The Law Society of Upper Canada is set to cancel a pilot project that helps female lawyers keep their law offices afloat while they take a short maternity leave.
The program, known as the Parental Leave Assistance Program, was set up three years ago. It arose out of a recommendation in a 2008 report titled Retention of Women in Private Practice. It showed a large percentage of female lawyers were forced to shut down their law offices and even leave the profession when they had a child.
Program helps pay office expensesThe Ontario program, the first of its kind in Canada, offers lawyers in solo practices or small firms $3,000 a month for a maximum of three months. The money is not meant to supplement income but to help pay for rent, utilities and support staff while the lawyer is on parental leave.
Indira Stewart, 33, took advantage of the program last spring when she gave birth to her son, Milo. A criminal lawyer, she had established a successful practice two years ago in downtown Toronto and did not want to give it up.
signs of the times. we are on our way back to ancient extractive labour relations...when pregnant women cutting canes in the field, dropped the babies right there, wrapped them, wiped themselves went right back to cutting canes.
that is what is now Harper's Canada..trending towards under Harper's direction
:cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:
This program was put in place to stem the tide of women leaving the profession after 1-3 years post call. In about 2008 the rate of professional drop out with women reached an alarming level and the Law Society was asked to step in and do something. Many of my female colleagues and friends left private practice for civil service and entirely different professions and most have not return and have no intention to return.
[quote author=Snoopster link=topic=74274.msg459369#msg459369 date=1353606678] This program was put in place to stem the tide of women leaving the profession after 1-3 years post call. In about 2008 the rate of professional drop out with women reached an alarming level and the Law Society was asked to step in and do something. Many of my female colleagues and friends left private practice for civil service and entirely different professions and most have not return and have no intention to return.
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advanced maternity leave fuh father and mother is standard thing in progressive countries...mom first...dad etc..up to a year.
also with the principle of not penalising women for the socially basic job of having children, everything in the work place must be done to ensure women catch up on return to work after having babies.
these is an issue that should be outside any consideration of the flow of women lawyers in or out of the law society
