Biglaw Firm Makes Big Waves With Gender-Neutral Parental Leave Policy

Wow! The babies of Biglaw attorneys extend their thanks.

lawyer holding babyIt was just last year that we updated our Biglaw parental leave database, and it was then that we found out that on average, women lawyers receive 14.33 weeks of paid maternity leave, while male lawyers receive 6.3 weeks of paid paternity leave, less than half of what their female counterparts receive. Upon seeing how great the discrepancy was, and later finding out that male attorneys were being stigmatized for taking parental leave time, we implored large law firms to do better, writing, “[B]elieve it or not, men have families too, and some of them are interested in being present in their children’s lives. Give these guys some credit for taking an active role as parents.” Unfortunately, based on reader testimonials, it appears that not much has changed for male attorneys in large law firms since then — until now.

We’ve received word that Winston & Strawn will be instituting a lengthy, paid, gender-neutral parental leave policy. By “gender-neutral,” the firm means that it has eliminated the need for attorneys to identify themselves as a “primary caregiver” to reap the generous benefits and rewards being offered. Winston & Strawn may be the first Biglaw firm to strip this language from its parental leave offerings, making it an innovator. (If your firm has a similar policy that we don’t know about, please let us know via email.)

This policy is applicable to all associates and of counsel attorneys across all offices, and is effective immediately, including for those who are already on leave. Here’s more information about Winston & Strawn’s new policies from the firm’s press release:

Under the new policy, U.S.-based associates and of counsel attorneys – regardless of gender – will receive up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave for child care and parent-child bonding, to be taken in one or two increments within the first year after the child arrives. Parents are not required to designate themselves as primary or non-primary caregivers—a distinction that may not reflect the needs and experience of individuals in two-career households.

The firm has also created a Parental Leave Transition Support Program to assist attorneys who take a parental leave. The program includes: 1) a Parental Leave Liaison to assist attorneys in preparing for and returning from parental leave, 2) confidential career coaching services, and 3) “ramp-down” and “ramp-up” periods during which an attorney’s billable hours targets will be adjusted to aid in the transition.

“These changes are ultimately about human capital,” says Julie Goodman, Winston’s chief human resources officer. “We want to attract and retain the most talented people and promote their success for the long term, regardless of gender.” Offering a gender-neutral leave policy like this without later penalizing attorneys for taking that leave is definitely a way to attract and retain top talent among large law firms.

What is your law firm doing to promote gender equity in parental leave policies? Please let us know so we can update our database. You can email us, text us at (646) 820-8477, or tweet us @atlblog. Congratulations to Winston & Strawn for taking a leap into the future with this new policy. The babies of Biglaw attorneys extend their thanks.

Winston & Strawn Announces Gender-Neutral Parental Leave Policies [Winston & Strawn]

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Earlier: The Pink Ghetto: Paternity Leave Horror Stories From Dads Working In Law Firms
Which Biglaw Firm Has The Best Parental Leave Policy?


Staci Zaretsky is an editor at Above the Law. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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