New NALP Report Shows Slight Decline in Part-Time Lawyers

NALP issued today its 2011 analysis of part-time lawyers in its member firms.  The analysis shows that the percentage of lawyers working part-time declined slightly, 6.2% compared to 6.4% in 2010. NALP notes that this parallels a slight decrease in part-time usage among professionals as a whole; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13.2% of professionals worked part-time in 2010 compared to 13.6% in 2009.  NALP also notes that in 2011, 70% of part-time lawyers were female.

One noteworthy tidbit:  the percentage of male partners working part-time has increased significantly in recent years.  NALP reports that in 2006, 72% of part-time partners were female, compared to 66% in 2011 (up slightly from 2010, when 64% of part-time partners were female).  Before we get too excited thinking that this increase  in part-time usage among male partners means that part-time work is becoming less stigmatized at law firms, let's consider the likely cause:  law firms  including in their counts of part-time lawyers those partners who are working reduced hours because of voluntary or involuntary phased-in retirement.  Including such lawyers allows the law firms to report more attractive numbers, of course (a high usage rate is considered by job seekers and award-bestowing organizations to be a key indicator of the health of a firm's part-time program).  It also may have the salutary effect of easing the stigma of part-time work at firms; if revered, successful, senior male partners are labeled "part-time" and placed under the auspices of the firm's part-time program, more fair treatment of part-time lawyers may ensue and part-time status may become more accepted in the firm's culture.  Maybe.