Tag Archive for: bias

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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.

Senior Associate Position

Unlike many traditional law firm career tracks, Arnold & Porter’s advancement system offers their Associates the opportunity to receive a promotion to Senior Associate once they’re in their fifth year. The firm has outlined a set of criteria and eligibility benchmarks that Associates must meet to be considered for this promotion. This extra level of seniority in their career path allows the firm to better envision the gender breakdown of their upcoming partnership classes. Eligible Associates have a unique opportunity to discuss their progression levels and reach goals and benchmarks before they make it to  the partnership levels.

IMPACT

These two strategies have contributed to the success that Arnold & Porter has had retaining and advancing women to their leadership levels.  By holding annual high level pipeline conversations, the Managing Partners are intentionally tracking the advancement of women in all practice groups and holding practice group leaders accountable for the parity within their teams.  Additionally, by offering the Senior Associate position, the firm provides its attorneys with an interim steppingstone before being considered for partnership and provides leadership with a clear snap shot of who is meeting benchmarks and who may need additional support.

At the Alliance, we believe that it is critical that firms and companies put in place intentional systems to track and monitor their pipeline to leadership and continuously reassess the success of their efforts.

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and filling out THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com.

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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. These trained “bias interrupters” are empowered to “throw up an unlimited number of flags” if they believe bias exists and the discussion should be redirected.  Bias interrupters are rotated throughout the process to ensure that the process is constantly being seen through a new lens.

IMPACT

By embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into all aspects of the firm, Davis Wright Tremaine has guaranteed that no decision will be made without seeing the consequences through the diversity lens. The importance of gender diversity is therefore intertwined in the culture of the firm and any step backwards in gender parity is identified and resolved quickly. All leaders share the commitment to gender diversity so there is a shared responsibility on the part of leadership to hire, promote, support, mentor and sponsor women.

By instituting their bias interrupters program, Davis Wright Tremaine has successfully leveled the playing field in the partnership promotion process for women and those from underrepresented groups. Bias is therefore identified and removed from the promotion process and all individuals can be evaluated fairly.

 

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and filling out THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com.