Action Steps

 

Action Step – Asking the Right Questions:Surveying Your Outside Counsel About Diversity & Flexibility

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.

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS:
SURVEYING YOUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL ABOUT DIVERSITY & FLEXIBILITY

It has been said that “what gets measured, gets done.” For corporate law departments that understand the value a diverse team brings to solving complex problems, surveying outside counsel about diversity is a powerful tool for securing the best talent on their matters. Given the connection between attorney control over when, where, and how they work and retaining top, diverse talent, the surveys must have key elements, including questions about flexible work in order to have the most impact. Here are a few more principal considerations and features of a well-crafted diversity survey…

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Action Step – Recruit Men With Flexible Work

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.

RECRUIT MEN WITH FLEXIBLE WORK

Law students talk to each other about their law firm interview experiences: what they were asked; what insights they gained into the firm; and what the firm seems to be looking for. As they compare notes, a pattern might emerge; some employers tell female recruits – but not male recruits – about the firm’s flexible work programs. Female recruits often express disbelief, and some take offense at the assumptions the firm is making about them. However, they aren’t the only ones. Male recruits have also been put off by the assumptions firm’s make about them and their interests… Read more

Action Step – Hold Your Partners Accountable for Supporting Flexible Lawyers

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.

HOLD YOUR PARTNERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SUPPORTING FLEXIBLE LAWYERS

No matter how carefully crafted, a flexible work program will fail unless the firm’s partners make it work on a daily basis. Partners control lawyers’ assignments, opportunities, access to information, evaluations, compensation, and promotion – which means they can undo even the best flexible work program through bias, inattention, or worse, in how they treat lawyers who work flexible schedules. It is essential that partners be invested in making flexibility work… Read more

Action Step – Tips for Starting an On-Ramping Program at Your Organization

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.

TIPS FOR STARTING AN ON-RAMPING PROGRAM AT YOUR ORGANIZATION

On-Ramping is one of the best ways to retain talented lawyers. It’s also inexpensive, measurably effective, and gaining in usage among law firms of all sizes. An on-ramping program eases lawyers’ transition back to work after medical/family leave with the option of working reduced hours for a limited period of time without having to apply or request permission. More importantly, returning attorneys are given support to make sure they can successfully ramp back up to their full practice levels… Read more

Action Step – Working Outside the Box: Tips for Establishing A Telecommuting Policy

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.

WORKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: TIPS FOR ESTABLISHING A TELECOMMUTING POLICY

Telecommuting is an important part of holistic flexibility and can be considered “low-hanging fruit” if your firm is looking for ways to build its flexibility program. While many firms may allow their attorneys to telecommute informally, establishing a formal telecommuting policy is important for the following reasons:

  1. Consistency
  2. Setting Expectations
  3. Credit
  4. Helps Set Firm Culture
  5. Technology…

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Action Step – Pushing Back on Schedule Creep

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.

PUSHING BACK ON SCHEDULE CREEP

We all know what schedule creep is: the tendency of reduced hours to creep back up to full-time levels while pay remains decreased. It starts for several reasons: unavoidable client demands; court-ordered deadlines; accepting too much work; senior lawyers who are unaware of junior lawyers’ schedules; and possibly senior lawyers who are passive-aggressively expressing their distaste for reduced hours. When it happens over a sustained period of time, it undermines a lawyer’s reduced hours agreement and can damage the effectiveness of the flexible work program itself. Fortunately, there are solutions… Read more

Action Step – Making Business Development A Priority for Flex or Reduced Hours Attorneys

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.

MAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT A PRIORITY FOR FLEX OR REDUCED HOURS ATTORNEYS

The failure to develop business is a disastrous mistake. Having a book of business can counteract virtually all of the perceived negative effects of working flexibly. Consider the following:

  1. Income from origination credits offsets income lost when fewer hours are billed;
  1. Pro-active business development undercuts the notion that a flexible or reduced hours lawyer is not committed to the job or firm;
  1. Having your own clients makes it easier to control your schedule and avoid scheduling conflicts…

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Action Step – Connecting Work-Life Control Tools to Diversity, Inclusion & Recruitment

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.

CONNECTING WORK-LIFE CONTROL TOOLS TO DIVERSITY, INCLUSION & RECRUITMENT

Tools commonly used to make flexible working programs more effective and less stigmatized can also be used to strengthen diversity and inclusion programs. Flexibility can be used as a recruitment and retention tool, but employers need to continue to work towards eliminating flexibility stigma… Read more

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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