Up to PAR

PAR Annual Conference to Focus on Creating a More Inclusive Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:49:00 +0000

PAR’s annual conference, Beyond “Part-Time”: Creative a Culture of Inclusion is coming up next month with an outstanding line up of conference topics and speakers. On March 14 at the offices of Crowell & Moring in Washington DC, leaders in law firms and legal departments will come together for a lively discussion on topics including:

1. Paths to Power: law firm managing partners will discuss the role of sponsorship and other means to support women in their rise to power in law firms.
2. WorkLife Issues In House: PAR will be releasing a brand new study of work/life balance for in-house lawyers at the conference. Legal department leaders will be reflecting on the study’s findings and talking about their support of lawyers -- both those inside their own departments and their outside counsel – in meeting both their professional and personal obligations.
3. Innovate Ways to Implement Flexibility: Five law firms will discuss how they’ve moved beyond traditional part-time programs to have a broader array of programs and shifted their firms’ cultures.
4. An Open Conversation with General Counsel: General Counsel will engage with the audience to discuss their role in helping change the culture of firms.
5. Verna Myers will end the day with a keynote addressing how flexibility can help foster a culture of inclusion.

Another highlight of the day will be the presenting of PAR’s Flex Success Award to two law firm partners in PAR member firms successfully working reduced hours schedules and their clients who contributed to the success of the arrangements.

The PAR conference provides a great opportunity to get up-to-date on the most relevant topics in the retention and advancement of women lawyers and work/life balance for all. In addition, participants will network with other attorneys working on these issues in their organizations. The conference is open for registration.

Member Best Practice: O’Melveny & Myers Supports the Back-to-Work Transition

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:04:00 +0000

Firms are finding that offering on-ramping programs to help smooth the transition back to work from leave are being met with positive feedback and are having strong retention benefits as well. PAR has collected best practices in the area of on-ramping.

Firms are getting creative with their on-ramping offerings. (See our blog on On-Ramping Options). PAR Member O’Melveny & Myers launched its unique Momentum One program last year. Momentum One offers new parents one-on-one videoconference coaching sessions with licensed clinical social workers who are “transition specialists.”

Rochelle Karr, the firm’s Director of Attorney Professional Development & Alumni Relations, piloted the program along with an attorney in the firm. Both found the program valuable because of its focus on the challenges of parenting and practical advice.

Karr noted that the Momentum One program has been a great fit with the firm culture and their maternity leave and on-ramping offerings already in place. Karr noted that “We give [our attorneys] 18 weeks of paid leave; it would not make any business sense whatsoever to then say, ‘Come on back, and hope it all goes well. And here’s a bunch of work assignments, and good luck.’ Why not just ease that for them a little bit and nurture our investment?” Proactively giving their attorneys tools to solve their parenting dilemmas with a trained professional helps the attorneys find solutions that may seem insurmountable while trying to meet professional obligations. The firm has received positive feedback on the program and is pleased with its success thus far.

Highlights from PAR’s Flex Success Conversation “Advancing Balanced Hours Lawyers”

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:23:00 +0000

PAR’s inaugural Flex Success Conversation last month was full of strategies for organizational change and individual success under balanced hours programs. The program was well-attended by reduced hours lawyers from firms and in-house, as well as law firm and legal department leaders and managers interested in success for lawyers working on flexible schedules. Here are some highlights:

The first panel focused on how to engage clients and law firm leaders in the conversation about success as flexible work attorneys. Emily Yinger, Regional Managing Partner (Hogan Lovells US), Kenneth Grady, General Counsel (Wolverine Worldwide), Kerry Kotouc, General Counsel, Corporate Affairs/Government Relations (Wal-Mart Stores), and Benjamin Wilson, Managing Principal (Beveridge & Diamond) described how they set the tone both in their organizations and as proponent of advancement of women in law firms, how they signal support for balanced hours, and how they have overcome obstacles. Some takeaways:

• Having a strong balanced hours policy is a great start, but it needs to be followed up with strong signs of support and re-assurance from firm leaders and clients.
• In-house lawyers can advocate for their valued outside counsel.
• Clients and law firms lawyers need to communicate about what is important to them and put together agreed-upon metrics to measure success.

The second panel presented strategies for career advancement on balanced hours schedules from successful part-time partners Eve Howard (Hogan Lovells US), Marci Rose Levine (SNR Denton), and Christopher Rhee (Arnold & Porter). Heidi Chen, Assistant General Counsel (Pfizer) rounded out the panel with the client’s perspective. Some takeaways:

• Business is global and virtual, so flexibility is a natural fit in that environment.
• Balanced hours need to be looked at on an annualized basis. Working a reduced schedule requires flexibility on behalf of the firm and the attorney.
• A key to success is to make yourself an indispensible part of the team; when you are involved with firm management, you show your strong firm ties.
• All lawyers need to carve out time for business development, firm duties, and other personal interests.

Before ending the day with a networking reception, U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Director Sara Manzano-Diaz gave a keynote speech which emphasized that issues of workplace flexibility now have a national platform. She also noted that technology is changing the way we work, enabling flexibility in when, how, and where we work.

Many thanks to Hogan Lovells US LLP for hosting the Flex Success Conversation in its D.C. offices. We appreciate their help in making this inaugural event so successful. PAR Flex Success Conversations will continue with programs in different areas throughout the country. We hope you will join us.

The Diversity & Flexibility Connection in Action: Walmart Legal Department Shows Support for Flexible Work

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:55:00 +0000

The Walmart Legal Department has been a vocal and active participant in PAR’s Diversity & Flexibility Connection, committing to referring work to balanced hours lawyers, signaling support for flexible work, and effective implementation of their own commitment to diversity and flexibility.

