, the number of women stayed the same at 505, but men decreased to 798 (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). The number of males were 795, with the number of
women at 531 in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p. 1). In 2017, the number
of male lawyers remained 795, but the number of women increased to 536 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-6) Law Society of Nunavut
From the years 1998 to 2001 and 2007 to 2017, the Federation of Law Societies of
Canada had “data not available” for the Law Society of Nunavut. The Law Society of Nunavut
did not report by gender in each statistical report. In 2002, the number of male lawyers were 104,

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

34

along with 38 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). Moreover, in
2003, there remained 104 males, but the number of females increased to 40 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2). In addition, there were 45 women and 113 men practising law
in 2004 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3). Following in 2005, there were 126
males and 53 females within the Law Society of Nunavut (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2005, p. 2). Lastly, women decreased to 47 in number, along with 109 men in 2006
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2).
IV-7) Law Society of Ontario
In 1998, the Law Society of Ontario had 17,316 male lawyers and 6,958 female lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). Moreover, in 1999, the number of male
lawyers were 16,283, along with female lawyers at 6,360 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 1999, p. 2). In 2000, there were 16,547 males and 6,733 females (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2). Furthermore, the Law Society of Ontario had 16,746 male
lawyers and 7,087 female lawyers in 2001 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2).
In 2002, the Law Society of Ontario consisted of 17,438 male members along with 7,873 female
members (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). Following in the year 2003, the
Law Society of Ontario had 17,950 male lawyers and 8,444 female lawyers (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2). In 2004, the number of male lawyers within the Law Society of
Ontario werea18,070 and female lawyers were 8,726 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2004, p. 3). The Law Society of Ontario, in 2005, had 18,395 males and 9,210 females
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2). In 2006, the Law Society of Ontario had
9,621 women lawyers and 18,795 male lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p.
2).
In 2007, the number of females were 9,967 and the numbers of males were 18,930
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). The Law Society of Ontario, in 2008,

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

35

consisted of 9,710 women lawyers, along with 18,156 men lawyers (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2008, p. 2). However, the 2008 statistical report did not include data under the
“Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no available”. In 2009, the
number of female lawyers were 10,931 and the number of male lawyers were 19,529 (Federation
of Law Societies of Canada, 2009, p. 2). However, the 2009 statistical report did not include data
under the “Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no available”. The
Law Society of Ontario in 2010 had 19,876 males, along with 11,314 females (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2).
In 2011, there were 20,096 male lawyers, and 11,813 female lawyers (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2011, p. 1). The Law Society of Ontario had 20,277 male practising
lawyers, along with 12,377 female practising lawyers in 2012 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2012, p. 1). In 2013, there were 12,873 female lawyers, and 20,403 male lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). Furthermore, the number of men were
23,695, along with 16,408 women in 2014 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1).
In 2015, male lawyers were at 24,412 and female lawyers were at 17,445 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). There were 24,457 males and 17,902 females within the Law
Society of Ontario in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p. 1). Lastly, in 2017,
there consisted of 24,623 male practising lawyers and 18,414 female lawyers (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-8) Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador reported 419 male lawyers, along with
153 female lawyers in 1998 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). Moreover, in
1999, there were 164 women and 417 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2).
The Law Society of Yukon had 419 males and 174 females in 2000 (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2000, p. 2). In 2001, there were again 419 male lawyers, but an increase to 187

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

36

female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1). Following, in 2002, the Law
Society of Newfoundland and Labrador had 424 men and 190 women (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). In 2003, there were 204 females and 421 males (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2).
According to the 2004 statistical report, the number of women were at 212, with the
number of men at 416 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3). Additionally, in 2005
there were 427 males, along with 209 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2005, p.
2). The 2006 statistical report displayed 443 males and 214 females (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2006, p. 2). In 2007, there were 434 men lawyers and 211 women lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). The Law Society of Newfoundland and
Labrador in 2008, had 430 practising male lawyers and 238 practising female lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p. 2). In 2009, the total number of practising
lawyers were 241 women and 431 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2009, p. 2).
However, the 2008 and 2009 statistical report did not include data under the “Practising –
Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no available”. In 2010, the number of men
lawyers were 441 and women were 250 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2).
The Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 consisted of 261 women
lawyers, along with 451 men lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 1). In
2012, there were 453 practising male lawyers, and 274 practicing female lawyers (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1). The Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador had 271
females, along with 452 males in 2013 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). In
2014, there were 474 male lawyers and 296 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2014, p. 1). In 2015, there were 440 men lawyers, and 301 women lawyers practicing
law (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). The Law Society of Newfoundland and
Labrador had 438 men and 315 women in the year 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

