Creating & Maintaining a Successful Women’s Initiative

1. Creating & Maintaining a Successful Women’s Initiative American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Women in the Profession Committee July 18, 2013, 1PM to 2PM CST

2. Moderator & Speakers • Moderator: • Laura Lattman – The Lattman Law Firm, LLC • Speakers: • Nicole Auerbach – Valorem Law Group • Ida Abbott – Ida Abbott Consulting, LLC • Kit Chaskin – Reed Smith LLP

3. What is a Women’s Initiative? • Help women develop to their fullest potential • Build a platform for women to succeed • Enhance the workplace to develop, reward, engage and attract women • RESULT = gender diversity (in turn, closer to gender equality)

4. Why are they necessary? GENDER INEQUALITY STILL EXISTS

5. LAW SCHOOLS/LAW FIRMS APPROXIMATELY 50% WOMEN SINCE THE EARLY 1990s

6. A female lawyer earns 77 cents for every 1 dollar a male lawyer earns. (Polifact)

7. Today, there are only 15% female equity partners in the nation’s 200 largest firms.* *Unchanged since 2006 Women of color = 2% (NAWL Study 2012)

8. Female equity partners earn 89% of the money earned by their male peers. (NAWL Study 2012)

9. Women comprise nearly half of the workforce, and many women are the primary breadwinners for their families. (2013 National Equal Pay Task Force Report)

10. Elements of an Effective Women’s Initiative • A clear purpose • Why are we starting a women’s initiative? What are our expected outcomes? • A clear strategy • What will we do? How will we achieve our purpose? • Purpose is directly tied to the firm’s business objectives • What’s the business case? How will advancing women advance the firm’s – and all partners’ - interests?

11. Elements • Accountability • Stated, specific, and (ideally) measurable goals • Designated responsibilities • Monitor activities, evaluate results • Internal and external reporting • Leadership • How will initiative team be structured? • Who will participate? Who will lead? • How will this initiative be coordinated with others?

12. Elements • Strong, ongoing (and real) support • Motivated women • Powerful men, in firm and business • Budgetary • Administrative • Marketing

13. Activities • Activities should flow from and support purpose and strategy • To extent possible: Meet different needs of women at different career stages • Will men be included in activities? • In which? • In what ways?

14. What are your goals? • Support/Connection/Relationships?  Affinity group • Connect women for business development? Women’s Network • Change the demographics of the institution?  Change Initiative

15. Where are you now? • The critical and delicate data dance • Deep data analysis requires senior management buy-in and perhaps a consultant • It is important to get this right

16. DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO GET YOU FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUR GOAL • Change agents, leaders, influencers and foot soldiers • ReadLeading Change by John Kotter.  Twice.  Per year. • Strategy vs. vision vs. implementation • Matching structure to strategy

17. THE CRITICAL ROLES OF SUPPORT FROM THE TOP AND MOMENTUM ON THE GROUND • Ask your managing partner to lunch • Identify and nurture allies – ask them for help • Identify and neutralize enemies • Inspire the faithful on a daily basis, and support them in their personal professional goals

18. QUESTIONS?

19. Contact Speakers • Nicole Auerbach • Nicole.Auerbach@valoremlaw.com; 312-676-5469 • Ida Abbott • IdaAbbott@aol.com; 510-339-6883 • Kit Chaskin • KChaskin@reedsmith.com; 312-207-6478