At last month’s Walmart Legal SuperConference, over 1000 of Walmart’s outside lawyers came to Bentonville to participate in two days of programming, the majority of which centered around diversity, inclusion, and flexible work. Walmart highlighted its Diversity Partners, including PAR, and gave participants concrete information and suggestions for making a more inclusive legal profession. PAR Executive Director Manar Morales spoke during both the plenary diversity and inclusion panel and a breakout session on work/life balance and flex time.

Walmart highlighted its commitment to flexible work by recognizing Marci Rose Levine, the practice leader of PAR Member SNR Denton’s health care team, for Excellent Performance and Commitment to Work-Life Balance. Marci has worked a balanced hours schedule for eight years, both as an associate and now as a partner. Marci provides outstanding legal service to Walmart’s Health & Wellness team while also holding a leadership position in her firm. Walmart’s public acknowledgment of how well a balanced hours arrangement works for them is commendable. Marci will be one of our panelists at our upcoming PAR Flex Success Conversation: Advancing Balanced Hours Lawyers (on November 9th in Washington DC).

In addition, Walmart honored Littler Mendelson, also a PAR member, for looking at different ways to approach flexibility as a firm with its recognition for its Innovation in Promoting Work-Life Balance.

By looking internally, partnering with diversity organizations, and providing their outside counsel with expectations and tools for inclusion, Walmart Legal is expanding the conversation and helping ensure progress.

Highlights from the Hastings Leadership Academy for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:04:00 +0000

At last month’s Hastings Leadership Academy for Women (LAW), twenty-one women partners from firms across the country spent three and a half focused days on building their leadership skills with business-based curriculum and practical skills practice. Here are some highlights:

Ida Abbott, Co-Director of LAW, led off the program with a discussion of women’s leadership roles and paths for getting there. Ida set a framework for different ways people approach their career planning: setting goals, setting direction, and having a general sense of what’s important to them.

An especially lively discussion centered around social networks. Professor Joan C. Williams, Co-Director of LAW, led a program which reviewed the social science research on networks. Joan explained the differences between “clique networks,” that is, networks that are closed and where everyone knows each other, and “entrepreneurial networks” where one person can serve as a connector of otherwise unconnected networks. Participants learned about the value of both strong ties and breaking into new circles and talked about ways to cement weak ties.

This conversation tied in well with the program “ Bringin’ in the Rain: Effective Business Development” with Sara Holtz. Sara focused on developing the marketing mindset and having consistent follow up with a short list of high potential business prospects.

Carol Frohlinger worked with the participants to negotiate for themselves in her workshop “Claiming Your Place at the Table.” She laid out a negotiation framework and highlighted strategic moves, helping the partners to approach self-advocacy with the same skills and confidence that they use for their clients. With the information from the PAR/MCCA study on compensation systems, this conversation led to much discussion on how to negotiate for fair compensation.

A keynote speech from Mary Cranston was the highlight of the day where LAW alumnae and in-house counsel also attended. Mary spoke honestly about her vision, facing fears, and setting goals (without judgment as to the outcome) as keys to her career success. It was truly an inspirational talk.

The Leadership Academy will take place again July 11-14, 2012 in San Francisco, with a special day of programming for alumnae and in-house counsel on July 13th. More information will be posted at www.attorneyretention.org/LAW.

Telecommuting Successes: Lessons from Legal Departments

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:40:00 +0000

By including telecommuting as part of a flexible work program, legal employers can reduce the stigma often associated with utilizing flexible work arrangements by offering an option that is widely utilized by male and female employees, parents and non-parents alike. PAR member Accenture, which has offered telecommuting for more than ten years, reaps the benefit of including so many male employees in their flexible work arrangements program through telecommuting. Similarly, PAR member Allstate’s legal department has found that the company’s work-at-home option is the most popular flexible work option with men.

Best practice telecommuting programs are:

• Available to all employees who can conceivably work remotely (reduces backlash and stigma).
• Define “core hours” when the telecommuter is to be available.
• Provide training for supervisors.
• Provide technology and support.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws.

PAR member policies (both law firms and legal departments) highlight the importance of these best practices:

• Offer the same compensation, benefits, and promotion opportunities to telecommuters as to those not telecommuting.
• Establish a consistent schedule.
• Ensure effective accessibility.

Promotion of Women Lawyers Stalls

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:00:00 +0000

33% of New U.S. Partners are Female, Compared to 34% in 2010

There is not a lot to celebrate when it comes to the gender composition of the new partner classes. According to an updated survey of the new partner class of 2011 released by the Project for Attorney Retention (PAR) on June 14, 2011, law firms slid one percentage point in promotions of women attorneys in U.S. offices since last year, nearly 33% compared to 34% in 2010.

There were some bright spots. Of the 123 firms surveyed in 2011, 22 had new partner classes that were composed of at least 50% women.

Kudos to the firms with the greatest proportion of women in their new partner class of 2011:
• Zuckerman Spaeder promoted only one attorney, a female (1 promotion; 100% female)
• Beveridge & Diamond (6 promotions; 83% female)
• WilmerHale (10 promotions; 80% female)
• Thompson Hine (7 promotions; 71% female)
• Manatt, Phelps & Phillips (13 promotions; 69% female)
• Baker & Daniels (6 promotions; 67% female)
• Arnold & Porter (3 promotions; 67% female)
• Munger, Tolles & Olson (3 promotions; 67% female)
• Steptoe & Johnson (3 promotions; 67% female)
• Foley Hoag (5 promotions; 60% female)
• Husch Blackwell (5 promotions; 60% female)
• Seyfarth Shaw (14 promotions; 57% female)
• Littler Mendelson (14 promotions; 57% female)

Raised eyebrows to the firms that elected more than one attorney to the partnership, but included no women in their new partner class of 2011:
• Hunton & Williams (6 promotions; 0 female)
• Proskauer Rose (6 promotions; 0 female)
• Sheppard Mullin (6 promotions; 0 female)
• Boies, Schiller & Flexner (3 promotions; 0 female)
• Cadwalader (3 promotions; 0 female)
• Lowenstein Sandler (3 promotions; 0 female)
• Dickstein Shapiro (2 promotions; 0 female)
• Kaye Scholer (2 promotions; 0 female)
• Milbank (2 promotions; 0 female)

The complete list of firms surveyed and the numbers of men and women in their 2011 new partner class is available on PAR's web site.

