Firms Take Family-Friendly Approach to Retain Women
Responding to what the Los Angeles Times calls an exodus of female talent who are faced with dated concepts of career path, firms are changing … slowly but surely.
A feature this weekend in the Times leads with environmental lawyer Loren Montgomery, who when she became pregnant eight years ago, feared she would never make partner at Latham & Watkins. Instead, with support from her supervisor, working mom Cindy Starrett, Montgomery used a mix of telecommuting and “creative scheduling” to stay on track.
The story cites familiar stats from the ABA and the National Association of Women Lawyers: that about 42 percent of women leave the profession midcareer; that only 16 percent of equity partners nationwide are women; and that fewer than 8 percent of those in top management are women.
“It’s pretty much one of the worst, if not the worst” profession for the advancement of women, Carol Evans, president of Working Mother Media, is quoted saying. Working Mother Media ranked the 50 best law firms for women in its August/September magazine issue and included four law firms in its 2008 list of 100 Best Companies.
Plus, as the Times notes, it costs money to lose an associate, no matter the gender. Quoting Deborah Epstein Henry, founder of Flex-Time Lawyers, the Times notes that, “It costs a law firm between $200,000 and $500,000 to lose a second-year associate.”
So why is the law lagging behind other professions in terms of advancing women? Henry blames the stigma of part-time work.
The changes that are often being pushed by women—from increased maternity leave and on-site childcare to new ways to bond with clients including wine tastings in lieu of golf outings—have benefits for men too.
“Certainly the increase of women in law firms and workplaces has changed the paradigm of the job, which then influenced the behavior of men in the firms,” Jim Tancula, 50, a partner of Mayer Brown in LA. Eight years ago, Tancula took vacation to be home the first weeks after his twins were born. Now Mayer Brown offers six weeks of paternity leave and 18 weeks of leave for birth mothers.
Hat tip Criminal Justice Journalists.
