ABA report: Men scared to participate in women lawyers' affinity groups (INFOGRAPHIC).

Byline: Michaela Paukner, mpaukner@wislawjournal.com

Most men are hesitant to participate in women lawyers' affinity groups, according to a new report from the American Bar Association.

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession partnered with attorneys and diverse bar associations to survey attorneys in New York, Dallas and San Francisco about men's perceived barriers to engaging with women's issues in the legal field and strategies to overcome those obstacles. The report, titled "Men in the Mix: How to Engage Men on Issues Related to Gender in the Legal Profession," details findings from the focus groups.

Eighty-three percent of male respondents said fear of not fitting in or saying the wrong thing keeps them from actively supporting gender-equity efforts. Several respondents said men may feel threatened or like they'll be perceived as sexist.

In addition, 62% of men haven't joined in efforts to advance equity for women in the legal profession because they haven't been invited. Male respondents suggested that women extend personal invites to men and explain how men's participation would be valuable to the conversation.

Both men and women believehaving those no-judgment conversationsis vital to advancing...

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