Statistics, Statistics

Here at WomeninLegalAI.org, we believe the disparities you will see below are unintentional. (They are also illogical.)

Further, we posit that, armed with these statistics along with an understanding of the causes and recommended solutions, law firms, VC firms, and law departments will enthusiastically commit to achieving greater gender parity in legal AI roles in leadership and at all levels.

We hope that by spotlighting the many achievements of women already in legal AI roles, organizations will be inspired even more to increase their ranks.

For details and sources of the statistics below and throughout our pages, please visit the Research section of our WiLAI News site at www.womeninlegalai.com/knowledge-hub.

AI Gender Parity Facts & Figures

98%

98% OF AI FUNDING IS OUT OF REACH TO WOMEN

98% of VC funding for AI startups went to men, and the trend is worsening, even though women-founded AI startups are numerous, booming, and more profitable (see the next stats card below).

2.5 x HIGHER ROI

2.5x HIGHER RETURNS ON MONEY INVESTED

Women-founded companies produce 2.5 higher ROI than male-only startups, generating 78 cents of revenue per dollar invested compared to just 31 cents for male-founded startups, according to Boston Consulting Group research.

30%

WOMEN MAKE UP ONLY 30% OF LAW FIRM
CLIENT-FACING AI PRACTICE GROUP CHAIRS

Fewer than one-third of the heads or co-heads of client-facing AI practice groups are women, even in firms with 50% or more women in their lawyer ranks.

32%

ONLY 32% OF
CHIEF LEGAL AI OFFICERS ARE WOMEN

Fewer than one-third of legal AI C-suite roles in law firms are held by women, even though women comprise half the workforce in those firms.

(We are currently researching the figures in corporate law departments. Stay tuned.)

<25%

WOMEN ATTORNEYS USE AI AT WORK 25% LESS THAN MEN

Studies by Stanford, Harvard, and Berkeley (as reported in Law.com on March 12, 2026) found that women attorneys and other female legal professionals use genAI in daily workflows roughly 25% less than men, and pointed to internal and cultural reasons for the adoption gap.

15%

ONLY 15% OF AI SENIOR LEADERS IN CORPORATIONS
ARE WOMEN

While women make up more than 30% of the broader AI workforce, the percent of women who make it into the leadership ranks drops to 15%.

ONLY
1%

WOMEN FOUNDERS RECEIVE ONLY 1% OF U.S. VC FUNDING

Let that sink in.
Startups founded by women comprised 49% of US ventures in 2025, but they received only 1% of 2025 US VC funding
(down from 2.3% in 2023).

You can read more about these and other statistics that show the alarming and illogical bias against women in AI, which is worsening, despite the dramatic evidence that investing in women leaders results in a greater likelihood of success and higher ROI. Visit the Research section of our Knowledge Hub in our WiLAI Newsroom.

The Research

Solutions

Amplify WiLAI

EMAIL: wilainews@wilai.org

WomeninLegalAI.org (our membership association)

WomeninLegalAI.com (our news site)

EMAIL: wilainews@wilai.org

WomeninLegalAI.org (our membership association)

WomeninLegalAI.com (our news site)

Statistics, Statistics

AI Gender Parity Facts & Figures

98%

98% OF AI FUNDING IS OUT OF REACH TO WOMEN 98% of VC funding for AI startups went to men, and the trend is worsening, even though women-founded AI startups are numerous, booming, and more profitable (see the next stats card below).

2.5 x HIGHER ROI

2.5x HIGHER RETURNS ON MONEY INVESTED Women-founded companies produce 2.5 higher ROI than male-only startups, generating 78 cents of revenue per dollar invested compared to just 31 cents for male-founded startups, according to Boston Consulting Group research.

30%

WOMEN MAKE UP ONLY 30% OF LAW FIRM CLIENT-FACING AI PRACTICE GROUP CHAIRS Fewer than one-third of the heads or co-heads of client-facing AI practice groups are women, even in firms with 50% or more women in their lawyer ranks.

32%

ONLY 32% OF CHIEF LEGAL AI OFFICERS ARE WOMEN Fewer than one-third of legal AI C-suite roles in law firms are held by women, even though women comprise half the workforce in those firms. (We are currently researching the figures in corporate law departments. Stay tuned.)