Layoff Tracker

Law Schucks has a Layoff Tracker that tracks law firm layoffs since January 2008. They analyze this data in a variety of ways, chronologically (by month, calendar year, rolling 12 month) and by firm. As of June 14, 2009, over

12,542 people have been laid off by major law firms (4,874 lawyers / 7,668 staff) since January 1, 2008
10,550 (3,944 / 6,606) people have been laid off from law firms in calendar 2009
308 (63 / 245) have been laid off in June

Impact of Law Firm Layoffs on Women

From ABA Journal Law News Now: Roberta Liebenberg, current chair of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, comments on recent layoffs in law firms and their disproportionate impact on women. Liebenberg's letter was written in response to a recent article published in Forbes (March 16) discussing the effect of the recent Wall Street layoffs on women.

Liebenberg says that

Firms are laying off their part-time lawyers, 75% of whom are women. Too many layoffs are based on gender-biased evaluations. In this dire downturn, we can't allow the economy to be used as an excuse for gender-bias and roll back the progress we've made.