Bright Spot: Ogletree Deakins’ Women’s Initiative
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.
Ogletree Deakins’ Women’s Initiative
BRIGHT SPOT
The women’s initiative at Ogletree Deakins is a Bright Spot as it has enhanced the firm’s ability to retain and advance female attorneys at a remarkable rate. Stemming from the desire to increase the number of women in leadership, the process began with the creation of a Women’s Task Force. This force helped to identify the issues women were facing and made recommendations on potential solutions.
With this information, Ogletree implemented the following strategies and programs:
- Ombudsman: A former board member was made available to assist firm lawyers in resolving work-related concerns and conflicts in an informal, confidential, and impartial manner.
- Credit Guidelines: A review of origination credit guidelines paired with the realization that it is often difficult for women to have conversations with senior men regarding credit, gave way to change. Ogletree’s credit origination guidelines were refreshed to enhance clarity, promote collaboration, and help all attorneys address and handle difficult situations and advocate on their own behalf.
- Compensation Process: Ogletree has an open compensation system. A new compensation appeals process was created to enhance transparency and reduce concerns about peers’ compensation, and an independent pay equity audit was conducted. Throughout the process, the firm made sure there was significant representation from women.
- Sponsorship Program: Ogletree took a very deliberate and intentional look at the pipeline and decided to create a sponsorship program to increase opportunities for women to move from non-equity to equity positions within the firm.
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.