Gender

Yale Law Women Anoint Top Ten Family-Friendly Firms

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If you side with those who think baby-making is a good option these days, you’ll read this post with special interest. The Bulldogs have named the top ten pup-friendly Biglaw firms.
Here are the best firms for the family-minded according to the Yale Law Women:

Arnold & Porter
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Covington & Burling
Jenner & Block
Katten Muchin Rosenman
Mayer Brown
Munger, Tolles & Olson
Patton Boggs
Sidley Austin
WilmerHale

Earlier this month, Working Mother named the 50 Best Law Firms for Women. Covington, Jenner, Katten, Munger, Sidley and WilmerHale have bragging rights for making their way onto both lists.
So what are the stats at these firms that earned them this distinction? Hint: Granting more than three months of maternity leave is a good start.


The Yale Law Women have a nice round-up of the averages at these firms when it comes to promotions, amount of leave, and part-time options. Here are some of the categories:

  • On average, 16% of partners were women; of partners promoted in 2008, 23% were women
  • On average, women receive 15 weeks parental leave, compared to 6 weeks for men
  • 92% of mothers used the maximum parental leave offered, compared to 55% of fathers

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  • 55% of female attorneys received bonuses in 2008, while 45% of male attorneys did
  • Average percentage of full-time attorneys who received bonuses in 2008: 46%
  • 46% of full-time attorneys received bonuses in 2008, while 59% of part-time attorneys received bonuses
    Find more at the Yale Law Women website, and see the press release below.
    PRESS RELEASE
    Yale Law Women (YLW) has announced its fourth annual Top Ten Family Friendly Firms List. The 2009 Top Ten Firms, in alphabetical order, are:
    Arnold & Porter
    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
    Covington & Burling
    Jenner & Block
    Katten Muchin Rosenman
    Mayer Brown
    Munger, Tolles & Olson
    Patton Boggs
    Sidley Austin
    WilmerHale
    “The Top Ten List, and any discussion of family friendly policies, is even more salient in this recession than in previous years,” said Yale Law Women Chair, Noorain Khan. “We hope firms will take advantage of the current market shift to create new opportunities for flexible work arrangements and work-life balance.”
    “We congratulate these Top Ten Firms, which are taking the lead in this area, especially in tough economic times,” said Lauren Gerber, Top Ten List Co-Chair. “However, our survey demonstrated that a significant gender disparity remains in how family friendly policies are designed and used in practice. Additionally, women continue to lag behind men in attaining partnership and leadership positions, indicating that firms still do not accommodate attorneys acting as primary caregivers.”
    “We believe that the desire to maintain a challenging and engaging career while spending meaningful time with one’s family is and should be a gender neutral issue,” said Emily Oldshue, Top Ten List Co-Chair. “As the legal profession, and large law firms in particular, strives to meet new expectations and economic imperatives, we hope to see firms taking steps to retain and engage the top talent they have spent such valuable resources to recruit and train. The adoption and promotion of gender neutral leave and flex-time policies are an important component of this evolving vision.”
    Selected statistics from the 2009 survey include the following:
    · On average, 16% of partners were women; of partners promoted in 2008, 23% were women
    · On average, women receive 15 weeks parental leave, compared to 6 weeks for men
    · 92% of mothers used the maximum parental leave offered, compared to 55% of fathers
    · 99% of requests for part-time work were granted
    · 7% of attorneys work part-time, on average, of whom 12% are partners, and 81% are women
    · 91% of firms make their part-time attorneys eligible for bonuses; 59% of part-time attorneys received bonuses in 2008, compared to 46% of full-time attorneys
    Additional statistics, innovative practices, survey methodology, and a summary report can be found at www.yale.edu/ylw.

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