Advancing Women in Law Firms

Mentoring

Although it is natural for men to mentor other men, women need mentors just as much as men need mentors. Women associates report less feedback and fewer mentors generally (as well as higher attrition rates) (Keeping the Keepers, NALP Foundation, 2004). Because men make up 80% of the law firm partnerships, women need to be mentored by men. And mentoring appears to be even more important for women than for men. In the NALP Foundation's newest research, a higher number of women achieving law firm partnership were mentored by men than
the men achieving partnership. In addition, women who achieved partnership were much more likely to have received regular feedback
than men who achieved partnership. (Navigating the Bridges to Partner- ship, NALP Foundation, 2007, pp. 38, 45). Considering women are significantly less likely to make partner, there appears to be a strong correlation between having partner mentors and actually making partner.

What does it mean to mentor someone? It means being available ' giving advice and feedback, explaining assignments beyond the black and white questions to be answered, and proactively helping someone plan career goals and next-steps. A law firm that encourages its partners to mentor others by tracking mentoring time, providing mentoring budgets, and talking about mentoring as an important partner duty is more likely to keep people, especially women.

Flexibility

With more 'Generation Xers' in the workforce working along with Millenials (also know as 'Generation Y'), flexibility and career options are more important than ever. In the war for talent, flexible options are key for both men and women. Although flexible options help both genders, they are especially important for women who are often charged with taking care of aging parents and children and for whom it is more acceptable to take time out of the career path.

While many firms 'allow' for flexibility and career options, a firm's unwillingness to 'advertise' those 'benefits' confirms the long-held beliefs that they are available only for the special few ' those superstars too valuable to lose. A widely disseminated policy with living examples of those taking advantage of it is the only way a firm can truly show that it views this option as a business need, not as a perk. As someone who conducts exit interviews, this author can confirm that the departing male associates who are making 'career choices' or 'relocating' are often choosing to switch to a more flexible employer. Senior partners that respond to the question of whether they support telecommuting with, 'Sure, we support telecommuting. I work from home on Saturdays all the time' will miss the boat entirely if they fail to understand this important market-driven need.

Client Development and Succession Planning

Most, if not all, attorneys agree client relationships should be shared in order to institutionalize clients. While issues of client credit certainly still exist at many modern law firms, it only makes sense to have at least two people interfacing with a client to ensure the client is a long-term one despite departures of particular attorneys. While it might seem easier to have junior associates work behind closed doors, everyone benefits by having a 'Second in Command' work with the client. The client has another go-to person to bother at odd hours; the senior partner can take vacations once in a while, and a more junior attorney can start to expand client relationships over a period of time and with a more senior person's guidance. Unfortunately, inclusion in this kind of client relationships happens more often for men.

Many women attorneys have felt left out of client-development opportunities at various times in their careers. Women may be brought in to a client only when a new female Assistant General Counsel or General Counsel is hired. In some cases, women were listed in the pitch books, but then not involved in the work once the engagement began. Women also share anecdotes of golf games to which they were not invited or the pitch about which they heard nothing until their male colleagues started doing the work.

Are women fairly represented on your client teams? If you were to quit and escape to Bali tomorrow, would your client have someone at your firm whom she or he trusts with whom to work? With vast numbers of highly qualified women lawyers, male partners need only remember to get them involved in their key clients, not just the ones with women General Counsels.

Conclusion

These tips are primarily about paying attention. By sharing the 'keys to the kingdom,' law firms are more likely to keep their female talent longer and grow the size of the castle. Staying flexible, keeping your women attorneys involved, and mentoring women have become business necessities ' for all law firm partners.

Jennifer Bluestein is the Director of Professional Development for the Chicago office of Baker & McKenzie LLP. After practicing law at two large law firms, she spent a number of years in consulting working with law firms on diversity and professional development issues before coming to Baker & McKenzie in her current position.

Articles and presentations often address the lack of women partners, specifically women equity partners, in American law firms. The message of these presentations usually includes: 1) demonstrate self-confidence; 2) make sure your ideas are heard so that a man can't steal the credit; 3) hang out with the men to ensure you get mentored by a powerful man; and 4) network constantly to develop your own book of business. The articles and speeches are rarely geared toward the men currently holding most of the power in law firms. This article lays the groundwork for those in power to learn how they can help women lawyers succeed.

