The Women’s Forum for Achievement at Faegre Baker Daniels treats attorneys to mentoring luncheons, roundtable talks with executive committee members and informational sessions on sponsorship and rainmaking.

Striking the right balance between doing work you love and maintaining a fulfilling personal life can be tricky. To help its attorneys create a satisfying template for their careers, this firm’s corporate practice group recently hired a consultant to educate them on ways to better communicate their scheduling needs, prioritize what’s important and maintain equilibrium. Female attorneys across the firm would do well to follow their lead, especially since women now represent one quarter of all practice group leaders and executive committee and management board members. If they become pregnant, attorneys can take up to a year of job-guaranteed time off, with 14 weeks fully paid; after they return, they may elect to flex their hours or reduce their schedules by as much as 33%. All attorneys here are encouraged to advocate for women’s issues, which were the focus of 49% of the firm’s pro bono work and 60% of its community service in 2011.

Female Equity Partners 21%

Lawyers Working Reduced Hours 8%

 

Pictured: Leslie Fields and Anna, 13.