The Gender Gap at the Nation’s Top Law Schools

scalesGoldA great deal of attention has been given to the fact that women now have a large majority of enrollments and degree attainments in higher education. But far less attention is paid to the fact that women still experience significant shortfalls in many areas of higher education including high-level faculty posts, college and university presidents, faculty positions in STEM fields, doctoral degree attainments, and membership on college governing boards.

Another area where women are underrepresented are at the nation’s top law schools. This is particularly the case for faculty at these institutions.

At the 15 law schools ranked as the best in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, women make up a majority of the students at only the University of California, Berkeley. At the University of Virginia, women are only 41.3 percent of the student body, according to the latest data supplied by the law schools to the American Bar Association.

Below is a list of the 15 highest-rated law schools ranked by their percentage of women students.

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The gender gap at the top law schools is far more pronounced on the faculties of these institutions. Not one has a faculty where women make up a majority and only four have faculties where women are as much as 40 percent of the total full-time faculty. At the University of Virginia, the University of Michigan, and Georgetown University, women are less than 30 percent of the full-time faculty.

Below is a list of the 15 highest-rated law schools ranked by their percentage of women full-time faculty.

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