Firms were chosen for this study based on inclusion in prior years’ surveys, firm size, and availability of information. As in prior years, information is included only for the firms’ U.S. offices.

“While the decrease in the percentage of women promoted to partner in 2011 is small, it has to be viewed in context,” said PAR Executive Director Manar Morales. “There are few female partners to begin with, and even fewer female equity partners. This dip should cause concern because it further delays the day when women lawyers will achieve parity in the profession.”

In 2010, NAWL reported that while women comprise about 60% of staff attorneys, only 15% of equity partners are women. This is not good news for firms. As a recent MCCA study found, law firms with proportionate representation of women from staff attorneys through equity partner levels outperformed disproportionate firms by $20 million.

Several of the firms that had new partner classes that were greater than 50% female are members of the Project for Attorney Retention: Arnold & Porter (promoted 2 women of 3 new partners), Beveridge & Diamond (5/6), Manatt, Phelps & Phillips (9/13), Munger, Tolles & Olson (2/3), and Seyfarth Shaw (8/14). Furthermore, although PAR did not systematically collect data on the numbers of part-time attorneys promoted to partner, PAR acknowledges and commends PAR Members Andrews Kurth, Beveridge & Diamond, and Fulbright & Jaworski for promoting part-time attorneys into their new partner class of 2011. Their PAR membership and numbers of women promoted in their new partner classes reflect these firms’ strong commitment to diversity and the advancement of women lawyers. Special congratulations are extended to other firms whose 2011 new partner cohort also include part-time partners.

A look back at 2010:

It should be noted that among those firms who promoted not a single woman to partner, some have been notably more successful in advancing women attorneys in the past. Last year, Proskauer Rose had a new partner class that included 67% women and PAR Member Dickstein Shapiro’s 2010 class had 40% women.

For many of the firms with new partner classes that included greater proportions of women, the numbers reflect a continued pattern of consistently high numbers of promotions of women attorneys, as shown in the table below.

Congratulations to all the new partners of 2011.

PAR wishes to thank Allison Tait for invaluable research assistance with this survey.

See the chart here.

In-House Lawyers: Help Legal Departments Develop More Effective Work-Life Programs

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:24:00 +0000

Take the survey for in-house lawyers.

Don’t miss your chance to contribute your perspective! PAR is wrapping up the data collection portion of our 2011 Corporate Counsel survey. The survey focuses on push and pull factors for working in-house, characteristics of in-house work affecting work/life balance, succession planning, and work/life policies. Is it better in house? Our 2003 study is ready for an update, but we need your help.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and your input into this study will help us to better understand what the challenges are, identify best practices, and ultimately, better address the needs that are yet unmet with respect to work-life balance in-house.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PAR_CorporateCounsel

Highlights from PAR’s Annual Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:20:00 +0000

PAR’s sold-out annual conference last week was overflowing with best practices, real-practice stories, and cautionary tales. In case you missed it, here are some highlights:

The first panel explored how the move away from lockstep is affecting diversity and flexibility. Joan Williams identified risks, such as vague definitions of merit and evaluations tainted with hidden bias, and best practices, such as providing training to evaluators. Nicole Bearce Albano (Lowenstein Sandler), Carter DeLorme (Jones Day), Kristine McKinney (Faegre & Benson), and Laura Saklad (Orrick) described their firms’ positions along the continuum of lockstep to competency-based models, and their experiences with evaluating and developing their associates. Some takeaways:

• Effective evaluation systems are crucial. The process and forms need to be audited for bias, evaluators need to be trained on recognizing and overcoming bias, and someone with expertise in bias needs to review evaluations before they are given to associates.
• A formal system of assigning work that allows associates to ask for and receive particular types of experiences is also crucial.
• Don’t underestimate the amount of management time required by a competency-based system.

The second panel provided insights into the success of PAR’s Diversity and Flexibility connection. Jeff Gearhart (Walmart), Lee Miller (DLA Piper), Michele Coleman Mayes (Allstate), and Elliott Portnoy (SNR Denton) discussed the work they had done in their firms and law departments to provide nonstigmatized reduced-hours schedules. Led by moderator Jim Potter (Del Monte), they also provided insights into the discussions between law firm chairs and general counsel about how each can help the other improve their diversity and flexibility. Some takeaways:

• Clients want firms to have nonstigmatized flexible work, because it reduces attrition and therefore improves productivity and reduces costs.
• Firms that have made serious efforts to provide nonstigmatized flexible work are reaping the benefits: lawyers are staying with the firm and are being promoted to partner, and are maintaining and deepening their ties with clients.
• Clients help the process by letting firms know when balanced hours lawyers have done a good job, and by giving them more work.

After a networking lunch at which the PAR Flex Success awards were presented, Penny Huang presented the preliminary findings of PAR’s current in-house counsel work/life study. Heidi Chen (Pfizer), Michele Coleman Mayes (Allstate), and Martha Rees (DuPont) discussed the business reasons their law departments provide flexibility and their experiences implementing balanced hours programs. Some takeaways:

• Managing expectations is key. It is important for lawyers to know real deadlines for their work, and it is important for internal clients to know that they won’t always get an answer right away on non-urgent matters.
• Transparency about compensation and advancement helps to eliminate stigma.

