Action Steps

 

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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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

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 – Flexible Flexibility: Individually-Tailored Schedules

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.

FLEXIBLE FLEXIBILITY: INDIVIDUALLY-TAILORED SCHEDULES

Flexibility is a two-way street. To be effective, flexible work programs have to provide what lawyers want and meet the needs of the organization and clients. The legal profession is a service-driven one; accordingly, outlining expectations for a flex lawyer’s availability when client emergencies arise is critical to the viability of the organization. Flexible flexibility is good. Well conceived written policies that provide flexible flexibility are even better… Read more

Action Step – Five Essential Characteristics of an Effective Written Flexible Work 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.

FIVE ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE WRITTEN FLEXIBLE WORK POLICY

A written flex policy has clear benefits. It gives the employer control over the terms of the program and guidelines for managing it. It also encourages lawyers to use the policy to curb unwanted attrition, and thereby reducing flexibility stigma. Here are five essential characteristics of an effective written flex policy to consider:

  1. The policy should be designed by the organization
  2. The policy should allow attorneys to create a schedule that fits their needs…

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Action Step – Hire A Flexible Work Coordinator

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.

HIRE A FLEXIBLE WORK COORDINATOR

Most Alliance member firms have flexible work coordinators. They play an essential role in the success of flexible work programs. Here are some of the things flexible work coordinators can do for firms:

  1. Oversee the schedules, assignments, evaluations, and promotions of the lawyers who are working flexibly, monitoring them for reasonable compliance with the agreement between the lawyers and the firm;
  1. Work with lawyers who want to make a proposal for flexible work, helping them to think through various schedule options, anticipate client needs, and suggest necessary workload adjustments…

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Action Step – Best Practices for Negotiating Your Flexible Schedule

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.

BEST PRACTICES FOR NEGOTIATING YOUR FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

  1. Prepare: Define what you need and get the facts
  2. Develop the business case and create a road map
  3. Anticipate objections and plan alternatives
  4. Get in the right mind frame
  5. Make your presentation
  6. Plan your next steps…

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Action Step – Take A Picture of the Glass Ceiling at Your Firm

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.

TAKE A PICTURE OF THE GLASS CEILING AT YOUR FIRM

One of the greatest challenges for law firms is to identify their glass ceilings. (For some firms, of course, the greatest challenge is admitting that they have a glass ceiling, but the low numbers of women in the upper levels of leadership at most firms are hard to deny.) By determining the location and parameters of the obstacles to women’s advancement, firms can target their efforts and make better progress toward gender equity. Here are ways to get a handle on where the obstacles for women exist in your firm:

  1. Slice and dice the number of women in every sector of the firm for the last several years…

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