Bright Spot: Davis Wright Tremaine’s Key Gender Equity Efforts
In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction.
Davis Wright Tremaine’s Key Gender Equity Efforts
BRIGHT SPOT
Davis Wright Tremaine is one of only four law firms that has received our “Tipping the Scales” honor for achieving gender parity in its new partner class for four consecutive years. The firm has been able to maintain this gender parity due in part to the high level of importance placed on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the firm. Two of Davis Wright Tremaine’s unique diversity Bright Spots are explained below.
Importance of DEI in firm Structure
Davis Wright Tremaine has signaled its commitment to DEI by officially embedding DEI into the main foundations of the firm’s new Strategic Plan. Rather than being seen as an independent initiative, diversity, equity and inclusion are key factors in all decision-making from evaluations, admissions and promotions to client engagement and pitches. Davis Wright Tremaine’s DEI strategies are embedded across the firm, within practice groups, committees and firm leadership, allowing all leaders to recognize the importance of diversity, including gender parity, at all levels. This commitment to DEI has enabled DWT to monitor its pipeline and ensure that women are being hired, retained and promoted.
Bias Interrupters
Acknowledging that bias often goes undetected and uninterrupted during the promotion process, Davis Wright Tremaine has instituted a program where professionals within the firm are trained to interrupt bias throughout the partnership admissions process.
Bright Spot: Arnold & Porter’s Key Gender Equity Efforts
In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction.
Arnold & Porter’s Key Gender Equity Efforts
BRIGHT SPOT
International law firm Arnold & Porter has received our “Tipping the Scales” honor for the past four years reinforcing the firm’s strong commitment to promoting equal numbers of men and women to its partnership. The firm’s higher than average number of women in leadership is the result of many years of dedication to building systems that focus on gender parity and hold leaders accountable for each practice group’s outcome. The firm’s Chair and Managing Partners are keenly focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, and there is a deep understanding within firm culture that gender parity is critical. Building on this cultural foundation, Arnold & Porter is committed to intentional efforts in many important areas. Here we will highlight two particular Bright Spots in Arnold & Porter’s approach to achieving its gender diversity goals:
Annual High Level Pipeline Conversations
Managing Partners at Arnold & Porter have pipeline conversations annually with each of the firm’s practice group leaders. In addition to identifying who will be coming up for promotion in the given year, the conversations center around looking back several years to see what is happening within each practice group. This approach allows the leadership to look deeper into the pipeline, analyze past hires and promotions and be prepared to course correct if there are gender diversity challenges.