Following roundtable discussions facilitated by in-house counsel, the final panel of the day examined new models of legal practice. Jane Allen (Counsel on Call), Kate Fritz (Fenwick & West), Doug Scrivner (Accenture, ret.), and Michele Tyde (Tyde Law Group) discussed how their firms were structured, and how the structures provided work/life fit for their lawyers. Some takeaways:

• New models are often born of the desire to offer talented attorneys an opportunity to practice law with more control over their schedules, interests, and work/life fit, and also to respond to clients' desire for lower rates.
• Alternative fee arrangements are common at new model firms, removing the billable hour as the key metric. New model lawyers can provide top quality legal services at a cost savings for clients.

Many thanks to DLA Piper for hosting the conference in its fabulous D.C. offices. Many thanks also to the conference sponsors: DLA Piper, Arnold & Porter, Crowell & Moring, Dickstein Shapiro, Del Monte Foods, Fenwick & West, Fulbright & Jaworski, Pfizer, SNR Denton, Walmart, Dewy & LeBoeuf, Farella Braun & Martel, Hogan Lovells, Jones Day, Lowenstein Sandler, and Morrison & Foerster. We appreciate your help in making the conference so successful.

A tip for those who would like to attend next year’s conference: PAR’s conferences usually sell out quickly, so watch PAR’s website in early 2012 for registration information. PAR members are able to register before the general public. Membership information is available here.

New PAR Book: Flex Success

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:56:00 +0000

We are very excited to announce that PAR’s new book, Flex Success: The Lawyer’s Guide to Balanced Hours by PAR founders Cynthia Calvert and Joan Williams, is now available. Here is an excerpt from the press release:

Working part-time no longer means a dead-end career. A new book by the Project for Attorney Retention, FLEX SUCCESS: THE LAWYER’S GUIDE TO BALANCED HOURS, shows how strategic career moves and careful avoidance of obstacles can propel reduced-hours lawyers to the top of the legal profession.

Drawing on lessons learned from a decade of research and work with successful part-time lawyers, the book provides step-by-step directions for proactively managing a part-time career toward advancement and financial rewards. The book’s authors, PAR founders Cynthia Thomas Calvert and Joan C. Williams, discuss planning and negotiating a reduced-hours schedule, making the schedule work, overcoming hidden bias against reduced-hours lawyers, and positioning one’s career for advancement. Real-life stories from successful balanced hours lawyers and practical wisdom from some of the country’s foremost experts on work/life balance in the legal profession illustrate the authors’ points throughout.

“This book helps not just lawyers, but also their firms and their clients,” said PAR Executive Director Manar Morales. “PAR’s research has shown that balanced hours, which are nonstigmatized reduced hours that emphasize client service and allow attorney advancement, retain talented lawyers. As more balanced hours lawyers become successful partners, the legal profession will benefit.”

The book is available on Amazon. It is a sequel to PAR’s book for law firms about how to implement a nonstigmatized reduced-hours program, Solving The Part-Time Puzzle: The Law Firm’s Guide To Balanced Hours (NALP 2004).

PAR is planning to hold a series of Flex Success events to discuss how balanced hours lawyers can advance professionally. Check PAR’s website for more information, or contact PAR to discuss scheduling an event for your firm, bar association, or other group.

PAR Launches Nationwide Survey of Work/Life Issues for In-House Counsel

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:17:00 +0000

In-House Lawyers: Take the survey.

PAR is currently doing a follow up study to its report on work/life balance for in-house attorneys, Better on Balance? The Corporate Counsel Work/Life Report (2003). That report focused on three principal goals: one, identify the types of work schedules that in-house attorneys use successfully to find work/life balance; two, develop best practices and a model policy; and three, test the perception of many law firm partners that corporate counsel, as clients, would not want to work with law firm attorneys who were working part-time. The project examined the work schedules used by in-house counsel to create work/life balance and best practices for retaining attorneys through non-stigmatized flexible work arrangements. Additionally, the project studied ways that legal departments, as clients, can assist law firms in decreasing turnover and promoting stability in attorney-client relationships.

The first part of the new 2011 study consisted of a series of focus groups designed to explore the work/life issues that in-house counsel identify as relevant and important to them and to get their experiences with work/life balance. PAR has just launched the second part of the study, a nationwide survey for in-house lawyers. If you currently work in-house, we would value your participation.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and your input into this study will help us to better understand what the challenges are, identify best practices, and ultimately, better address the needs that are yet unmet with respect to work-life balance in-house.

Your contribution to this effort will help legal departments develop more effective work- life balance programs for in-house attorneys. Please follow this link to contribute your perspective to this study: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PAR_CorporateCounsel.

Preliminary findings from the focus groups and the survey will be presented at our annual conference on March 30th in Washington DC. Sponsored by Walmart, Pfizer, Del Monte, and Dupont.

In-House Lawyers: Take the survey.

PAR Annual Conference to Address Challenges for Diversity & Flexibility in the New Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:09:00 +0000

PAR’s annual conference, As the Legal Profession Turns: New Challenges for Diversity & Flexibility is coming up at the end of next month with an outstanding line up of conference topics and speakers. On March 30 at the offices of DLA Piper in Washington DC, leaders in law firms and legal departments will come together for a lively discussion on topics including:

1. The potential impact of competency-based compensation systems on diversity and flexibility: With the move away from lockstep compensation and advancement, will women and diverse attorneys be left behind or are the new systems helping to create a more even playing field by removing the mystery to advancement? Four law firms who have led the way in the move to merit will discuss how their firms are working to ensure the success of women and diverse attorneys in their firms.