37

2016, p. 1). Lastly, in 2017 the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador consisted of 449
male lawyers, and 323 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-9) Law Society of Yukon
In 1998, the Law Society of Yukon consisted of 155 male lawyers, along with 54 female
lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). Moreover, in 1999, there were 56
women and 166 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2). The Law Society of
Yukon had 164 males and 59 females in 2000 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2000, p.
2). In 2001, there were 147 male lawyers and 52 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2017, p. 1). Following, in 2002, the Law Society of Yukon had a number of 148 men
and 50 women (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). In 2003, there were 64
females and 163 males (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2).
According to the 2004 statistical report, the number of women were at 70, with the
number of men at 167 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3). Additionally, in 2005
there were 161 males, along with 67 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2005, p.
2). The 2006 statistical report displayed the same number of males at a number of 161, and 71
females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2). In 2007, there were 162 men
lawyers and 76 women lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2).
Furthermore, in 2008, the number of women became 89, with men at a number of 150
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p. 2). However, the 2008 statistical report did not
include data under the “Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no
available”. In 2009, there were 164 men lawyers, along with 91 women lawyers within the Law
Society of Yukon (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2009, p. 2). The Federation of Law

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

38

Societies of Canada had had a decrease in lawyers in 2010, with women slightly higher at 64 and
men at 61 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2).
In 2011, there were 159 men and 92 women (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2011, p. 1). The Law Society of Yukon had 93 females, along with 158 males in 2012
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1). In 2013, the number of males were 172,
along with 111 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). There were 180
men and 112 women in 2014 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1). In 2015, there
were 113 female and 183 males (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). The Law
Society of Yukon had 127 females, along with 189 males in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2016, p. 1). Lastly, in 2017 there were 193 men lawyers and 133 women lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-10) Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society had 1,146 male lawyers and 453 female lawyers in
1998 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2011, p. 2). Following in 1999, there were 1,160
males, along with 481 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2). In 2000, the
number of men were 1,123 and the number of women were 461 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2000, p. 2). There were 1,193 male lawyers, along with 529 women lawyers in 2001
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2). Moreover, in 2002 there were 527 females
and 1,197 males (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). In 2003, 2008, and 2011
the Nova Scotia Barrister’s Society had “data not available” in the statistical report from the
Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The number of females consisted of 582 and 1,178
males in 2004 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3).
In 2005, there were 1,192 men and 618 women within the Nova Scotia Barristers’
Society (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2). Additionally, there consisted of
1,206 males, along with 633 females in 2006 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

39

2). In 2007, there were 640 women and 1,218 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2007, p. 2). There was a decrease in the number of men lawyers to 1,196, with an increase of
women lawyers to 660 in 2009 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2009, p. 2). However,
the 2009 statistical report did not include data under the “Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor”
column, since “data was no available”. In 2010, the number of men stayed the same at 1,196, but
women increased to 695 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2). In 2012, there
were 1,189 men and 717 women (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1).
Furthermore, the number of women went to 751 and 1,201 men in 2013 (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). In 2014 and 2015, there consisted of 1,190 males, along
with 767 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1) (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society saw a decrease of men to
836, but an increase of women to 1,181 in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p.
1).Contrastingly, in 2017 there were an increase of male lawyers to 1,212 and a decrease of
female lawyers to 821(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-11) Le Barreau du Québec
In 1998, Le Barreau du Québec had 9,201 male lawyers and 5,624 female lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). Moreover, there were 10,905 males, along
with 7,430 females in 1999 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2). Le Barreau du
Québec had 10,971 practising male lawyers and 7,877 practising female lawyers in 2000
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2). In 2001, 2003 to 2006, along with 2008, Le
Barreau du Québec had “data not available” in the statistical report from the Federation of Law
Societies of Canada. In 2002, there were 11,346 males and 8,527 females (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). Following in 2007, the number of women lawyers were slightly
more than men at 11,597 members, while the number of male members were 11,501 (Federation
of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). Moreover, in the 2009 statistical report from the

