This blog has posted several entries over the last few months, and even this morning, about law firms updating their parental leave policies. That’s a great trend in the industry, but there’s probably not an associate pirate out there who doesn’t still get at least a call a week from associates who want to go part-time, but just don’t feel comfortable asking their firms.
So today’s ATL / Lateral Link survey explores both the substance and the accessibility of your firm’s policies.
Update: This survey is now closed. Click here, here, here, and here for the results.
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Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this survey.
Pregnancy / Paternity
Biglaw is becoming kinder and gentler. The number of large law firms enhancing their parental leave policies continues to grow. The latest to join the club: Debevoise & Plimpton.
From a (male) tipster:
18 weeks. Not bad. Of course, since I’m unlikely to give birth to a child anytime soon, I’ll have to be satisfied with 10 weeks.
Also, what’s with this “primary childcare giver” business? Of the new parents I’ve known, the first few months seemed like one needed at least two primary childcare givers, if not more. Eh, I doubt D&P will be sending auditors into associates’ homes to check who bills the most hours with the baby.
The email announcing Debevoise’s policy, plus a list of firms that have recently enhanced their parental leave policies, after the jump.
Continue reading “Biglaw Perk Watch: Debevoise & Plimpton to 18 Weeks”
- Alston & Bird, Arnold & Porter, Biglaw, Bingham McCutchen, Nixon Peabody, Perkins Coie, Perks / Fringe Benefits, Pregnancy / Paternity, Rankings
Everyone’s a Winner at These Five Law Firms
By David LatCongratulations to this quintet of five law firms, which just made Fortune magazine’s annual list of the 100 Best Companies To Work For (listed below in rank order):
19. Arnold & Porter: “Staffers get 12 weeks paid maternity leave and profit sharing of 7.5% of salary. The less you make, the less you pay for health-insurance premiums.”
Actually, a correction: 18 weeks (as of January 1, 2008).
31. Alston & Bird: “Both the legal and nonlegal staff get super benefits, including 90 days of paid maternity leave, coverage of fertility treatments, and concierge services.”
Concierge services? Fabulous. Atlantans, stop yer whining!
41. Bingham McCutchen: “They’re proud of their elite grads: 72 from nearby Harvard Law, 24 from Yale, and 20 from Stanford. They all start at $160,000 a year.”
55. Perkins Coie: “They value fun at this law firm. At 2007′s Lawyerpalooza battle of the bands, the Perkins Coie rock & rollers brought down the house (and took home the top prize).”
See also Nixon Peabody: “Fun is not prohibited here.” Speaking of which…
66. Nixon Peabody: “The law firm excels on policies for GLBT employees (a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign); it targets 3% of billable hours annually for pro bono work.”
Please send us any theme songs that are composed to commemorate these honors. Thank you.
100 Best Companies To Work For (2008) [Fortune]
Earlier: Bingham McCutchen: Land of the Amazons?
- Arnold & Porter, Biglaw, Breasts, Davis Polk, Food, Kids, Perks / Fringe Benefits, Pregnancy / Paternity, Simpson Thacher
Biglaw Perk Watch: Good News for Parents, from Davis Polk and Arnold & Porter
By David LatSometimes we wish we had the breastses. Then we could enjoy the luxurious lactation room at Davis Polk & Wardwell.
Back in this post, we wrote about the lactation room at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. We’re sure it’s plenty nice. But we doubt it’s as snazzy as what the competition on the other side of Lexington Avenue is offering.
Check out this Davis Polk email, which went out late last year (exclamation mark in the original):
From: **** On Behalf Of Associate Development
To: all.lawyers.ny
Subject: Nursing RoomWe are pleased to announce that the firm now has a private nursing room!
Located on the 10th floor, this cozy room is equipped with brand-new furniture, including a comfortable chair and end table, refrigerator, and reading materials of interest to new mothers. Access to the secure room is available through the Security Desk. A small sign on the outside of the door indicates when the room is occupied.
We hope that this amenity will provide returning mothers who wish to continue nursing their babies additional support during this important transition. Your privacy and comfort are our priority.
Please do not hesitate to contact [xxxx] or any member of the Associate Development Department if you have any questions. Thank you and congratulations to all of our new DPW Parents.
We’re curious about the “reading materials of interest to new mothers” at DPW. Draft asset purchase agreements? SEC proxy filings?
Meanwhile, in other happy news for parents, Arnold & Porter has jumped on the improved parental leave bandwagon. Following the recent trend, which we’ve been following in these pages, they’ve increased the paid leave they provide to women who give birth or primary caregivers of a newly adopted child. It used to be 12 weeks; now it’s 18 weeks, which appears to be the “market” rate these days.