2. Successes and challenges of the Diversity & Flexibility Connection: Just over one year ago, the Diversity & Flexibility Connection participating firms and corporations committed to set up beta programs for supporting a viable work/life component in law firm diversity programs. Prominent general counsels and managing partners will share their organization’s experiences.

3. Preview of the corporate counsel study findings: As a follow up to our 2003 Corporate Counsel Work/Life Report, PAR experts and in-house counsel will provide an update on the 2011 survey. PAR’s new survey will take a close look at work/life balance in-house after the Great Recession.

4. In-house counsel and law firm attorneys working together to advance women in law: A roundtable discussion facilitated by corporate counsel.

5. New models of legal practice: PAR is undertaking a new study of New Model firms, composed of lawyers who have left large-firm practice to found small firms designed to respond both to clients’ desire for lower rates and lawyers’ desire for work-life balance. This panel will discuss different types of new models of legal practice, to understand what draws attorneys to these firms, and to understand their business models.

The PAR conference provides a great opportunity to get up-to-date on the most relevant topics in the retention and advancement of women lawyers and work/life balance for all. In addition, participants will network with other attorneys working on these issues in their organizations. The conference is open for registration.

More Good News on Promotion of Women and Reduced Hours Lawyers

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:58:00 +0000

PAR member Andrews Kurth LLP is making some great progress in promoting women. Forty percent of the firm’s 2011 partner class is women. In addition, two of the four women elected to partnership are on the firm’s Flex Path program.

Andrews Kurth’s success in promoting women, including women on reduced hours schedules, is consistent with PAR’s Part-Time Partner Study, which shows that part-time partners are having successful careers with their law firms. One benefit of supporting part-time partners, which came out in the study, is the retention value. In the study, more than three-fourths of the partners interviewed began working reduced hours at their current firms, and the average tenure of the those partners is 12 years (ranging from four to 37). Given that more than half of women lawyers leave their law firms by their seventh year, this longevity is noteworthy. Most of the respondents to the survey reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their part-time arrangements. Many expressed a desire to stay at their firm; 84% of respondents answering this question said they would stay with their firms for the next five years if it were up to them. By investing in their high-potential women, whether on a regular or reduced schedule, firms will reap the reward of long-term commitment from their partners. As one partner in the study stated, “I would never go to another law firm anywhere, ever, under any circumstances. I’m absolutely certain of that. “

No Part-Time Floodgates

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Recently, NALP reported on the usage of part-time schedules in law firms. NALP’s latest data show that 6.4% of lawyers were working part-time in 2010, and 70% of those part-timers were women. This is up from 5.9% in 2009 and 2.9% in 2001 when PAR published its first report on part-time lawyers. The percentage of part-time lawyers is small, but it’s steadily growing, and that’s a good sign.

During that same period of time, the percentage of law firms offering part-time schedules increased from 85% to 98%. So, while almost all law firms have part-time programs, the argument that offering part-time programs will open the floodgates is indeed a myth.

Another encouraging finding in the study: there was a significant growth rate among part-time partners – from 1.2% in 1994 to 3.6% in 2010. This change is consistent with PAR’s 2009 study on part-time partners, which showed that part-time partners are having successful careers bringing in significant revenue and generating significant books of business.

Resolve to Change the Partner Comp Process this Year

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Last summer, PAR and MCCA published the groundbreaking study on the disparate impact of law firm compensation systems on women. The study concluded that existing compensation systems for lawyers open the door to gender bias because they contain tremendous subjectivity, lack transparency, and because so much of the negotiation surrounding salaries takes place out of sight.

As many firms are in the partner compensation process, we wanted to provide the best practice recommendations to address the problems identified in the study:

1. Make the process transparent
2. Benchmark to check the demographics of compensation levels
3. Improve diversity on the compensation committee and consider implementing a reviewing partner system
4. Have a billable hours threshold with no compensation for billing over
5. Origination credit should not be inheritable; pitch credit as an alternative
6. Set up a diverse committee that handles disputes over origination credit
7. Tie compensation to institutional investments as well as cash flow
8. Process should provide a check on bias

PAR would like to hear about changes that firms are making as a result of the study or which highlight best practices. Over the next year, we are collecting best practices from law firms to prepare follow up findings on the study, which we will share at our annual conference in Spring 2012. We will also highlight achievements here. Contact us with any questions or success stories.

On-Ramping Options

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 22:56:00 +0000

For several years now, large law firms have been offering attorneys returning from maternity, adoption, or caregiver leave to ramp back up into their practice. These “on-ramping” policies, which allow for a gradual return to a full-time schedule or an easy introduction to a reduced hours schedule, have become popular and well-utilized.

PAR has been collecting best practices in the on-ramping area. Common features of these best practice programs include:
• Automatic (upon request) return from leave on individualized schedules. Attorneys can return on a part-time schedule for three months to one year without committing to being on a formal part-time schedule.
• Flexibility as to days/hours working and telecommuting options.
• Mentor pairings to guide the woman taking leave through winding down before leave and ramping back up upon return from leave.
• Parents’ affinity groups to deal with the day-to-day problems and issues of being working parents.