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

40

Federation of Law Societies of Canada, Le Barreau du Québec reported “data not available”
other than 2 female and 8 male lawyers under the “Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor”
column. Furthermore, in the 2010 statistical report, there were 5 female and 8 male lawyers
under the “Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor” column, as they had “data not available” for the
number of practicing male and female lawyers. Le Barreau du Québec in 2011 had more men
(12,266) than women (11,817) (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2011, p. 1).
In 2012, the society remained consistent with more male lawyers at a number of 12,387,
and 12,227 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1). There were more
women than men in 2013, with 12,712 female lawyers, along with 12,341 male lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). Continuing from 2014 to 2017, the number
of female lawyers increased in comparison to male lawyers. In 2014, there were 13,073 female
lawyers, along with the number of male lawyers at 12,510 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2014, p. 1). Le Barreau du Québec consisted of 13,420 women and 12,464 men in 2015
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). Following in 2016, there were 12,264
males, along with 13,502 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p. 1). In 2017,
the number of female lawyers of Le Barreau du Québec were 13,918 female lawyers and male
lawyers were 12,324 (Le Barreau du Québec, 2018, p. 13).
IV-12) Law Society of British Columbia
In 1998, the Law Society of British Columbia consisted of 6,123 male lawyers and 2,336
female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). The Law Society of British
Columbia in 1999, had 6,230 males, along with 2,461 females (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 1999, p. 2). Following, in 2000, the Law Society of British Columbia consisted of 6,246
male members and 2,563 female members (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2).
In 2001, British Columbia contained 2,589 female lawyers, and 6,293 male lawyers (Federation
of Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2). The 2002, the Law Society of British Columbia, had

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

41

6,257 male lawyers, along with 2,656 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2002, p. 2).
In 2003, the statistics shows a number of 6,315 males and 2,742 female lawyers within
the Law Society of British Columbia (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2). The
Law Society of British Columbia consists of 2,845 women lawyers, along with 6,369 male
lawyers in 2004 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3). Following in 2005, the
number of females were 2,971 and the number of males were 6,450 (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2005, p. 2). In 2006, the Law Society of British Columbia had 3,121 women lawyers,
along with 6,542 men lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2).Moreover, in
2007, the number of males were 6,696 and women were 3,448 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2007, p. 2). The Law Society of British Columbia, in 2008, had 6,669 practising male
lawyers and 3,434 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p. 2).
However, the 2008 statistical report did not include data under the “Practising – Canadian Legal
Advisor” column, since “data was no available”. Moreover, in 2009 the total number of
practising lawyers were 3,557 women and 6,701 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2009, p. 2). However, the 2009 statistical report did not include data under the “Practising –
Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no available”.
In 2010, the number of men lawyers were 6,711 and women were 3,691 (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2). The Law Society of British Columbia in 2011 consisted of
5,312 women lawyers, along with 8,388 men lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
1998, p. 1). In 2012, there were 7,105 practicing male lawyers, and 4,066 practicing female
lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1). The Law Society of British
Columbia had 4,213 females, along with 7,152 males in 2013 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2013, p. 1). In 2014, there were 7,014 male lawyers and 4,246 female lawyers practicing
within the Law Society of British Columbia (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1).

