Posted by on Friday, February 28, 2014
Welcome to this week’s Diversity Dish and Happy Friday! This week we our focusing on gender issues with a couple of interesting news stories. First up is a piece from the Washington Post on how BigLaw is failing female lawyers. Then we have some news from the National Association of Women Lawyers on their survey of female retention and promotion of women in law firms. Finally we have an exciting announcement about a great conference that all of you interested in diversity issues should attend! Enjoy this week’s Diversity Dish, stay warm and if you aren’t already, follow us on Twitter @CourtneyDredden.
2.18.14 Selena Rezvani wrote about some of the most troubling aspects of women’s status within large law firms in her story in The Washington Post. She noted all the commonly known statistics – how even though women enter law schools at rates equal to or greater than men, the drop out of the profession at a much more rapid rate and are virtually nonexistent at the highest levels of leadership within BigLaw. Rezvani nails it when she says: “You can draft as many pro-employee policies as you like, but unless women are co-creators in the firm’s strategy, they will not shape the culture. Women must hold positions?I’d argue half of them?on the influential, high-ranking committees that make everyday decisions.” This is a point that is well taken, but the trouble lies in how exactly to get there. There are numerous success stories within BigLaw, but they are the exception, rather than the rule.
2.25.14 The National Association of Women Lawyers has released its Eighth Annual Survey on Retention and Promotion of Female Lawyers. The survey results, like the Washington Post story, confirm some of the data and statistics we are already familiar with but also included some interesting information. Survey results included that law firms view womens’ “perceived lack of business development and high rate of attrition as the two primary reasons why the number of women equity partners has not been increasing.” The survey also revealed that the vast majority of firms are not doing succession planning, which means that using that as a method of increasing diversity is failing. The survey contains much more interesting information than we can share here so we strongly encourage you to go check it out for yourself.
2.14 Finally, registration for NALP’s Diversity and Inclusion Summit (cosponsored by ALFDP) is now open! This important summit will be discussing many of the issues we’ve highlighted here on the Diversity Dish, including:
· What is social isolation among diverse lawyers and can it be measured?
· How is corporate America managing its diversity efforts?
· How can we be culturally competent in our rapidly changing world?
· What is the role of talent management in diversity?
· How can coaching skills assist you in dealing with the changing roles in law firms?
· Generational differences, women’s issues, and much more.
This is a must attend event and it’s in a great city – Chicago. Click here for more information and I hope to see you in Chicago in June!
