Call to Action: Vault’s Top 25 Law Firms for Women

What are the top law firms for women attorneys? Which firms offer the best environment for female practitioners? Generally, these lists are compiled by tracking specific figures: weeks of paid parental leave offered, the number of women in leadership positions, the presence of on site daycare, and so forth.

Vault Inc., which publishes career guides for law and other industries, compiles its "best of" lists a little differently—by going directly to the employees. They ask about culture, dress codes, perks, pay, and all the details that make up a workday and a career. Not surprisingly, the responses it gets are a little different than some other compilations.

Currently covering 5,000 total companies in every major area, Vault received an astounding 14,052 surveys back from lawyers. "Critics say that it's only people who are disgruntled who talk about their companies but that's not true," says Vault co founder and CEO Samer Hamadeh. "We have an even mix of people who are happy and who are not happy. Especially with an industry such as law, the associates are very balanced and are critical in a constructive way about how firms can improve and how one place is better than another," Hamadeh adds.

Three years ago, Vault began asking two feedback questions: How could the firm improve overall, and how can the firm and the industry in general improve in diversity and in the recruitment and retention of women. "We noticed a few years ago that firms were really behind in their efforts to promote and recruit women and minorities," Hamadeh explains. "When we started distributing that information and getting the word out, some firms really responded and started to set up diversity committees, implement policies, recruit more, and set targets."

How the Vault List is Compiled

Vault's "Top 25 Law Firms for Women" list is derived from data culled from a wider survey, its "Top 100 Law Firms in the U.S." list. Vault's editors jumpstart the process by checking their own previous feedback and surveys, law journals, and other survey sources. This year, password protected online surveys were sent to associates at 150 law firms. These associates were asked to rank firms on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how prestigious it would be to work for the firm. An important element is that respondents cannot rank their own firm, and are asked only to rank firms with which they are familiar. Subsequently, the "Top 100 Law Firms in the U.S" list is created from the tally of the associates' scores.

Associates are also asked to score and comment on firms in areas such as satisfaction, hours, compensation, diversity, how partners treat them, and selectivity in hiring. The guide is further broken down into distinct areas such as the diversity section, which includes questions on minorities, gays and lesbians, and women. Responses are based on the subjective perceptions of associates, not on the firms' actual diversity statistics.

Diversity Issues for Women

One of Vault's survey questions for diversity as it pertains to women asks: "How receptive and effective is your firm in terms of diversity for women in hiring, promotion, and mentoring?" The results, divided into 13 categories, included "Satisfaction with Diversity for Women by Level," in which first year associates ranked highest in their level of satisfaction.

Martha Rodriguez Lopez, a newly hired Latina associate at Preston Gates & Ellis LLP, which ranked number one on Vault's "Top 25 Law Firms for Women" list, comments on her firm's success. "Preston Gates has shown a commitment to creating a diverse work environment," says Lopez. "It is inspiring to see women widely represented in not only the associate level, but also in the partnership and management."

"Preston Gates also has countless opportunities for attorneys to take on leadership roles. I have felt truly supported as a new attorney, and do not feel that my gender is factored in the projects I've been staffed in," Lopez continues.

"Moreover, the firm's open door policy has allowed me to create both formal and informal mentorship relationships. In essence, Preston Gates has an environment that fosters success in all of its attorneys, and allows us to not only survive in what is a fairly challenging field, but to thrive," Lopez adds.

"As someone who worked in a legal environment prior to law school," Lopez explains, "I remember being told that, as a woman, it would take me more time to be promoted or to be staffed in a particular type of project. It is refreshing to know that at Preston Gates, my gender is not a negative factor in my progress or success."

Women in the Top Ranked Firms

Preston Gates & Ellis partner Denise L. Stiffarm, a Native American (Gros Ventre Tribe), agrees with Lopez. "It is easy to say that this all started from the fact that Betty Fletcher was a named partner in the early 1970s, which set the tone, but the fact is that we are surrounded by successful women in this firm, who are not only successful in the practice of law, but who also have not lost sight of their personal interests or families. At the same time, as an institution, the firm supports the whole person, not just the employee or lawyer, and this in itself makes a difference in how people develop their practices and whether they stay with the firm."

Stiffarm believes Preston Gates & Ellis fosters an attitude of respect. "In my eight years at the firm, I have recognized that this is a unique place," she stresses. "People are genuinely committed to one another, and are interesting beyond just the practice of law. This engenders broader thinking in terms of with whom we choose to practice and the respect that we give one another."

