I am all for opportunities at law firms for coworkers to bond and make connections over something besides their work. It’s these small, human interactions that can really make the daily slog of law firm life bearable. But for goodness’ sake, when firm leadership tries to facilitate these connections, try not to fall into sexist (or racist or heteronormative or whatever) stereotypes.
Take, for example, this email that was circulated in the Columbus office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister — but only to the women. In the email, partner Jessica Manger — who, in a head-smacking turn is also on the firm’s gender advancement committee — asks the “women of Taft-Columbus” to contribute three recipes each for a firm cookbook, which is described as a “very old tradition” of the firm.
Oof. Everything underpinning this email is old fashioned and built on the notion that women are primarily responsible for cooking. So, let’s break it down — food preparation is not gendered. Men at the firm probably have recipes they could contribute, and some women have no desire to cook and have no recipes to share. It’s really just a retrograde set of assumptions that go into that ask, and it makes you wonder what other stereotypes the powers that be at the firm buy into. As one tipster noted:
What’s next? A swimsuit calendar featuring all the women of Taft, who are required to pose in bikinis?
The good news is the sources at the firm say the idea was quickly shot down by the rest of the women in the Columbus office for reifying these implicit biases. But hopefully this faux pas will be a lesson to Taft — and other firms out there — not to make these sort of unforced errors. Taft has some great policies aimed at gender equality, particularly for parental leave, but this is a bad look for any firm.
You can read the full email below. *Of note, Chester Wilcox and Saxbe is a firm that merged with Taft and comprises a part of the Columbus office.*
We reached out to Taft for comment, and were provided with recent highlights regarding gender advancement and diversity and inclusion initiatives at the firm:
Implicit Bias
To support an environment where diversity and inclusion remain part of the Taft blueprint, we introduced a firm-wide implicit bias training program personally led by nationally-recognized trainer and author Dr. Arin Reeves. The on-site presentations across our offices conducted by Dr. Reeves and her team heightened awareness and instilled ongoing dialogue that have had lasting positive results, helping to interrupt the biases inherent in all of us. Attorneys engaged in an interactive process and openly and authentically discussed issues ranging from gender equality and racial and cultural stereotypes to cultural integration and transformational leadership. We remain committed to continuing and reinforcing our implicit bias training efforts so that we form more inclusive work teams where each Taft team member is positioned to excel.
Taft Leadership
Taft continues to increase the number of women attorneys on Taft’s firm-wide management committees. As of 2019, women make up 37% of Taft’s practice group chairs or co-chairs, 50% of Taft’s executive committee and 45% of Taft’s compensation committee. In 2018, Taft was ranked nationally among the top 10 law firms in the “Inclusion Blueprint” survey, which assessed workplace policies to advance women into leadership positions. The survey was conducted by Diversity Lab, an incubator for diversity and inclusion in the law, and ChIPs, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing and connecting women in technology, law and policy.
One-Class Partnership
At the beginning of 2018, Taft adopted a one-class partnership structure, eliminating the two-tier system (equity and non-equity) that had been in place for more than 25 years. This has opened the door to leadership opportunities for women, attorneys of color, and younger attorneys. It has led to greater transparency and more inclusion. From 2017 to 2019, the percentage of female equity partners at Taft nearly doubled and increased from 12% in 2017 to 20% in 2018 and 23% in 2019. The one-class structure gives all partners a ‘meaningful seat at the table’ with full eligibility for any leadership positions in the firm. Overall, this encourages, energizes and empowers all of our partners, including all of our new or younger partners, to make a positive impact on the future success of Taft.
Thought LeadershipTo ensure a cohesive approach and to keep the momentum strong, Taft’s Gender Advancement Committee hosts a Women’s Symposium for its attorneys each year and features national leaders Debra Esptein Henry, Esq. and Patricia K. Gillette. It provides an opportunity to review national benchmarks; redefine and redesign what makes a law firm great for women; and undertake best practices to attract, retain and advance women at Taft. A highlight of the symposium is recognizing Taft’s trailblazers with the Shattered Glass Award. Recipients have made specific strides toward making Taft more inclusive and have actively pushed Taft to elevate the respect, involvement and leadership opportunities for women attorneys.
Family-Centered Benefits
Taft recently announced a new industry leading parental leave policy for its attorneys. The new policy provides all Taft attorneys with 16 weeks of paid parental leave for birth or adoptive parents. The policy applies regardless of gender, marital status or primary versus non-primary caregiver status.
Last August, Taft adopted two additional family-centered paid benefits: Care@Work, a backup emergency child and adult care service, and Milk Stork, a breast milk storage and overnight shipping and delivery program. The introduction of these family-centered paid benefits supports an overall productive work-life balance and helps eliminate the stress of travel for new mothers.
By introducing these new family-centered services as paid benefits, Taft demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a productive work-life balance.
Gender Advancement Committee
Taft’s Gender Advancement Committee, led by me and Partner Tracy Betz, was created to continue the development, retention and promotion of women attorneys within Taft, the legal profession and the community. The Gender Advancement Committee and Taft attorneys host conferences and workshops and participate as speakers at industry events, putting our women’s initiatives at the forefront of our efforts and creating a lasting impact on the culture of our firm.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).