life balance issues in the profession. “And they won’t find
them at firms that have lost
their [diverse] attorneys due to
inflexible schedules.”
That’s why firms are offering
alternative work arrangements,
including reduced hours,
flex-time, telecommuting
and part-time schedules;
others are providing work/
life benefits such as emergency child care or have initiated programs to re-hire
off-ramp lawyers.
Indeed, giving attorneys
an option to the grueling
50-hour-average workweek
makes good business sense:
It creates more satisfied clients, enhances recruitment,
saves money and stems the
attrition of top diverse talent.
According to the National Association
for Law Placement (NALP), 81 percent of
female associates of color, for example, quit
private firms within five years. Although their
reasons for exiting the profession vary, putting in long hours to make partner is a major
issue—and one that attorneys of all races and
ethnicities, genders and generations are struggling with. A report by the Women’s Bar Association in Washington, D.C., found that a nearly
equal percent of male and female lawyers ( 70
percent) report work/life conflict. What’s more,
law-school students are increasingly asking about
Dykema's Women's Business Initiative
Fosters Growth and Success
Dykema’s Women’s Business Initiative affords females in the firm’s Illinois and Michigan offices professional and personal development opportunities. Dykema is one of
the largest law firms in the Midwest, with major offices in Chicago, Dallas, Detroit,
Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The firm’s 11 offices nationally serve Fortune 1,000 and middle-market companies with a wide
variety of legal services.
The Women’s Business Initiative hosts networking events
throughout the year that bring together the firm’s lawyers with business and government leaders. The initiative also fosters a supportive
environment within the firm and offers mentoring by partners in
professional and business development for associates.
Says firm member Janet Stiven (top photo), “We bring together a
wide array of business leaders and lawyers, with their various talents
and perspectives. The combination is great for the organization,
the more diverse the group, the more fresh the perspective. As the
organization grows and thrives, it finds more innovative ways to ad-
dress business problems.” Stiven leads the initiative in Illinois.
“These events draw women together and the real networking goes on af-
ter the formal program,” says firm member Debra McCulloch. She heads
the initiative in Michigan. “There’s the potential for personal growth and
for business development. It is a way to introduce our professional con-
tacts to one another, so they can forge bonds that are helpful to business
development. We’re connecting and building the business community.”
Golf clinics for both first-time and experienced golfers are popular
events. These networking opportunities also prepare the women
to take part in client-hosted golf events. “In the past, it’s been pre-
dominately men who have gotten together and networked while
taking part in these client events,” says McCulloch.
Adds Stiven, “The goal is to give women tools to succeed in
the law firm. The big driver is business development, because
that defines who we are in the law firm. Rainmakers gain access
to partnership and other leadership positions.”
Alternative Work Options at Law Firms
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
70.6%
Does your firm allow:
Job sharing Flex-time
Telecommunting
Part-time schedule
32%
28.3%
36.6% 36%
25.6%
18.4%
1.6%
Yes Case-by-Case
Source: National Association for Law Placement, 2005
Sixth-year
law associate
Clara Saafir
successfully
balances
what’s most
important to
her personally.