From numerous conversations with partners at various law firms, it is clear that men are committed to seeing women succeed. Men don't like to see the firm's investments disappear either. Law firm leaders are hungry for guidance to retain their valuable women attorneys.

Managing partners, practice group chairs, and senior partners can help women have the same chance of succeeding as the men do. First, women need mentors, just as men do. Second, women need flexibility and career choices, just as men do. Third, women need to be involved in building client relationships as part of
succession-planning, just as men do. These three necessities are important for all attorneys; however, when these needs go unmet for women, it has a more negative impact.

Mentoring

Although it is natural for men to mentor other men, women need mentors just as much as men need mentors. Women associates report less feedback and fewer mentors generally (as well as higher attrition rates) (Keeping the Keepers, NALP Foundation, 2004). Because men make up 80% of the law firm partnerships, women need to be mentored by men. And mentoring appears to be even more important for women than for men. In the NALP Foundation's newest research, a higher number of women achieving law firm partnership were mentored by men than
the men achieving partnership. In addition, women who achieved partnership were much more likely to have received regular feedback
than men who achieved partnership. (Navigating the Bridges to Partner- ship, NALP Foundation, 2007, pp. 38, 45). Considering women are significantly less likely to make partner, there appears to be a strong correlation between having partner mentors and actually making partner.

What does it mean to mentor someone? It means being available ' giving advice and feedback, explaining assignments beyond the black and white questions to be answered, and proactively helping someone plan career goals and next-steps. A law firm that encourages its partners to mentor others by tracking mentoring time, providing mentoring budgets, and talking about mentoring as an important partner duty is more likely to keep people, especially women.

Flexibility

With more 'Generation Xers' in the workforce working along with Millenials (also know as 'Generation Y'), flexibility and career options are more important than ever. In the war for talent, flexible options are key for both men and women. Although flexible options help both genders, they are especially important for women who are often charged with taking care of aging parents and children and for whom it is more acceptable to take time out of the career path.

While many firms 'allow' for flexibility and career options, a firm's unwillingness to 'advertise' those 'benefits' confirms the long-held beliefs that they are available only for the special few ' those superstars too valuable to lose. A widely disseminated policy with living examples of those taking advantage of it is the only way a firm can truly show that it views this option as a business need, not as a perk. As someone who conducts exit interviews, this author can confirm that the departing male associates who are making 'career choices' or 'relocating' are often choosing to switch to a more flexible employer. Senior partners that respond to the question of whether they support telecommuting with, 'Sure, we support telecommuting. I work from home on Saturdays all the time' will miss the boat entirely if they fail to understand this important market-driven need.

Client Development and Succession Planning

Most, if not all, attorneys agree client relationships should be shared in order to institutionalize clients. While issues of client credit certainly still exist at many modern law firms, it only makes sense to have at least two people interfacing with a client to ensure the client is a long-term one despite departures of particular attorneys. While it might seem easier to have junior associates work behind closed doors, everyone benefits by having a 'Second in Command' work with the client. The client has another go-to person to bother at odd hours; the senior partner can take vacations once in a while, and a more junior attorney can start to expand client relationships over a period of time and with a more senior person's guidance. Unfortunately, inclusion in this kind of client relationships happens more often for men.

Many women attorneys have felt left out of client-development opportunities at various times in their careers. Women may be brought in to a client only when a new female Assistant General Counsel or General Counsel is hired. In some cases, women were listed in the pitch books, but then not involved in the work once the engagement began. Women also share anecdotes of golf games to which they were not invited or the pitch about which they heard nothing until their male colleagues started doing the work.

Are women fairly represented on your client teams? If you were to quit and escape to Bali tomorrow, would your client have someone at your firm whom she or he trusts with whom to work? With vast numbers of highly qualified women lawyers, male partners need only remember to get them involved in their key clients, not just the ones with women General Counsels.

Conclusion

These tips are primarily about paying attention. By sharing the 'keys to the kingdom,' law firms are more likely to keep their female talent longer and grow the size of the castle. Staying flexible, keeping your women attorneys involved, and mentoring women have become business necessities ' for all law firm partners.

Jennifer Bluestein is the Director of Professional Development for the Chicago office of Baker & McKenzie LLP. After practicing law at two large law firms, she spent a number of years in consulting working with law firms on diversity and professional development issues before coming to Baker & McKenzie in her current position.