creating & maintaining a successful women’s initiative american bar association young lawyers...
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Creating & Maintaining a Successful Women’s
InitiativeAmerican Bar AssociationYoung Lawyers Division
Women in the Profession CommitteeJuly 18, 2013, 1PM to 2PM CST
Moderator & Speakers
Moderator:
Laura Lattman – The Lattman Law Firm, LLC
Speakers:
Nicole Auerbach – Valorem Law Group
Ida Abbott – Ida Abbott Consulting, LLC
Kit Chaskin – Reed Smith LLP
What is a Women’s Initiative?
Help women develop to their fullest potential
Build a platform for women to succeed
Enhance the workplace to develop, reward, engage and attract women
RESULT = gender diversity (in turn, closer to gender equality)
Why are they necessary?
GENDER INEQUALITY STILL
EXISTS
LAW SCHOOLS/LAW
FIRMS
APPROXIMATELY 50% WOMEN
SINCE THE EARLY 1990s
A female lawyer earns 77 cents for every 1 dollar a male lawyer earns.
(Polifact)
Today, there are only 15% female equity partners in the nation’s 200 largest firms.*
*Unchanged since 2006
Women of color = 2%
(NAWL Study 2012)
Female equity partners earn 89% of the money earned by their male peers.
(NAWL Study 2012)
Women comprise nearly half of the workforce, and many women are the primary breadwinners for their families.
(2013 National Equal Pay Task Force Report)
Elements of an Effective Women’s Initiative
A clear purpose
Why are we starting a women’s initiative? What are our expected outcomes?
A clear strategy
What will we do? How will we achieve our purpose?
Purpose is directly tied to the firm’s business objectives
What’s the business case? How will advancing women advance the firm’s – and all partners’ - interests?
Elements Accountability
Stated, specific, and (ideally) measurable goals
Designated responsibilities
Monitor activities, evaluate results
Internal and external reporting
Leadership
How will initiative team be structured?
Who will participate? Who will lead?
How will this initiative be coordinated with others?
Elements Strong, ongoing (and real) support
Motivated women
Powerful men, in firm and business
Budgetary
Administrative
Marketing
Activities Activities should flow from and support
purpose and strategy
To extent possible: Meet different needs of women at different career stages
Will men be included in activities?
In which?
In what ways?
What are your goals?
Support/Connection/Relationships? Affinity group
Connect women for business development? Women’s Network
Change the demographics of the institution? Change Initiative
Where are you now?
The critical and delicate data dance
Deep data analysis requires senior management buy-in and perhaps a consultant
It is important to get this right
DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO GET YOU FROM WHERE YOU ARE
NOW TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUR GOAL
Change agents, leaders, influencers and foot soldiers
Read Leading Change by John Kotter. Twice. Per year.
Strategy vs. vision vs. implementation
Matching structure to strategy
THE CRITICAL ROLES OF SUPPORT FROM THE TOP AND
MOMENTUM ON THE GROUND
Ask your managing partner to lunch
Identify and nurture allies – ask them for help
Identify and neutralize enemies
Inspire the faithful on a daily basis, and support them in their personal professional goals
QUESTIONS?
Contact Speakers Nicole Auerbach
[email protected]; 312-676-5469
Ida Abbott
[email protected]; 510-339-6883
Kit Chaskin
[email protected]; 312-207-6478