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

42

In 2015, there were 7,089 men lawyers, and 4,438 women lawyers (Federation of Law Societies
of Canada, 2015, p. 1). The Law Society of British Columbia had 7,098 men and 4,558 women
in the year 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p. 1). Lastly, in 2017 there were
7,124 male lawyers, and 4,777 female lawyers within the Law Society of British Columbia
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-13) Law Society of Manitoba
The Law Society of Manitoba had 1,291 male active lawyers and 408 female active
lawyers in 1998 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). In 1999, there were 1,303
male practicing lawyers in comparison to 428 female practicing lawyers (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2). Moreover, in the 2000 statistical report, the Law Society of
Manitoba had 1,298 male lawyers and 439 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2000, p. 2). In 2001, there were 1,311 male lawyers, along with 449 female lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2). The Law Society of Manitoba had 466
female lawyers and 1,303 male lawyers in 2002 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002,
p. 2). In 2003, there were 475 female lawyers, but the number of male lawyers stayed that same
at 1,303 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2).
There were 1,299 male lawyers and 509 female lawyers following in 2004 (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3). Moreover, in 2005, there were 1,288 males, along with
537 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2). Moreover, in 2006, the number
of men decreased to 1,263, but women increased to 556 within the Law Society of Manitoba
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2). The 2007 statistical report reported 1,266
men and 570 women (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). The Law Society of
Manitoba in 2008, had 1,256 practising male lawyers and 594 female lawyers (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p. 2). In 2009, there were 1,267 men lawyers, along with 630
women lawyers within the Law Society of Manitoba (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

43

2009, p. 2). However, the 2008 and 2009 statistical report did not include data under the
“Practising – Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no available”.
In 2010, there were 631 women and 1,270 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2010, p. 2). In 2011, the number of females were 682, while males were a number of 1,307
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2011, p. 1). Furthermore, in 2012, the society consisted
of 717 women and 1,304 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1). In 2013,
there were 1,322 males and 730 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1).
The Law Society of Manitoba had 742 women lawyers, along with 1,286 males in 2014
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1). In 2015, the number of women practising
law became 750, while the number of men practising law became 1,283 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2015, p. 1). The number of males were 1,295 and the number of women
were 769 in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p. 1). Lastly, the Law Society
of Manitoba reported male lawyers at 1,300 and women lawyers at 792 in 2017 (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-14) Law Society of Prince Edward Island
The Law Society of Prince Edward Island had 130 male active lawyers, compared to only
66 female active lawyers in 1998 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). In 1999,
the Law Society of Prince Edward had 126 male practicing lawyers, along with 71 female
practicing lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1999, p. 2). Moreover, in the 2000
statistical report, the Law Society of Prince Edward Island continued at 126 male lawyers and 73
female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2). In 2001, there were again
126 male lawyers in comparison to 79 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2001, p. 2). The Law Society of Prince Edward Island had 82 female lawyers and remained at
126 male lawyers in 2002 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p. 2). In 2003, the Law

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

44

Society of Prince Edward Island had 83 female lawyers, with 127 male lawyers (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2).
There were fewer male lawyers at a number of 37 in comparison to 40 female lawyers in
2004 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3). However, the 2004 statistical report
did not include data under the “Practicing Members – Insured” column, since “data was no
available”. Moreover, in 2005, there were 122 males, along with 93 females (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2).The Law Society of Prince Edward Island remained at 93 female
practising lawyers and increased to 126 male practising lawyers in 2006 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2). In 2007, the number of active males were 118 and active
females were 99 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). The Law Society of Prince
Edward Island, in 2008, consisted of 102 women lawyers, along with 119 men lawyers
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p. 2). In 2009, the number of female lawyers were
105 and the number of male lawyers were 120 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2009, p.
2). However, the 2008 and 2009 statistical report did not include data under the “Practising –
Canadian Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no available”.
The Law Society of Prince Edward Island, in 2010, remained consistent with the 120
males, but decreased to 102 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2). In
2011, the Law Society of Prince Edward Island had “data not available” in the statistical report
from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Additionally, in 2012, the number of female
lawyers remained at 102, and male lawyers increased to 134 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2012, p. 1). In 2013, there remained 134 male lawyers, and female lawyers increased to
103 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). Furthermore, the number of men were
137, along with 98 women in 2014 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1). In 2015,
male lawyers were at 139 and female lawyers were at 99 (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2015, p. 1). There were 141 males and 103 females within the Law Society of Prince

