Crimbrary

Natasha Madon and Anthony Doob: The Retention of Women in the Private Practice of Criminal Law: Research Report
"Between 2005 and 2008, the Law Society of Upper Canada conducted an extensive study on the retention of women in private practice in Ontario.  That work culminated in a report, which was released on May 22, 2008.  The Law Society study found as follows:

• Women have been entering the legal profession and private practice in record numbers for at least two decades.  However, they have been leaving private practice in droves largely because the legal profession has not effectively adapted to this reality.
• The departure of women from private practice means that the legal profession is losing a large component of its best and brightest in core areas of practice

The Law Society also noted that, through their consultations, it became clear that women in criminal defence practice may face more and different obstacles to remaining in practice when compared to their colleagues in other areas of practice...

...In 2014, the Women's Committee commissioned a study to look at whether women are leaving defence practice in greater numbers than men and, if so, to identify why that was the case and what can be done to reverse the trend.  This report provides the first systemic look at the data on women in defence practice in Ontario.  It provides qualitative information about the experience of women in private practice and sets out a number of recommendations for systemic changes to ensure women remain in defence practice."