Press Releases

 

Thirty-Seven Percent of New Law Firm Partners Are Women; Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s Report Finds Steady Increase

Metrics Crucial to Continued Progress

WASHINGTON, DC, November 3, 2016 — The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance announced today that the percentage of women promoted to partnership in 2016 in the U.S. offices of many of the nation’s largest law firms has reached a five-year high of 37.3 percent. This number has steadily increased from 33 percent in 2012, aside from a one-year dip to 32 percent in 2014, and is up nearly 3 percentage points from 34.4 percent last year. The Alliance’s 2016 New Partner Report noted that Diversity & Flexibility Alliance member firms continued to outpace the national average with 38.3 percent of attorneys promoted to partnership being women.

“While law firms still have a long way to go before women have an equal place in leadership, we are seeing some positive trends in the overall percentage of women being promoted to partnership in 2016,” said Manar Morales, President and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “It is imperative that firms support and develop female talent by providing them opportunities to advance their careers, and creating an inclusive culture where women can advance to leadership positions,” she added. “We believe that it is crucial that we monitor and report this data so that our members and others in the industry are aware of the progress made and continue to explore opportunities that advance women in the profession. We are extremely proud that our member firms understand these opportunities and continue to outpace the national average for promoting women to partner.” Read more

Major Law Firms Urged to Participate in Flexibility Benchmarking Survey

Flexible Work Key to Meeting Needs of Future Employees & Evolution of Legal Industry

WASHINGTON, DC, July 28, 2016 — The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is urging all major U.S. law firms to participate in its third annual Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Survey, which is open for participation through September 12, 2016. The survey provides major U.S. law firms with the opportunity to track the availability, usage, and support of their flexible work programs. A touchstone on the current state of flexibility in the industry, this survey has the market distinction of examining holistic flexible work usage including reduced hours schedules, telecommuting, flexible start/end times, annualized hours and/or job sharing by attorney position, gender, race, and sexual orientation in a way that protects the confidentiality of participants and does not result in a ranked list.

“Law firms that participate in our survey will receive invaluable information and insights into the effectiveness of their flexible work policies, the biases that may be present in their firm and how they stack up against the rest of the industry,” said Manar Morales, President and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “Since flexibility is an important talent recruitment and retention tool, firms must evolve and seriously consider whether their flexible work policies are meeting the needs of their current and future employees,” she added.

All survey participants will receive the full 2016 Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Survey Report, featuring findings from the aggregated survey results. The Executive Summary for the 2015 Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Survey Report is available on the Research page of the Alliance’s website. All responses are kept confidential and the report will only include aggregate data. Individualized benchmarking reports, which include customized recommendations, are available for purchase by participant firms.

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Davis Wright Tremaine Partners Recognized For Remarkable Success While Working Flexible Schedules

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance to Present 2016 Flex Success™ Awards at Annual Conference

WASHINGTON, DC: March 7, 2016 – The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance has announced its 2016 Flex Success™ Award Honorees, Jenna Mooney and Danielle Frappier, both Partners at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and their clients, Joe Mattoon, Chief Legal Officer, CLEAResult Consulting Inc., and Steven Fenker, President, Nexus Communications, Inc., respectively. The awards, which will be presented at the Alliance’s Annual Conference, recognize partners at member organizations who are currently on a reduced hours schedule and a client that has been integral to making workplace flexibility a reality and a success. Read more

J. Stephen Poor Recognized As An Innovative Trailblazer In Workplace Flexibility

Chairman of Seyfarth Shaw is the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s 2016 Flex Leader Honoree

WASHINGTON, DC: February 23, 2016 – The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance announced today that J. Stephen Poor, Chairman of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, will be its 2016 Flex Leader Award Honoree.  The award, which will be presented at the Alliance’s Annual Conference on March 16, 2016, is given to a General Counsel or law firm Chair who promotes a more diverse and inclusive workplace through holistic flexibility.

Mr. Poor is being recognized for his demonstrated leadership, dedication and tireless efforts to ensuring that flexibility policies at Seyfarth Shaw are a part of the firm’s culture. “Steve truly understands the importance of incorporating flexible work policies into the culture of his firm as a valuable business component as well as a key talent retention tool,” said Manar Morales, President and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “Steve is a trailblazer in the field and demonstrates true leadership from the top to ensure that all of his offices understand and embrace the importance of diversity and flexibility,” she added. Read more

New Survey Shows Promising Trends in Law Firms’ Commitment To Flexible Work Schedules

WASHINGTON, DC: February 9, 2016 – A new report released by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”) shows an uptick in the share of law firms that have formalized flexible work policies.  The Alliance’s 2015 Flexibility Benchmarking Survey Report reveals that virtually all – 92 percent – of participating firms have formal, written flexible work policies that include one or more of the following: reduced hours schedules, telecommuting, flexible start/end times, annualized hours, or job sharing. Reduced hour schedules are the most common offered and used type of flexibility, with reduced hours lawyers making up just over eight percent of lawyers at participant firms with a reduced hours policy. This statistic tracks the 2014 survey results. Read more

Share of Women Among New Partners Rebounds

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance Releases Its Annual New Partner Report

WASHINGTON, DC, November 9, 2015 — Women constitute over one-third of 2015 new partner classes in the U.S. offices of the nation’s major law firms, according to data collected by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”). At 34.4 percent, the share of women among new partner classes has climbed over two percentage points from last year (32 percent in 2014), and meets the figure from 2013. Key findings from the report include: Read more

What Makes Great Leaders in the Law

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance Announces the 2015 Flex Leader and Flex Success™ Honorees

WASHINGTON, DC, March 12, 2015 – Confidence, motivation, communication, and honesty – all traits we look for in a leader. A truly great leader exhibits not only these traits, but also excels at leading by example through inspiration, commitment, creativity, and flexibility. The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”), a think tank dedicated to creating work environments centered on inclusion and innovative thought leadership, is proud to partner with these leaders and their organizations to promote holistic flexibility in the legal profession. Read more

Percentage of Women Among New Partners Falls After a Five-Year High

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance Releases Its Annual New Partner Report
Alliance member firms outpace national average of women promoted to partnership

WASHINGTON, DC, December 4, 2014 — The share of women among new partner classes at major US law firms declined by two percentage points in the last year. Thirty-two percent of attorneys promoted to partnership in 2014 were women, as compared to 34 percent in 2013, according to data collected by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”). Among Alliance member firms, the figure is slightly higher, with women constituting 32.7 percent of new partner classes. Read more

New Survey Shows Major US Law Firms Implementing Formal Flex Policies

WASHINGTON, DC, November 12, 2014 — More than 90 percent of the law firms surveyed in the just released 2014 Flexibility Benchmarking Survey Report from the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance (the “Alliance”) are implementing formal flexibility policies. The survey found that participating firms have a formal policy that covers one or more of the following types of flexibility: reduced hours schedules, telecommuting, flexible start/end times, annualized hours, and job sharing. More firms allow lawyers to work flexibly on an ad hoc basis.

The report also found that actual flexible work usage was much less common, with flex lawyers constituting approximately 13 percent of lawyers at all participant firms. Read more

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