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

45

Edward Island in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2016, p. 1). Lastly, in 2017 there
consisted of 136 male practising lawyers and 102 female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2017, p. 1).
IV-15) Law Society of the Northwest Territories
In 1998, the Law Society of the Northwest Territories had 210 male lawyers and only 82
female lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 2). Moreover, there consisted
of 204 males, along with 91 females in 1999 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1999, p.
2). The Law Society of the Northwest Territories had 202 practising male lawyers and 75
practising female lawyers in 2000 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2000, p. 2). In 2001,
there were 73 women, along with 209 men (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2001, p. 2).
In 2002, there were 215 males and 75 females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2002, p.
2). There were 203 male lawyers in comparison to 82 female lawyers in 2003 (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2003, p. 2). In 2004, the Law Society of the Northwest Territories had
an increase of female lawyers to 84, with a decrease of male lawyers to 197 (Federation of Law
Societies of Canada, 2004, p. 3). Moreover, in 2005, there were 198 males, along with 85
females (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2005, p. 2). The Law Society of the Northwest
Territories had 83 female practising lawyers and 202 male practising lawyers in 2006
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2006, p. 2).
In 2007, the number of active male lawyer were 234 and active females were 91
(Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007, p. 2). The 2008 statistical report consisted of 106
female lawyers, along with 239 male lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2008, p.
2). However, the 2008 statistical report did not include data under the “Practising – Canadian
Legal Advisor” column, since “data was no available”. Following in 2009, the number of men
members remained at 239, while the number of female members increased to 145 (Federation of

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

46

Law Societies of Canada, 2009, p. 2). Furthermore, in 2010 there were 115 female and 263 male
lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010, p. 2).
The Law Society of the Northwest Territories, in 2011, consisted of 125 women lawyers,
along with 275 men lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 1998, p. 1). In 2012 and
2013, there were 277 practicing male lawyers, and 122 practicing female lawyers (Federation of
Law Societies of Canada, 2012, p. 1) (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2013, p. 1). In
2014, there were 252 male lawyers and 141 female lawyers practicing within the Law Society of
the Northwest Territories (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2014, p. 1). In 2015, there
were 264 men lawyers, and 136 women lawyers (Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2015,
p. 1). The Law Society of the Northwest Territories had decreased to 261 male lawyers, but the
number of female lawyers remained at 136 in 2016 (Federation of Law Societies of Canada,
2016, p. 1). Lastly, in 2017 there were 140 women practising lawyers, and 267 men practising
lawyers within the Law Society of the Northwest Territories (Federation of Law Societies of
Canada, 2017, p. 1).

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

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Chapter V: Findings and Conclusion
“The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender.”
– Sandra Day O’Conner
V-1) Summary of Key Research Findings and Implications
Currently, the number of women enrolled as law students is either equal to the number of
men or has moved beyond the fifty percent mark. Theoretically, there should be around equal
number of men and women practising law, but the number of women in law compared to men
has not increased drastically. Unfortunately, the legal sector continues to be a profession
classified as a male-dominated field, as indicated in the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s
statistics. This is true for all the jurisdictions in Canada except for Quebec. In 2007, and from
2013 to 2017, there were more practising women lawyers than men within Le Barreau du
Québec. However, the Law Society of Yukon had a significant decrease in both male and female
lawyers in 2010, with women (64) higher than men (61) in number. Moreover, in 2016, the Nova
Scotia Barristers’ Society contained 59 percent women in contrast to only 41 percent men. Also,
with little data obtained from the Law Society of Nunavut from 2002 to 2006, it even established
that men were highly represented within the jurisdiction.
It is strongly suggested through statistical analysis on a sample of Canadian law schools
that women seem to remain the minority in the workplace of lawyers, despite there being more
or just as many females as males choosing to pursue a career in law. Women tend to perform
equally or outperform their male counterparts academically, but significantly lag behind them in
their career achievements. In the past, Canadian law school enrollment has always been observed
as a male-dominated, with law school admission statistics consisting of majority of men from
1985 to 1996. It was not until 1997 that women became more represented. Additionally, current
statistics from 2018 to 2020 continue to demonstrate women’s overrepresentation in Canadian
law schools, compared to their male peers. The University of Victoria Faculty of Law had about
59 percent of female students in 2019, and the University of Calgary Faculty of Law had 52

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

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Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