Two PAR member firms have found ways to embrace the issue of work/life balance for new parents and put together low-cost, highly effective programs. McCarthy Tétrault LLP, which has had an on-ramping program in place for almost five years, observed that it was often challenging for women to know how to ramp down their practice, remain in touch during their leave, and get back into the game. The firm provides a “maternity leave buddy” from the same practice area to give women someone to talk with about issues and concerns. The maternity leave buddy can also serve as a liaison while the mother is on leave. The firm created a maternity leave “toolkit” with tips tailored to the individual to help them both as new mothers and to give them guidance on how to return to work. Plus, as a small gesture intended to say “we’re thinking about you,” they send every new mother a spa certificate—according to the firm, this small gesture has been very popular and very successful. Next, McCarthy Tétrault connects each woman with a network of other women who stay in touch while the new mother is on leave and help prepare her and the workplace for her return.

A unique aspect of the McCarthy Tétrault’s program is their “parental support program” to deal with the problems and issues of new parents re-entering the workplace while simultaneously caring for a new baby. The program provides six sessions of coaching and therapy to deal with home issues, and all sessions are confidential. Returning mothers and fathers can go by themselves or with their partner, and although McCarthy Tétrault suggests they have two sessions pre-baby, two while on leave, and two upon return, the exact format is left up to the woman.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP also provides a model best practice program. Orrick has a comprehensive program designed to retain women. Their program includes (1) a progressive return to work policy (highlighted below), (2) a program to remain connected to attorneys who choose to exit the workforce for a period of time following the birth or adoption of a child including access to firm training programs, pro bono work, and other temporary assignments, and (3) a Parents’ Forum for parents of young children adjusting to the demands of balancing work and family obligations. In addition, Orrick has an internal career coaching program. A career coach reaches out to those going out on and returning from leave to provide information on leave, the on-ramping program, and the options upon return from leave.

Orrick’s “Progressive Return” program provides attorneys with up to one year from the start of maternity leave to have reduced hours upon request. At the end of the return period, the lawyer may either ask to be on a permanent part-time schedule or return to full-time. The firm has found the following results from the program, which has been in place for just over three years:

1. The majority of women taking maternity or adoption leave have taken advantage of the program,
2. The number of attorneys on the firm’s Alternative Work Arrangements program (partner-track reduced hours program) has increased thus helping de-stigmatize part-time status,
3. Positive feedback from  program participants about both the psychological and concrete  benefits of having time to assess the appropriateness of a part-time  schedule once back to work rather than trying to imagine  what might work best while still immersed in being at home (the benefit of “trying out” part-time), and
4. The percentage of women resigning from the firm at the end of their maternity leave (not returning from leave) has markedly decreased.

On-ramping programs, which help attorneys smoothly transition into and out of maternity or adoption leave, are “low hanging fruit” for improving attorney retention. If your firm or law department has a best practice to share, we would love to hear from you. Please email us.

Wilmer Hale's Success with Part-Time Lawyers

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Wilmer Hale announced its new partners for 2011 last week. The big news: 8 of the 11 new partners are female; that’s 73%, and they’re all equity partners at Wilmer Hale. The firm will certainly feature prominently in PAR’s roundup of gender composition of new partners when we compile the data in the spring.

What’s their secret to retaining so many women in their pipeline so that they can elevate so many to equity partnership? In an interview with ALM’s Vivia Chen, co-managing partner Bill Perlstein said there was no decision to increase the number of women partners. He stated that the firm starts with a large number of candidates and the partnership selection committee does a careful review. When Vivia pressed Bill to give a reason, he said that the firm has a good part-time policy, and has 13 part-time partners: ten women and three men. He said one of the new partners is part-time and added, “Part-time partners have worked well here.” Another example of the firm’s flexibility: one of the newly elevated full-time partners stated that she usually works one day a week from home, and that the firm’s attitude toward flexibility made it easy for her to stay. She stated, “I don’t feel I’m fighting the system here.”

Wilmer Hale’s partnership elevations provide further proof that flexibility and reduced hours schedules work at both the associate and partnership levels. As we discussed in our report, Reduced Hours, Full Success: Part-Time Partners in U.S. Law Firms, a lot of firms are doing it right when it comes to retaining top talent by offering flexibility. While we still have a long way to go, with so few women equity partners nationwide, Wilmer Hale’s announcement this week shows that if firms offer the right policies and culture, their retention efforts pay off and the number of their female partners increases.

Walmart Implements Diversity & Flexibility Connection Best Practices

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:33:00 +0000

Walmart’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel Jeff Gearhart recently updated the company’s outside counsel guidelines to reflect the best practice recommendations of the PAR Diversity & Flexibility Connection. The Diversity & Flexibility Connection is an ongoing discussion between prominent general counsels and law firm chairs on the retention of diverse attorneys through the inclusion of an effective work/life program. Walmart has taken a leadership position by including the following in their outside counsel guidelines:

1. Nonstigmatized flexible work: all external firms are to implement flex-time policies, or obtain a waiver, by February 1, 2011 to promote retention, prevent loss of institutional knowledge, and create a more balanced and inclusive work environment.
2. Referring work to reduced hours attorneys: firms will be including at least one partner working a flex-time schedule as a candidate for Walmart relationship partner.
3. Origination credit: firms will annually certify that that the Walmart relationship partners have received origination credit. This guideline is also a best practice recommendation of the PAR/MCCA study on partner compensation.

The Diversity & Flexibility Connection was designed to facilitate a conversation about how in-house and outside counsel could work together more effectively to support balanced hours programs, with the ultimate goal of making the legal profession more inclusive.

As the biggest company in the world, Walmart’s guidelines will likely lead to positive changes in many law firms. With the inclusion of work/life initiatives in firms’ diversity programs, more women will be able to take advantage of nonstigmatized flexible work as a viable career option.

Utah Women Lawyers Push Change

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:03:00 +0000

The new report from the Women Lawyers of Utah is gaining a lot of attention (here, here, here, and here). Indeed, many of the findings are headline-worthy, including that only 23% of the lawyers in Utah are female, only 11% of partners are female, 23% of women lawyers feel they have been treated unfairly, and 10% say they have been sexually harassed.

