Spotlight on Flex – Julia Markley

The Spotlight on Flex showcases professionals from member organizations who exemplify personal and professional success while working a flexible schedule. Their stories illustrate the long-term benefits that flexible schedules offer to both individuals and organizations.

This month, we are pleased to share insights from Julia Markley, Partner in the Portland office of Perkins Coie LLP. Ms. Markley is a 2014 Flex Success™ Award Honoree.

Julia MarkleyDiversity & Flexibility Alliance: How have you made work-life control a priority and a success with your schedule? How has your client contributed to this?

Julia Markley: I’ve adapted my schedule to fit the needs and responsibilities of the different stages of my career. I was a mid level/senior associate and had my first child when I started a reduced hours schedule with four days in the office and one day out. I was of counsel and a junior partner when I had my second child, and I recognized that this schedule was not working for me anymore. I switched back to five days in the office with a remote touch on emails and availability due to higher work demands.

My client, Laura Proctor, Associate General Counsel of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, has played a significant role in the success of my professional development and making my flexible schedule work.  She is always very respectful and supportive by scheduling meetings during regular business hours even though we are on different coasts, and she always makes it clear that unless it’s a true emergency her matters can be handled within a reasonable time frame.  I am very proud and grateful for my long-term relationship with Laura and the company.

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Action Step – Flexibility & Diversity: Twin Pillars of Legal Talent Management

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

FLEXIBILITY & DIVERSITY: TWIN PILLARS OF LEGAL TALENT MANAGEMENT

Diversity and flexibility often are thought of as separate solutions that address separate problems. Traditionally, diversity has been thought of as increasing the headcount of underrepresented groups and flexibility has been thought of as a way to retain women lawyers once they become mothers. More modern thinking has broadened our understanding and our approaches to solving the problems of under-representation and unwanted attrition: “inclusion” is now established as the way to enable lawyers in all groups to achieve professional success and “work-life control” is the way to retain good lawyers regardless of gender, ethnicity, or life circumstance to achieve professional success. Despite the obvious overlap, we still overlook the strong connection between these two disciplines, and we deprive ourselves from useful tools to advance… Read more

Action Step – Using Diversity & Inclusion Tools in Work/Life Programs

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

USING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION TOOLS IN WORK LIFE PROGRAMS

Tools commonly used to increase diversity and inclusion can also be used to strengthen work/life programs. Some examples are:

  1. Awareness Training: Legal employers often provide training about bias, including in-group favoritism and micro-aggressions, as part of their diversity and inclusion initiatives. Similar bias can also undermine work/life programs, and awareness training is a key step toward eliminating it…

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Holland & Hart’s New Chair Shatters the Flex Ceiling

WASHINGTON, DC, February 20, 2014 — Building on the momentum of the Flex Success™ Award, the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”) is awarding its inaugural Flex Leader Award to recognize a General Counsel or Chair of a law firm who is moving his or her organization toward a more inclusive workplace through flexibility. Research shows that when we hear the word “leader,” we picture a man. Although this bias slows the advancement of women, more women are leading institutions, corporations, and law firms today than ever before. This year’s honoree, Liz Sharrer, Chair of Holland & Hart LLP, is a pioneer that embodies every aspect of what the Award seeks to recognize and is shattering biases by advocating for the opportunities to work a reduced hours or a flex schedule while being a highly integrated member of a major law firm. Read more

Flex Partners Who Inspire

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance Announces the 2014 Flex Success™ Honorees

WASHINGTON, DC, February 18, 2014 — To make partner in a law firm is an amazing accomplishment; to make partner while working a reduced hours schedule is inspirational. The 2014 Flex Success™ Award Honorees prove that working a reduced hours schedule in the law does not preclude incredible professional success. Each year, the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”) recognizes a partner working a reduced hours schedule and the client that is integral to making workplace flexibility a reality. The Alliance is pleased to announce the two attorney/client honorees for 2014: Julia E. Markley of Perkins Coie LLP (Portland, OR) and her client, Laura E. Proctor, Associate General Counsel of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation; and Victoria Lee of DLA Piper (Silicon Valley, CA) and her client Karen M. McGee, General Counsel and Privacy Officer at ID Analytics, Inc. Read more

Leveraging Social Capital

February 2014

Featuring — Robert Nelson, Director, American Bar Foundation and Ellen Ostrow, Founding Principal, Lawyers Life Coach LLP

Social capital is not just your network; it’s the by-product of your efforts to contribute to the success of others.  In general, majority groups tend to have more social capital due to the ease of developing networks, while women and diverse attorneys are often excluded from these powerful circles.

Robert and Ellen will highlight ways women and diverse attorneys can strategically forge relationships with powerful allies via reciprocity and social capital and provide the latest research on how attorneys in the minority are (or are not) leveraging their social capital and the statistical effects of this on the legal profession.

Action Step – Five Mistakes Supervisors Make When Evaluating Flexible Schedule Associates

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

FIVE MISTAKES SUPERVISORS MAKE WHEN EVALUATING FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE ASSOCIATES

Nearly invisible and yet very powerful, flexibility stigma can infiltrate associate evaluations and undermine even the best flexible work program. Here are five mistakes supervisors make when evaluating associates who work flexibly – and how to fix them… Read more

Action Step – Assign Work Equitably

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

ASSIGN WORK EQUITABLY

Assignments are a key component to determining a lawyer’s success. They provide training, experience, client contact, and the opportunity to work with senior attorneys. They engage a lawyer and make him/her feel involved in working toward a meaningful goal. Lawyers measure their progress and advancement against their peers by comparing: assignments; working for more prestigious clients; working with respected senior lawyers; and how much responsibility they have on matters. Read more