Members of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s Women Attorneys Network recently learned about leadership by attending a talk with L.A. Superior Court judge Amy Hogue.

To ensure that its female associates and partners are hired and promoted with increasing frequency, this law firm’s Retention of Women task force reviews all the numbers with the leaders of each of its practices, discussing which employees need to be given extra development opportunities. Up-and-coming female partners are often invited to experience special activities—such as attending a summer leadership academy at Hastings Law School, in San Francisco—with the goal of preparing them for roles in the firm’s management and allowing them to meet their peers from across the legal profession. In another initiative, called the Accelerated Business Development Program, attorneys, partners and counsel learn how to focus on their individual strengths as they become leaders; the workshops and coaching sessions are provided to help them improve their ability to make valuable connections, attract clients, strengthen existing business relationships and accurately represent the firm’s goals.

Chair: James Rishwain

Chief HR Officer: Deborah Johnson

% of senior managers who are women: 41%

% of corporate executives who are women: 39%

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 42%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 17%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 19%

% of the executives running divisions with revenues of more than a billion dollars who are women: N/A

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 60%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 23%

% of female workforce participating in mentoring: 10%

66% of the employees who receive career counseling at Katten Muchin Rosenman are women.

With mentoring, discussion panels and social events, this law firm’s Women’s Leadership Forum makes it easy for female attorneys to expand their contacts. Specific partners enjoy the benefits of executive coaching and participate in boot camps to boost professional skills. Educational seminars, training sessions and tuition aid for job-related courses help those who want to expand their knowledge. The firm is currently celebrating the fifth year of its Leadership Institute for Women of Color, which organizes activities such as meet-and-greet retreats to boost retention of diverse attorneys.

National Managing Partner: Vincent Sergi

Director, HR: Gaye Bartulis

% of senior managers who are women: 32%

% of corporate executives who are women: 17%

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 30%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 9%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 17%

% of the executives running divisions with revenues of more than a billion dollars who are women: 16%

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 19%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 19%

% of female workforce participating in mentoring: 7%

 

Deborah is from Arlington, VA, and mom to Ann (21), Maddy (19) and Mary (15).

Deborah Baum, who heads Pillsbury’s Washington, D.C., litigation practice, handles civil litigation matters in the state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels, and before arbitration tribunals. She has deep experience in complex real estate-related disputes, lender liability cases, health care litigation and Fair Housing Act and constitutional litigation. In 2011, Deborah was named a BTI Client Service All-Star for delivering the highest quality client service.

A huge advocate of pro bono work, Deborah also serves as the president of the Board of Trustees for Legal Aid Society of D.C. And on behalf of the Feminist Majority Foundation, Deborah is representing a OB/GYN whose physical well-being and livelihood is regularly threatened because, along with other medical procedures, he performs abortions. “I see it as my duty to defend someone who is being persecuted for providing safe, legal medical assistance to women in need,” she says.

As for her proudest achievement? “My children,” says Deborah.

Mother of three happy daughters, Deborah says, “I tell my girls and my mentees alike: You can do it. It's a balancing act, but don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it all.”

With one daughter in high school and two in college, Deborah also stresses the importance of efficiency (and hiring someone else to do the laundry) when juggling motherhood and a career.

 

Jeannie hails from Old Town, VA, and is mom to Svetlana (18), Denis (14) and Alyona (13).

Like many couples, Jeannie Perron and her husband, Ralph Brooker, wanted children. They were in their late 30s when they married, however, so adoption seemed like a good option. Ralph, a satellite engineer, had been to Russia numerous times and knew there were thousands of children in Russian orphanages waiting for families.

In 2000, Jeannie and Ralph decided to pursue a Russian adoption. In November 2001, Jeannie and Ralph brought home siblings Svetlana, 9, and Denis, 5, from a Russian orphanage. The following year, they adopted the children’s younger sister, Alyona, who was 4 at the time, making it possible for all three children to remain intact as a family. (Alyona had been placed in a different orphanage and had been separated from Denis and Svetlana for nearly all of her life when Jeannie and Ralph adopted her.)

Jeannie was determined to make it work and build a new life for the children. Today, the family now lives in Old Town, Alexandria, along with two greyhounds and two cats. Svetlana, now a junior at T.C. Williams High School, aspires to become a nurse. Denis wants to attend military school and Alyona has a passion for horseback riding and playing the violin. The children, dual citizens, are very interested in their Russian heritage while enjoying life as Americans.

Of counsel Jeannie praises Covington & Burling’s generous family friendly policies for allowing her to spend five weeks in Russia to secure the first adoption of Svetlana and Denis and then take time off again for the adoption of Alyona the following year. The firm’s flexible schedule allowed Jeannie to take time off and work from home to spend more time with the children.

Jeannie’s story goes well beyond providing a loving home for three children. She is now a mentor to coworkers and clients who are hoping to adopt. “The best people to provide support and advice to those considering adoption or who have adopted, are those that have experienced it firsthand,” says Jeannie.

 

 

Lisa is mom to Daniel (12) and Rachel (10) and hails from Washington, DC.

A part-time partner who joined Arnold & Porter to start the firm’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice group in 2009, Lisa Blatt now holds the record among women for the most arguments before the U. S. Supreme Court.

Among U.S. law firms, the Supreme Court practice has long been dominated by men, with women making only about 15 percent of all arguments before the court in the past decade. Even in the face of such odds, Lisa still holds another even more impressive record, having prevailed in 29 of her 30 appearances — two of which she made while she was pregnant.

