Lindquist & Vennum

It's a Fact!
Six women who sit on the 23-member committee responsible for deciding equity partner.
What We Love

This Minneapolis-based firm provides leadership opportunities for its women attorneys through its Millennia Leaders program, which offers intensive leadership training for women followed by monthly meetings, plus a network of businesswomen for future relationships. The firm also has a partnership training program for all associates and nonequity partners and retains an external coaching firm to assist senior associates and nonequity partners (over a two-year period) with developing and implementing business plans, increasing marketing skills and balancing work life issues. Women in top spots include the managing partner at the Denver office, the two women who sit on the firm’s seven-member executive committee and the six women who sit on the 23-member committee responsible for deciding equity partnership.

Female Equity Partners 20%

Female Nonequity Partners 24%

Lawyers Working Reduced Hours 14%

It's a Fact!

53% of their associates are female.

What We Love

It’s not only up-and coming lawyers who embrace reduced hours at this corporate law firm, which has offices in Minneapolis and Denver. From 2004 to 2008, 28 lawyers worked a reduced-hours schedule as they phased into retirement, signaling that flexibility is a benefit that’s relevant to everyone. The firm’s Millennia Leaders program provides women lawyers with intensive leadership training and the chance to forge new professional relationships. (Last year, female attorneys accounted for 40% of those in management training).

Female equity partners: 18%

Female nonequity partners: 21%

Female counsel: 21%

Female associates: 53%

Female lawyers promoted to nonequity partner, 2004–2008: 24%

Female lawyers promoted to equity partner, 2004–2008: n/a

Lawyers working reduced hours: 13%

Lawyers working reduced hours, 2004–2008: 10%

Weeks paid maternity leave: 12

Weeks paid paternity leave: 6

Weeks paid adoption leave: 6

Offer phase-back program for new moms?: No

Offer reentry program for lawyer moms?: Yes

Offer formal flextime program for associates & counsel?: No

Lawyers working flextime schedule: 2%

Offer support groups for reduced-hours lawyers?: Yes