Bright Spot: Katten’s Sabbatical
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.
BRIGHT SPOT: Katten’s Sabbatical Program
Law firm Katten, Muchin Rosenman’s Associate Sabbatical Program is a unique Bright Spot because it offers the firm’s Associates a four-week, paid sabbatical once they have completed their fifth year at the firm. Associates must also meet their hours’ requirement two out of the three previous years to be eligible. The Sabbatical program has been in place since 2001 and allows Associates to take four weeks off for any activity or reason of their choosing. Associates are not required to submit any kind of formal plan for the sabbatical – Associates may take trips, dive into personal projects, extend family leaves, or use the Sabbatical for anything else that they choose.
The most remarkable aspect of Kattan’s Sabbatical program is that virtually ALL (95%) Associates take advantage of this benefit and many plan for the time off long in advance. Katten reports that equal numbers of men and women participate and it is quite unusual not to take advantage of the Sabbatical. This high level of participation demonstrates Katten’s supportive firm culture and a leadership that truly values flexibility and employee wellness. Associates are not afraid of any negative stigma that could be associated with taking time away from the office, and, in fact, participation in this program is encouraged by Partners and other leadership.
The Sabbatical is also available to lateral Associates after they have been with Katten the required five years.
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.