Abstract
Despite the global acknowledgement of the moral, social, and economic significance of achieving gender equality, women remain in the minority in decision-making positions across all industries. In the legal profession of solicitors, women have formed the majority at the entry-level since 1990, yet they only represent a third of the partners in law firms. This paper will explore the challenges for women solicitors in reaching the higher echelons of the profession, referred to by the metaphor of the "glass ceiling." It will also explore the relatively recent "glass cliff" phenomenon, which refers to the higher tendency for women than men to be appointed to precarious leadership positions that are prone to failure. A multifaceted, multiply determined, and contextual phenomenon, it will be explored through elite interviews with women partners contextualised in law firms in England and Wales to help improve gender equality in leadership.