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The Making of Lawyers' Careers

Inequality and Opportunity in the American Legal Profession
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Making of Lawyers' Careers offers an unprecedented, data-driven exploration of social stratification within the US legal profession. It examines how race, class, gender, and law school status influence the career trajectories of lawyers over the first two decades of their careers. Drawing on over 10,000 survey responses and more than 200 interviews, the book reveals how lawyers' careers both mirror and perpetuate broader social inequalities while highlighting the agency individuals exercise within these constraints.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for legal professionals, law students, educators, and anyone interested in the dynamics of legal careers and social inequality in the US legal system.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An unprecedented account of social stratification within the US legal profession.

How do race, class, gender, and law school status condition the career trajectories of lawyers? And how do professionals then navigate these parameters?

The Making of Lawyers’ Careers provides an unprecedented account of the last two decades of the legal profession in the US, offering a data-backed look at the structure of the profession and the inequalities that early-career lawyers face across race, gender, and class distinctions. Starting in 2000, the authors collected over 10,000 survey responses from more than 5,000 lawyers, following these lawyers through the first twenty years of their careers. They also interviewed more than two hundred lawyers and drew insights from their individual stories, contextualising data with theory and close attention to the features of a market-driven legal profession.

Their findings show that lawyers’ careers both reflect and reproduce inequalities within society writ large. They also reveal how individuals exercise agency despite these constraints.

Series: Chicago Series in Law and Society

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  • The Making of Lawyers' Careers
    An unprecedented account of social stratification within the US legal profession. How do race, class, gender, and law school status condition the career trajectories of lawyers? And how do professionals then navigate these parameters? The Making of Lawyers’ Careers provides an unprecedented account of the last two decades of the legal profession in the US, offering a data-backed look at...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Making of Lawyers' Careers has been praised for its insightful analysis of diversity issues in law firms, challenging common explanations for why women and minorities leave before partnership. Trial Magazine notes its important contribution to understanding stalled diversity efforts. Jotwell recommends it as essential reading for lawyers and law students, calling it a potential cornerstone of any legal professional's library. The book's nuanced combination of data and personal narratives provides a textured understanding of attorneys' career journeys.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780226828923

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 October 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Illustration: 22 line drawings, 24 tables

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 626g

Pages: 416

About the Author

Robert L. Nelson is the MacCrate Research Professor at the American Bar Foundation and professor of sociology and law at Northwestern University. Ronit Dinovitzer is professor of sociology at the University of Toronto. Bryant G. Garth is Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of California, Irvine. Joyce S. Sterling is professor of law emeritus at the University of Denver College of Law. David B. Wilkins is the Lester Kissel Professor, Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession, and Faculty Director of the Center on the Legal Profession,  Harvard Law School. Meghan Dawe is a resident research fellow at the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School. Ethan Michelson is professor of sociology and law at Indiana University.

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