California Western School of Law Welcomes Afra Afsharipour for the Castetter Speaker Series

California Western School of Law was honored to welcome Afra Afsharipour, John D. Ayer Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Business Law and Society at UC Davis School of Law, as a featured speaker in the Castetter Speaker Series this month. 

Professor Afsharipour presented “From Pipeline to Power: Tracking Persistence and Progress in Corporate Governance and Practice,” examining both progress and persistent structural barriers to gender equity in corporate leadership, particularly in boardrooms, C-Suites, and among legal and financial advisors. 

Drawing on empirical research, she emphasized that while representation has improved, true decision-making power remains concentrated in a small and often homogeneous group. The discussion highlighted how elite legal and financial networks continue to shape major corporate transactions, limiting access to leadership roles despite a growing pipeline of qualified women, and emphasized the need to move beyond representation toward meaningful inclusion in positions of power.

The lecture highlighted that achieving lasting equity will require not only increasing representation, but also rethinking the structures, networks, and systems that shape who holds power.