48

percent women in 2018. Furthermore, Osgoode Hall Law School consisted of 55 percent of
woman in 2018 and 56 percent of woman in 2019. In addition, the Faculty of Law at University
of Windsor had 58.9 percent female students in 2020. The University of Toronto Faculty of Law
contained 53 percent of female law students in 2017 to 2018, 57 percent in 2018 to 2019, and 58
percent in 2019 to 2020. In the near future, Western Law is expected to have a graduation class
of 50 percent women in 2021, along with 53 percent women in 2022. Lastly, Queen University
Faculty of Law had a percentage of 51 female students in 2017 and 52 percent in 2018.
Moreover, women overtook the men in admissions into common law schools across
Canada yet remain significantly underrepresented in numbers within the legal practice. Overall,
the conclusion of all the above studies reviewed here shows the common theme that despite
women’s graduation from law school in relatively equal numbers to men, they remain
significantly underrepresented in leadership and power positions across areas of the legal
profession. It is clear from the diversity of locations in these studies, that this is a phenomenon
reflected across Canada. Moreover, it is identified quantitatively and qualitatively that women
and men within the legal community are treated differently. The reason for differential treatment
includes gender discrimination, professional opportunities and barriers, along with familial
responsibilities. Due to this imbalance, women are forgoing high-level law positions and the
women who could fill these positions are often faced with gender stereotypes and even
discrimination. The key to stopping these workplace biases is to determine why the loss of
women in law continues to happen. If this imbalance can be clearly understood and
quantitatively proven, law firms and society can be diligent in recognizing and addressing these
issues in an appropriate way.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

49

V-2) Limitations and Other Considerations
A limitation of exploratory research is a chance of the data obtained through secondary
sources could be outdated (Bhat, 2020). However, although this thesis consisted of secondary
research, the data gathered is mainly current with some data that was substantially older. The
recognition of female lawyer attrition is becoming more prevalent, as some of the law societies
in Canada have conducted research on this issue. This fact confirms the importance of this issue
and the need to prevent women from completely leaving law.
Data collection on gender differences for all thirteen Canadian law societies and
Canadian law school admissions was challenging. Much of the information needed to complete
this thesis was not easily accessible through online resources. Contacting each individual law
society was required. It was discovered that the Federation of Law Societies of Canada contained
statistics from 1998 to 2017 on all Canadian law societies. This established a considerable
historical overview along with current generation of the numbers of women in law. The statistics
regarding Canadian law schools relied on a small sample size of all Canadian law schools. This
is another limitation of this study. Since Canada contains twenty-four law schools, and the
information online is limited, contacting and getting a prompt reply from each individual law
school took up considerable time. With the time constraint of finishing this thesis in six months,
it was more realistic to resort to what was already accessible online.
V-3) Conclusion
Overall, despite some limitations, this study clarifies why female lawyers leave practice
and whether harassment levels or lack of promotions are correlated. The law remains a difficult
profession for women that stems from sexual innuendos, or jokes made at the expense of the
women. Gender discrimination and sexual harassment are illegal under federal, provincial, and
city statutes. Although many strides have been made to make the workplace a fair and equal
environment for all, many instances of gender discrimination and sexual harassment still exist.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

50

Most law firms and law makers need to work more diligently to treat female lawyers fairly. It is
unfair that some women are entering a career in law and are forced to leave as a result of gender
inequality caused by their male counterparts. Aspiring to be a lawyer is already challenging and
competitive. Consequently, the evidence of female lawyer attrition can create substantial
pressure and barriers for aspiring female lawyers, possibly averting women altogether to pursue
legal practice. This study’s findings may allow firms to understand the reasons for female lawyer
attrition and to improve working conditions causing them to leave. It is a key piece of research
that is essential to overcoming this division within law and ensuring women have fair
representation at all levels of the legal profession. As we consider the future, we must be diligent
in recognizing these issues, and addressing them in an appropriate way. Underrepresentation in
the practice of law is a dangerous reality for women. When continually swept under the rug,
women will continue to be in mediocre second place.

Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

51

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

52

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

53

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Mount Royal University

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Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University

GENDER AND THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN CANADA

55

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Alessandra Giuseppina Sodano

Honours Thesis - 2020
Mount Royal University