One fact that isn’t making headlines is the energy Utah is showing for improving the profession to eliminate the barriers women lawyers face. As Cynthia Calvert has noted, the survey was supported by the Utah State Bar and leading Utah law firms, and it had a more than 50% response rate despite the length of the survey. (Disclosure: PAR was involved in the initiative.) In addition, the symposia that were held to discuss the survey findings drew large audiences, including leaders of the bar. With such widespread support, change certainly seems possible.

The path toward change was illuminated by the numerous and excellent best practices in the report. In fact, the report should be read by everyone, regardless of geographic location, just for the best practices if nothing else. They are practical, detailed and usable; there can be no hand wringing about not being able to do anything about the situation.

When the Stay-Home Parent Wants to Go Back to Work

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:28:00 +0000

This is a re-post (with permission) of The Careerist's blog on returning to work. PAR's Director of Special Projects, Linda Marks, served as guest blogger.

Question from a reader:

How do lawyers with a few years of legal experience reenter the job market after taking time off to raise their families?

After over a decade's leave, several geographical moves (and several bar exams as well), and a stint of work in the legal department of a large national health insurance company, I am once again attempting to reenter the job market. I have been looking at an array of Internet postings: government, private law firms, public interest, and nonprofits, and so far have had very few responses. I suspect that my long leave may be what screens me out.

Sincerely,

MJ

Dear MJ:

You are not alone in wanting to on-ramp after taking a career break--and your experience of getting few responses is not surprising.

The most important advice we can give you is to network, network, network. When an attorney with a resume gap applies for a job, it’s hard to get past the screeners. That’s why networking is crucial.

How good is your network now? Are you in touch with people you’ve worked with in the past, those with whom you attended law school? Are you on LinkedIn? Don’t overlook the parents and neighbors you’ve met while you’ve been raising your family.

Go through your list and select the five people you feel most comfortable talking to. Figure out what you’d like from them. (Start with friends or family; it will be a lot easier.) Then, ask if they’d meet with you. Tell them: “I’ve decided to reenter the workforce, and I’m exploring estate planning. Would you be willing to meet with me for 15 minutes about how you got into the field?” Reassure them that you’re not asking them for a job, just information.

It’s hard to on-ramp on your own, so you might want to look into programs for people who want to rejoin the job market. Our Hastings Opting Back In program is a national telephone coaching group for attorneys who have left law for a year or more and want to return to practice. You can also check out the reentry workshops offered by Pace University Law School, the attorney reentry program of American University, Washington School of Law, and the iRelaunch programs offered by the authors of Back on the Career Track.

We’ve had women in our program who were out of work for up to 20 years find employment by networking. One is now the manager of legal affairs for a California company, who joined the group in late January 2009. Here's what she says:

Mid-summer, I was landing bona fide interviews and had a lot of people looking out for me, or introducing me to more people. . . . I secured (my current job) by networking. . . I had some nice exchanges with the president of the company and connected with him through LinkedIn in 2009. Because of tenacity and sheer desperation at the beginning of 2010, I just gave key people in my "LinkedIn" network a heads-up that I was still on the market. Oh boy, did I love to hear someone say, "I'm glad to hear you are still searching. . . . Let's talk."
Her point: "No one knows how you are doing unless you tell them."

Many people are afraid of networking because they think of it as begging or acting like a used car salesman. But if you do it right, it’s more about listening than talking--and more about giving than taking. Remember to build rapport with each person you meet and keep good records of your contacts. And send thank-you notes.

Yes, reentering the workforce is anything but fast and easy. But being super-determined and focused will go a long way.

Linda Marks can be reached at marksl@uchastings.edu.

Exciting Staff Changes at PAR

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:03:00 +0000

PAR has recently enhanced its research and service capabilities with the addition of two new staff members. Penelope Huang, Ph.D., has joined PAR as Research Sociologist and Jessica Natkin, J.D., is the new Director of Programs. With the addition of Penny and Jessica to our staff, PAR will be able to push the boundaries of academic-quality research and to link that research with direct solutions for our members and the legal community.

We are also pleased to announce that Manar Morales has been promoted to Deputy Executive Director of PAR. In her new role, Manar will be overseeing all of PAR’s operations and programs.

Joan C. Williams, as PAR’s Director, will continue to oversee the organization and its research.

Cynthia Thomas Calvert, PAR’s Co-Founder, is stepping down from her day-to-day duties in order to found her own independent consulting practice, CT Calvert & Associates. She will be offering the kind of in-depth consulting that organizations often need to carry through on their plans for flexibility and the advancement of women lawyers. Cynthia will retain her relationship with PAR as Co-Founder and Senior Adviser.

Learn more about Penny, Jessica, Manar, and Cynthia.

For more information on PAR and our upcoming events, please visit www.attorneyretention.org.

“Opting Back In” National Telephone Coaching Group: For attorneys who want to return to law

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:05:00 +0000

REGISTER NOW! Continuing program with openings starting in October

If you’re an attorney who left law to care for your family and want to return to legal practice, register now for the Opting Back In telephone coaching group. Participants from locations around the country call in to a single teleconference bridge line at a regular day and time and receive professional coaching from Ellen Ostrow of Lawyers Life Coach LLC and Linda Marks of the Center for WorkLife Law at UC Hastings College of the law on how to craft and implement return-to-work plans. Each group of up to 10 participants meets twice a month with occasional “bonus” calls.

It’s hard to “on-ramp” on your own. Being part of a group connects you with other attorneys facing similar challenges; helps you set up and expand your network; and provides you with the support, encouragement and resources you need to take what now seems like a daunting process and break it down into manageable pieces.

