Anderson Boback & Marshall celebrates what makes female attorneys uniquely suited for family law as women reach majority status in the profession.
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, March 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As International Women’s Day approaches, Jessica Marshall, Managing Partner at Anderson Boback & Marshall (ABM), is celebrating the distinctive strengths women bring to family law practice. Her insights come as new data from the American Bar Association shows women now represent the majority of law firm associates for the first time in history.
In Illinois, momentum continues to build. Among attorneys practicing five years or less, women now represent 52.4% of practitioners, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission’s 2024 annual report.
“The female family lawyer brings something special to this work,” said Marshall, who has been practicing family law for nearly 16 years and leads an all-female founding partner team. “There’s a level of compassion that allows us to have empathy for clients in ways that are particularly valuable in family law.”
Marshall explains that women often bring exceptional attention to detail and observational skills that prove invaluable in family law cases. Research in cognitive psychology supports this, showing women demonstrate particular strength in episodic memory and remembering contextual details that can become critical in custody and divorce matters.
“Women are very observant. They remember every detail, dates, times, context,” Marshall explained. “In family law, where clients are sharing trauma and complex family dynamics, that ability to listen carefully and pull out important details makes a real difference in building strong cases.”
The approach creates strong attorney-client relationships across demographics. “We hear from men all the time who specifically want to hire our all-female team,” Marshall noted. “There’s a different relationship dynamic. We can be approachable even when delivering tough advice, and clients trust us through that process.”
Female attorneys have developed particularly effective negotiation strategies in family law. While traditional litigation can be highly adversarial, many female practitioners excel at diplomatic approaches that achieve results while reducing conflict and costs for families in crisis.
“A little bit of honey often achieves better results than pure aggression,” Marshall said. “Our goal is to help families, not to escalate fighting that just creates dollar signs and unhappy clients.”
For women entering the profession, Marshall sees a significant opportunity. Family law offers meaningful work where attorneys directly impact people’s lives during their most difficult moments.
“A lot of attorneys go to law school because they want to help people, then find themselves negotiating contracts or closing real estate deals,” said Marshall. “Family law gives you the feeling that you’re actually helping people. Clients are thankful you have their back, that you helped them get a fair deal so they can move forward with their lives.”
Jessica Marshall is available for interviews about women’s strengths in family law practice, opportunities for women entering the profession, and building successful careers in family law.
About Anderson Boback & Marshall
Anderson Boback & Marshall is a boutique family law firm based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded and led by an all-female partner team, ABM combines strategic litigation expertise with compassionate, communication-first advocacy in high-stakes divorce, custody, and post-decree matters.
https://illinoislawforyou.com/
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CIPR Communications
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