In spite of the fact that women account for nearly half of the lawyers entering BigLaw, there are significantly fewer women occupying the most prestigious, powerful, and best-paid positions within today's law firms. This paper focuses on the non-cognitive traits known as grit--defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals--and a growth mindset--defined as the view that one's most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work--and argues that these traits are not only traits that many highly successful women lawyers have in common, often as a direct result of having overcome challenging obstacles along the path to leadership positions, but that they are also valuable predictors of the future success of individual women lawyers in BigLaw. A review of the literature on grit and mindset is presented and the concepts are defined and explored, with a focus on the implications for female law firm leaders. Ultimately, this study suggests that there is reason to believe that grit and a growth mindset may well be among the secrets to success for women lawyers. Although further research is needed, these findings provide employers with one way to help reduce the gender gap at the leadership level. Recruiting for grittiness and growth mindsets, and implementing programs designed to develop and enhance these traits among female lawyers, provide an appealing approach for employers who are committed to finding a strategy to change the current landscape and increase the number of women in top management roles. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]