For more information, see the Project for Attorney Retention Opting Back In web page. There’s a link to the fax- or scan-and email-back registration form at the bottom of that page. Or contact Linda Marks at marksl@uchastings.edu, 415-581-8826.

NEXT MEETINGS:
“First Monday” group (Meets first and third Mondays of each month from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:30 – 2:00 Eastern):
October 4 and 18
November 1 and 15

“Second Monday” group (Meets second and fourth Mondays of each month from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:30 – 2:00 Eastern):
October 11 and 25
November 8 and 22

Maternity Leave Lessons from Small Business

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:43:00 +0000

While large law firms have generally become more progressive with their policies for maternity leaves, adoption leaves, and paternity leaves, many small firms are just beginning to tackle these issues. We often hear from lawyers at small firms that they were the first in their firms to take maternity leave. A recent New York Times article (“Taking a Positive Approach to an Employee’s Maternity Leave”) highlights best practices for small business maternity leaves. This article provides a good reference for small firms to help smooth the transition into and out of maternity and other extended leaves. Highlights include:

1. Communicate openly: Make sure that your employees understand that there are many life events that take people out of the office for extended periods of time. It’s best to plan for them.
2. Involve your employee: Ask the employee with the upcoming leave to prepare a transition memo to help with re-assigning work. Also plan for how to handle the transition back to work—this is even more important.
3. Consider flexible schedules: If your firm is unable to offer paid leave, offer flexibility as an attractive alternative. Many large law firms are now offering “on-ramping” programs, which allow for reduced hours for a certain period of time upon returning from leave. This could be a nice addition for the small firm as well.
4. Don’t fret too much about inconsistency: Because everyone knows each other in a small firm, more room typically exists for giving people what they need, without getting overly focused on consistency. The key is to be sensitive enough to people’s on-going needs—whatever the reason—that everyone feels that they could get flexibility or leave when they really need it. Of course, you need to keep employment laws in mind.

Both new mothers and new fathers want to take leave. Others need to take leave due to illness and family care responsibilities. Small firms will need to put flexible, transparent policies into place to remain competitive in today’s evolving workplace.

The Times Opts Out of the "Opt Out" Narrative

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:27:00 +0000

The New York Times, for forty years, ran one story after another quoting women saying they had opted out of the workforce after they had children, according to a 2006 report by the Center for WorkLife Law. The most famous was Lisa Belkin's 2003 New York Times Magazine story, "The Opt Out Revolution."

Now there's change a-brewing on the business page. Last week, David Leonhardt's "A Labor Market Punishing to Mothers" focused not on mothers' choices but on the ways the labor market pushes mothers out of good jobs. Leonhardt pointed out that none of the last three women nominated for the Supreme Court had children. Though this observation could easily have morphed into yet another lament about mothers opting out, Leonhardt struck a different note, arguing that the labor market is structured in ways that artificially penalize mothers. "Our economy extracts a terribly steep price for any time away from work--in both pay and promotions," he writes.

True that. I was once at an event where a woman graduate of Harvard Law School was told that her chances of getting a job were so slim that no recruiter would accept her as a client. What heinous act had made her so unemployable? Taking two years off to care for her son. A 2004 study by Stephen Rose and Heidi Hartman found that American women who took one year off lost 20% of their lifetime earnings, while women who took off two to three years lost 30%. These plummets in women's earnings seem out of proportion to any objective deterioration in human capital.

They are driven instead by what social scientists call the flexibility stigma. That's the stigma triggered when a worker signals a need for workplace flexibility, including not only career breaks but also part-time work. Penalties for part-time work in the U.S., again, are artificially high, seven times higher than in Sweden and twice as high as in the U.K., according to Janet Gornick and Marcia Meyers. These penalties play a major role in denying women equal pay, according to a report by the Joint Economic Committee issued last April. One quarter of employed women usually work part time, and part-time workers face steep earnings penalties. In retail jobs, part-timers receive only 58 cents for every dollar earned by full-timers.

The flexibility stigma affects anyone, male or female, who is unable or unwilling to work in the employment pattern traditional of male breadwinners. Kudos to Leonhardt helping the Times opt out of the opt out narrative.

Do In-House Lawyers Have Better Work/Life Balance?

noreply@blogger.com (Project for Attorney Retention) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:52:00 +0000

PAR released its groundbreaking study on work/life balance for in-house attorneys, Better on Balance? The Corporate Counsel Work/Life Report, back in 2003. That report focused on the defining the types of work schedules that in-house attorneys use successfully to find work/life balance, offering best practices, and testing the perception of many law firm partners that corporate counsel would not want to work with law firm attorneys who were working part-time.

In the report, we found that full time in-house often meant a 50-hour workweek and that many attorneys found balance on that schedule. In addition, the study showed a variety of alternative work arrangements being utilized, but part-time lawyers still felt stigmatized and some lawyer trying to telecommute found it challenging. Lastly, law firms’ assumption that clients will not work with part-time lawyers did not hold true.

Recently, we’ve been talking to the General Counsel who are part of the Diversity & Flexibility Connection, and we started to wonder what has changed with so much focus on retention of women through flexibility. With the Great Recession and cutbacks, more advancement for women in the profession, and a spotlight on diversity, we thought it was time to re-visit the issue of work/life balance for in-house lawyers.

PAR is launching a new research study focusing on work/life issues particular to in-house counsel. We are currently holding focus groups to collect the experiences and opinions of corporate counsel across the country. Results from the focus groups will be used in the development of a large-scale, national survey study.

PAR is seeking sponsors for the Corporate Counsel Project. For more information or to participate in a focus group in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Denver, or Washington DC, please contact us.