The Senate voted today to send Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Kagan is only the fourth female justice, out of 111 total, in the history of the Supreme Court and is now one of three women currently on the bench joining Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotamayor. With Kagan’s appointment, women have now reached critical mass on the Supreme Court.
Critical mass is explained in the White House Project Report “Benchmarking Women’s Leadership” as, “an idea that has moved from science and sociology to political science and into popular usage over the last 30 years. The concept is borrowed from nuclear physics: it refers to the quantity needed to start a chain reaction, an irreversible propulsion into a new situation or process.” When women reach critical mass in senior leadership positions, many organizational experts believe the perception of those women shifts from token representation or special interest to fully integrated members of the group.
Kagan’s appointment could be a boost for female lawyers. The legal sector is far from reaching critical mass. Despite the fact more women than men are obtaining law degrees, men outnumber women partners in private firms significantly. According to a new report, “New Millennium, Same Glass Ceiling? The Impact of Law Firm Compensation Systems on Women” from the Project for Attorney Retention and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, women represent just 16 percent of equity partners nationwide and experience a higher rate of attrition than men. Just one in four judges is female, according to the White House Project Report. Hopefully, the three women on the Supreme Court will inspire others in the industry to move past outdated stereotypes and operating procedures and develop the support systems necessary to bring much-needed diversity to the legal profession.
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