Not surprisingly, Lisa is an advocate for women and a great inspiration to others aspiring to argue in front of the country’s highest court. She attributes the start of her oral argument skills to high school debate, but sheer determination has a role as well. Indeed, Lisa graduated from college in three years while working full-time and continued to work while attending law school.

Since joining Arnold & Porter, Lisa has become an inspiration not only to her colleagues, but to the groups of women she addresses as well to share her experiences.

Lisa is most proud, however, of serving as an inspiration to her two children. While her daughter is already aiming to argue in the Supreme Court one day, her son recently posed an intriguing question to her: “Mommy, why do you have to have so many arguments?” he asked. “Why can’t you have agreements?”

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s San Diego offices are piloting four-day compressed workweeks that last just 37.5 hours and pay full benefits.

Choosing the right college, filling out applications and waiting for an acceptance letter is an emotionally trying process for teens— and it’s just as hard on their parents. Employees of this law firm are lucky to have a robust college-coaching program that takes them through the entire routine, starting with a workshop called “Beating the Admissions Game,” which details how to apply effectively and pay for schools. Teens can schedule private sessions with an experienced guidance counselor (who will critique their essays) or call an expertly staffed help desk. If they get stressed, they can turn to the program’s Web videos and tutorials for advice. Once they get in, their parents can take leave to drive them to their dorms (or telecommute from the road). staffers get 22 paid days off annually, and attorneys receive four weeks of vacation.

Chair James Rishwain

Chief HR Officer Deborah Johnson

Women managers/execs 47% 

Women among top earners 20% 

Women hires in 2010 46% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 16 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 85%

Female lawyers at Katten Muchin Rosenman become eligible for a one-month sabbatical after their fifth year with the firm.

Female attorneys often grapple with unique challenges when it comes to propelling their careers forward, either because of family demands or the culture of the organizations for which they work. But at this law firm, where 56% of employees are women, their influence is only getting stronger—thanks, in part, to management’s insistence on increasing its training and coaching efforts. The firm’s Leadership Institute for Women of Color, which seeks to offset the industry attrition of multicultural attorneys, provides mentoring and discussion groups that help participants expand their horizons. Women also take on-site and online courses in continuing legal education and are reimbursed for any external seminars they complete for credit. High achievers share tips in the Women’s Leadership Forum affinity group.

National Managing Partner Vincent Sergi 

Director, HR Gaye Bartulis

Women managers/execs 31% 

Women among top earners 7% 

Women hires in 2010 56% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 11

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 100%

Mentoring, career counseling, flexibility, affinity groups and benefits are the areas of life at Covington & Burling with which female workers are happiest.

Women help each other up the ladder at this Beltway-based law firm, where female executives, partners and senior lawyers actively monitor the career opportunities afforded to junior associates. Creating avenues for women to advance is a priority of the firm’s director of professional development, Vickie Kobak, a mother of two, who dialogues with practice heads to make sure associates are upgrading their skills. Female attorneys connect at networking events and dinners hosted by the firm’s Women’s Forum and learn how to raise their profiles by attending its sessions on public speaking, advocacy training and client development. The forum’s new mentoring groups, which were launched in 2010, bring attorneys together from different practices and tenure bands.

Chair, Management Committee Timothy Hester

Chief HR Officer Annette Wigton

Women managers/execs 45% 

Women among top earners 43% 

Women hires in 2010 59% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 18 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 100%

At Arnold & Porter, all new attorneys are automatically assigned mentors; mid-level associates are paired with senior attorneys or partners.

Visitors to this law firm’s headquarters are likely to witness employees dining at their office cafeteria, working out at the corporate gym or walking their kids to its on-site child-care center. But those aren’t the only ways these workers fit multiple activities into their busy days: It’s thought that 100% of them used flextime at some point last year, while 70% worked off-site and 50% compressed their schedules. Full benefits are available to anyone logging 25 hours per week, and many of those who do seek guidance from the firm’s part-time work advisors—two lawyers who have used alternative arrangements for years. The firm’s concierge service helps moms find housekeepers, plan parties and book hotels; its health advocate ensures they get proper medical care.

Executive Director Elizabeth Respess

Chief HR Officer Janet Robin

Women managers/execs 38% 

Women among top earners 42% 

Women hires in 2010 46% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 18 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? Yes

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 100%

This firm offers a three-month paid sabbatical to partners after ten years of service.

Women are thriving at this Washington, DC–based firm, which has 12 offices worldwide. The chair of the committee responsible for deciding equity partner is a woman, and the percentage of women promoted to partnership has increased steadily since 2009. In 2009 and 2010, 40% and 56%, respectively, of partner promotions were women. This year the firm also announced the election of the first woman co-managing partner. The firm recognizes that certain issues predominantly affect women attorneys, including the historical lack of women mentors at the upper levels of the profession and the unique obstacles faced by women in trying to build client relationships and develop business. In response, it focuses on providing internal and external networks of women attorneys, business development training for women lawyers and career advancement and training programs tailored to meet their needs. The firm offers a generous 18 weeks of paid maternity leave and up to 12 consecutive months of parental leave. It also offers a three-month paid sabbatical to partners after ten years of service.

Female Equity Partners 24%

Lawyers Working Reduced Hours 8%