Transmittal email, plus A&P’s full leave policy, after the jump.
Earlier: Biglaw Perk Watch: Lactation Rooms
Continue reading “Biglaw Perk Watch: Good News for Parents, from Davis Polk and Arnold & Porter”
We’ve previously reported on improved parental leave policies at Latham & Watkins, Davis Polk, and Simpson Thacher. We predicted that “with respect to maternity leave for birth mothers, 18 weeks will become the new ‘market rate.’”
Perhaps it already is. Tipsters have written in to advise us that Sullivan & Cromwell and Weil Gosthal & Manges went to 18 weeks some time ago — S&C back in August, and Weil in September.
For anyone who is interested, more details appear after the jump.
Continue reading “Biglaw Perk Watch: S&C and Weil Also Up Parental Leave”
Earlier today, we alluded to a significant revamping of parental leave policy at Latham & Watkins. Now we’re happy to bring you the details.
Under the earlier version of LW’s Parental Care Leave policy, associates were entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave and up to four weeks of paternity leave. Today the firm announced a significant expansion of its Parental Care Leave, at full base salary, which reflects its support for associates who are balancing the responsibilities of parenthood with a legal career.
Effective today, December 12, Latham’s Parental Care Leave policy provides:
* 18 weeks for birth mothers who are primary caregivers
* 18 weeks for adoptive parents who primary caregivers
* 10 weeks for other primary caregivers
* 4 weeks for non-primary caregivers (both birth and adoptive parents)
In addition, the firm is introducing a new “Pace Reduction Option for Returning Associates To Adjust” Program. This program automatically gives associates the option of returning on a reduced pace schedule, for six months, without seeking prior approval. It’s designed to help new parents transition back to work after their Parental Care Leave, without the immediate pressures of a full-time billable hours requirement.
This is a great move, which hopefully other firms will emulate. We commend Latham & Watkins for its commitment to lawyers who are balancing the rigors of Biglaw life with the demands of parenthood.
P.S. Are we witnessing the start of a trend in the direction of improved maternity and paternity leave policies? Back in August, as we reported in these pages, Simpson Thacher raised maternity leave to 18 weeks.
A tipster drew our attention to this Craigslist posting, to which he appended a single line of commentary: “Discriminatory? Ha Ha.”
It seems that only the title of the posting implicates motherhood. The main body of the listing refers to the candidate as “he or she,” and the job responsibilities do not require a maternal figure. E.g., breastfeeding the CEO is not required.
Moms Wanted – General Counsel, Part time/flexible hours (Midtown East) [craigslist]
We recently started a discussion about maternity leave policies at large law firms. Shortly thereafter, one such firm — Simpson Thacher & Bartlett — made changes to its maternity leave policy.
From a tipster (and confirmed for us by James Cross, co-chair of the firm’s personnel committee):
Simpson just announced a 50% increase in the paid time off for maternity leave (increased from the standard 12 weeks paid to 18 weeks paid portion of the 6 month maternity leave policy) in addition to other family/work/life balance benefits. I know it’s not as exciting and sexy as salary increases, but as quite a few of us women are associates these days, this would make a significant difference to me when selecting a law firm.
Also, since we started the last bump in raises, it may cause a ripple effect in the benefits arena across true top tier law firms. Perhaps even a pre-cursor to another salary bump.
Very nice! We applaud Simpson for taking this step, and encourage other large law firms to follow suit.
Update: On the subject of paternity leave, an STB source tells us: “As far as I know it’s consistent with what is posted on our website for recruiting: 4 weeks paid (and 12 weeks unpaid) paternity leave. I do not believe this has changed.”
Earlier: Biglaw Perk Watch: Maternity Leave and Paternity Leave
Despite all the Biglaw bitching from unhappy associates, it’s generally agreed that the perks of law firm life are pretty sweet.
We continue our series of posts on the fringe benefits of Biglaw. From a reader:
How about a post on (paid) maternity/paternity leave and part-time schedule policies?
We already did a post on part-time policies. But we’re happy to dedicate this post to discussion of maternity and paternity leave policies.
This idea was seconded by another reader (albeit with reservations):
Eventually you may want to get into maternity/paternity leave policies, but I think the comments on that one may be a little out of control.
We’re guessing this reader was alluding to past commenter infighting, on the subject of parenting responsibilities and high-powered legal careers. See, e.g., the child care post and the part-time status post.
Vigorous debate is great. But this time around, please try to keep things civil. Thanks.
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