Small Law Firms

Firm Offering Unlimited Parental Leave For All Parents

An elite boutique is turning over parental leave to the associates themselves.

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Parental leave policies are increasingly improving across the legal landscape, with firms realizing that attorneys will demand better treatment from their employers when it comes to caring for their families. Well… most firms.

Firms have expanded leave to all genders. They’ve expanded beyond primary caregivers. They’ve extended the paid and unpaid periods. Everyone’s pitching in to bring family leave policies to a new, more humane level.

At Susman Godfrey, the new wrinkle is that this policy is now unlimited.

Susman Godfrey LLP announced today that it would immediately expand its parental leave policy for associates, offering unlimited paid parental leave to new parents, regardless of gender or caregiver status. During whatever parental leave period an associate chooses to take, his or her hours will be annualized for year-end bonus purposes, for up to 12 weeks for any associate and up to 18 weeks for delivering mothers. This policy change follows the firm’s announcement in 2015 of an unlimited paid vacation policy for associates.

While this is, to some extent, the logical extension of the firm’s unlimited vacation policy, it’s a welcome addition to the benefits package. And it’s good business too. A firm like Susman that recruits Supreme Court clerks on the reg can’t afford to let top-notch talent take unpaid leave and reconsider their options. Susman can afford to let an elite associate take some extra time off to ensure they come back to the same desk when all is said and done.

Amanda Bonn, a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office, added: “The firm’s expanded and gender-neutral parental leave policy is part of our ongoing effort to foster an equitable and inclusive workplace, one that recognizes the importance of parental bonding time to all attorneys, regardless of gender or caregiver status.”

The proper period of time a parent and a child need varies from case to case and while extending leave periods help approximate what families need, they’ll never hit it perfectly. The wise course is to take the firm’s hand off the wheel and let trusted professionals judge for themselves. Congratulations to all the Susman Godfrey associates and, perhaps more importantly, all the Susman grandassociates.

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Earlier: Biglaw Firm Impresses Associates (And Staff) With Enhanced Parental Leave Policy
Biglaw Firm Gets With The Times And Makes Big Changes To Parental Leave Policy
Biglaw Firm Updates Parental Leave Policy To Address Unique Challenges New Parents Face

HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

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