"Our Vault ranking really is a reflection of this environment, though I feel that the status of women in our firm was likely the most significant factor," Stiffarm opines. "Women at Preston Gates have always been in management positions, as office managing partners, department chairs, hiring chairs, compensation committee chairs, and executive committee members. The fact that we now have a female managing partner, who has successfully practiced at this firm for 30 years, and that we continue to promote women to partnership and management positions, is significant and likely strongly influenced the ranking."

According to Stiffarm, "The people at Preston Gates are the greatest asset toward fostering diversity. Preston Gates has traditionally been a place for entrepreneurial minded individuals, where you can define what you want to do and go for it. There are numerous individuals who you can look to as examples of this, but more importantly, these same people recognize the value of mentoring others and providing opportunities for advancement. I can name many people here at Preston Gates who took an active interest in the development of my career and personal success. This truly is the key for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce."

Preston Gates & Ellis Firm Managing Partner Kari Glover recognized her firm as a trailblazer from early on. "When I was interviewing for a permanent position in 1974, most law firms either had no women, or one woman who had joined the firm within a year or two of when I was interviewing," says Glover. "It was very hard to find firms with women who had been around awhile or who had achieved any level of seniority. Preston Gates had a woman partner, Betty Fletcher (who became a Ninth Circuit Judge), which was highly unusual. I thought if this firm was accustomed to having strong, capable women exercise power in the firm, then I wasn't going to be an anomaly. It struck me as a sign that Preston Gates was the kind of firm that I would like and that's how it turned out."

Glover acknowledges the firm's support for balancing work and family life. "I took a year off when I was a young partner and my children were 7 and 10. At that time, there was a fair amount of nervousness in the field of law that if you took a year off you couldn't rebuild your career. The firm was very supportive. They said go, come back in a year. It took me a few months to rebuild my practice when I returned, but I did so with the support of my partners. I think this is a good example of the flexibility the firm has offered over the years."

"Women have been very present and active in the leadership of the firm," Glover continues. "For nearly 10 years now, we've had at least two, and often three, women at all times on our six member elected executive committee that manages the firm. Likewise, at all times, we've had at least two, and often three, women on our partner compensation committee, a powerful committee that determines partners' compensation each year. Women have participated in and chaired virtually every firm committee, including, for example, the hiring committee and the associate evaluation and compensation committee. I think that makes a big difference in the way the firm reacts to issues of gender and leadership."

Other Factors for Success

Camille Inocelda, a second year Asian associate in the corporate department of Jenner & Block LLP, believes the firm's issue oriented practice earned it one of the prestigious spots. "In addition to the firm's commitment to improving and promoting diversity in the workplace, it also has shown a commitment to social issues and social justice," says Inocelda. "They were involved with the Lawrence v. Texas decision—the landmark gay rights Supreme Court case—and preparing the amicus brief filed on the behalf of leading corporations for the University of Michigan affirmative action case. I think initiative and taking a stance on those types of issues has put Jenner & Block at the forefront."

"Several women partners are members of the firm's leadership committees and have significant roles in firm management," Inocelda continues. "Throughout the firm, there are partners who have taken leadership roles in bar associations and law associations, such as Stephanie Scharf, president of the National Association of Women Lawyers, and Lynn Grayson, co chair of the Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women."

Inocelda thinks that Jenner & Block's programs are directed at making a difference for women attorneys. "The firm has demonstrated a significant commitment to improving the diversity both for women and minority lawyers. They have also internally developed initiatives that help the process along, including a more formalized mentorship program and a unique career development program called the Women's Forum."

"One of the interesting facets of the mentoring program is what's called 'cross mentoring,' where an associate is paired with a mentor who is not necessarily of the same ethnic or gender background. This creates a contrast and gives you a better perspective of what kinds of experiences can lend themselves to being a good attorney," Inocelda explains. "For example, my mentor is a male partner in the corporate department, who was an in-house attorney before he became a partner. He's been able to give me some idea of why those experiences led him to where he is and also insight as to developments within the firm."

"The Women's Forum is a group of women attorneys at the firm, led by the senior women partners, that addresses issues that face women lawyers in the market today," Inocelda continues. "The Women's Forum is a way to get women together in the firm and a good way to get a sense of where the firm is headed in promoting women's roles. It provides a forum for discussing how to develop certain skills necessary in the practice of law, and how to do that in the context of being a female attorney."

