Market Areas > Practice Management > Female Lawyer Advancement

How Advancing Women in Law Advances the Firm’s Business

Course Description:

Today, women account for 47 percent of law school enrollment and 45 percent of law firm associates.  Yet only 18 percent of law firm partners are female.

Perhaps even more startling are the findings of a recent study by the MIT Workplace Center, “Women Lawyers and Obstacles to Leadership:":

• Women leave the partnership track in far greater numbers than men
• 31 percent of female associates leave private practice entirely
• Almost 40 percent of women lawyers with children have worked part time, compared with almost no men, and
• Many firms have flextime policies but are "clever in discouraging their uses."

What are the causes of these major discrepancies?

A common misconception is that the work/life balance is the main culprit in curtailing advancement for female attorneys. In fact, that’s not the case.  According to a report from Rutgers University's Center for Women and Work, the number one reason for women leaving the practice of law is an unsupportive work environment.

In this insightful CCM teleconference find out how your firm can:

• Break the barriers of perceived gender bias that block the advancement of women attorneys
• Become a leader among firms in gender diversity
• Retain the talent you want to keep
• Meet your client's needs with regard to deadlines and gender diversity at your firm

By the end of this program, you’ll also know:

• Why hiring, retaining, and promoting top female legal talent is so critical in today’s competitive marketplace
• How the workplace preferences of today’s female attorneys differ from years past
• How recruitment of female attorneys has evolved over the years and what current trends require special focus
• What you can do to make your firm or company more attractive to top female talent
• How mentoring programs have been effective in retaining top female attorneys
• How to develop career pathways for the advancement of women
• Key techniques to uncover biases in your organization that prevent women from reaching partner

Featured FAculty:

Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., CMC, Founding Principal, Lawyers Life Coach

With a Ph.D. in Psychology, coaching certification and 10 years consulting with legal professionals and organizations, Ellen brings a unique set of skills and experience to Lawyers Life Coach. As the founding principal of Lawyers Life Coach, she provides leadership, career, work/life integration and business development coaching to attorneys.  Her 28 years of experience and training as a psychologist inform her consulting work with law firms to create inclusive workplaces by constructively addressing the unexamined biases which block the retention and success of so many talented attorneys.  Ellen also works with firms to develop and implement effective balanced-hours programs and women’s initiatives and provides leadership, emotional intelligence and business development training.

Known for her expertise in the challenges facing women attorneys, Ellen has been quoted in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Legal Times, Of Counsel, and many other prominent publications.  A frequent contributing author for a variety of print and electronic media, Ellen’s articles have been published in many legal publications including the New York Law Journal Magazine, Legal Times, Perspectives, Lawyers Weekly USA, Trial Magazine and The Complete Lawyer.  Her email newsletter, “Beyond the Billable Hour,” has been reprinted by more than 25 different print and electronic legal publications.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:

Pricing:

Unable to Attend? Order the CD!

Your CD recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

CLE:

CCM provides audio conference attendees with CLE credit processing services. To expedite CCM processing your CLE request, please complete and submit the evaluation form available from CCM at the conclusion of the audio conference. It will be necessary to enter the following information: name of each attorney requesting CLEs with full contact information, including e-mail address, bar number, and the state in which the attorney wants credits. Each attorney requesting credits must submit an evaluation.

Please be advised CCM audio conferences are subject to approval from each CLE issuing organization and approval is not guaranteed (state bar associations in Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania do not grant CLE credits for audio conferences). The approval process takes approximately 6 - 8 weeks for most organizations but can take as long as 3 - 4 months. You will be notified via e-mail with the final status of your CLE application.

Any person applying for CLE credits must attend the audio conference from start to finish (attendance will be taken for compliance reasons). Requests for CLE credits must be received no later than two weeks following the conclusion of the audio conference or live conference. CLE credits are not available for CD recordings.

If you have any questions regarding CLE credits, contact Jill Adler at 631.368.2082 x 21 or jill.adler@meeting-matters.com.

Each CCM event presents a variety of information and is presented for each organization to develop its own approach and methodology.