Cindy Kang, an Asian partner and chair of the Immigration and Nationality Law Practice Group at Haynes and Boone, LLP, another firm that made Vault's "Top 25 Law Firms for Women" list, says her firm has a different approach to diversity. "It is important in our law firm to emphasize the concept of 'excellence' as opposed to 'diversity,'" says Kang. "That might be a different perspective, but we think about diversity as a byproduct of excellence, not the other way around." Kang cites management support as a key factor propelling Haynes and Boone on the list. "We have always had support from top to bottom. With any goal, I think it's critical that it originates at the top. Some examples are our firm's scholarship programs that we have with minority law students at Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas. These are awarded to entering law students. Scholars receive a stipend, a clerkship at our firm, and a mentor to guide them through their first year in law school," Kang describes.

"Our firm also has an internal diversity committee," Kang explains. "Our firm's long history of successful women and minority attorneys makes diversity as much a part of our culture as our core values of teamwork and collaboration."

What do Firms Still Need to do?

Even attorneys on Vault's "Top 25 Law Firms for Women" list believe that there are still ways to improve female diversity and satisfaction in the practice of law.

Glover at Preston Gates & Ellis believes that technology is one key to balancing work and family life. "Historically, most people have thought that issues about the balance of home and work were uniquely feminine. I, personally, think these issues affect all lawyers, not just women lawyers. We are highly committed to technology at Preston Gates and we use it in our practice to a great extent. Among other things, this creates the opportunity for our young lawyers and partners who need flexibility to go home earlier in the evening, for example, and, if necessary, log on at home. They don't feel they have to physically remain at the office or transport back to the office, which is what we often had to do 10 or 20 years ago. It's made a huge difference to be able to seamlessly transition between the workplace and the home."

Haynes and Boone's Kang stresses the importance of persisting in diversity efforts. "All firms need to continue to make this emphasis. It's not something that you can just rest on, even though you may have more women attorneys within a particular firm or a higher number of female partners in that firm. It's something that must be continually emphasized by all firms."

"I think that the institution of law needs to embrace flexible work schedules," suggests Stiffarm. "At Preston Gates, many practice groups have successfully implemented the concept. It is an obvious compromise for keeping the best lawyers, while at the same time recognizing unique circumstances. In my mind, I don't limit this solely to working mothers; there are many different personal circumstances where this fits. In institutionalizing this concept, I think that firms will automatically become more diverse."

"It should be obvious, but we aren't all identical in terms of our backgrounds and life challenges, and that is a good thing," Stiffarm concludes.

Kathleen Dreessen is a freelance writer based in Napa, California.

List of Top 25 Firms for Women by Vault Average Score = 7.34
Rank	Law Firm	Score
1.	Preston Gates & Ellis LLP	9.167
2.	Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy LLP	9.016
3.	Morrison & Foerster LLP	9.000
4.	Arent Fox PLLC	8.867
5.	Davis Polk & Wardwell	8.764
6.	Winston & Strawn LLP	8.661
7.	Debevoise & Plimpton LLP	8.603
8.	Shaw Pittman LLP	8.511
9.	Pillsbury Winthrop LLP	8.409
10.	Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP	8.324
11.	Faegre & Benson LLP	8.313
12.	Arnold & Porter LLP	8.310
13.	Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, LLP	8.304
14.	Ropes & Gray LLP	8.262
15.	Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.	8.233
16.	Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.	8.214
17.	Schiff Hardin LLP	8.171
18.	Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP	8.162
19.	Hale and Dorr LLP	8.128
20.	Jenner & Block LLP	8.111
21.	Steptoe & Johnson	8.076
22.	Patton Boggs LLP	8.069
23.	Haynes and Boone, LLP	7.975
24.	Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP	7.969
25.	Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe	7.968

 

Satisfaction with Diversity for Women by Level
Level	Score
1st year associate	7.907
7th year associate	7.402
8th year associate	7.337
6th year associate	7.304
2nd year associate	7.268
4th year associate	7.198
5th year associate	7.190
3rd year associate	7.143
Source: The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms, 7th Edition

 

 

Satisfaction with Diversity for Women by Work Schedule
Work Schedule	Score
Full time	7.357
Flex time	7.297
Part time	6.874
Source: The Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms, 7th Edition

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From the March/April 2005 issue of Diversity & The Bar^®