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V O L . X X I V N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 8 18 L AW F O C U S bias. A new take on harassment train- ing uses results of a firm-wide cultural awareness survey to inform a customized program aimed at fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace. Verrill Dana recruits from law schools with diverse student populations and diversity pledges that mirror its own. "We've been working for 15 years with various schools that have high- diversity student populations, trying to become more familiar to them and successfully attract students to our sum- mer associate program in Maine," says Michele Pattenaude, the HR director. "at's probably not unlike the approach taken years ago in attracting women to the firm." Female retention Like other law firms its size, Bernstein Shur brings in about equal numbers of women and men at the entry level, says Joan Fortin, a shareholder and director of attorney recruiting. "At the moment, exactly 50% of our associates are women," Fortin says. "But the transition from associ- ate to equity partner is where many women drop out and don't make it to that final step. So the overall ratio of men to women isn't the story. It's the ratio along each stage of the career path that is important." Retention was part of the thinking behind Bernstein Shur's recently revised parental leave policy. Highlights include 16 weeks of paid leave, eliminating the distinction between primary and sec- ondary caregivers and between attorneys and staff, and time-flexibility. Benefiting both women and men eliminates gen- der-role stereotypes, which presume the mother is the primary caregiver. e firm will soon adopt a remote work policy, formalizing flexibility already in place for attorneys. Moving away from manda- tory face time allows attorneys to remain in the loop for projects, promotions and higher income, Fortin adds. Aiming for pay parity, she created a chart showing factors that went into offers to new attorney hires, so future new offers can be compared objectively against past offers. "at was my rudimentary effort to make sure we were being consistent and that women were getting offers that were as good as offers that went to men," she says. "I didn't do that because there was a problem. ere just didn't appear to be a system." Additionally, new offers are based on appropriate salaries, rather than assuming candidates will negotiate up — since research shows women are less likely to negotiate salaries. Continuing to evolve Recruitment of female attorneys is actually the less complicated part of the equation, says David Barry, managing partner of Pierce Atwood in Portland. "e more challenging piece is retention," Barry says. "is is not spe- cific to Pierce Atwood. It's endemic in the profession. e attrition level among women lawyers is considerably higher than it is among men. e demands and inflexibility of the profession underlie that, and it is a continuing challenge." In 1945, Pierce Atwood became the first major law firm in Maine to hire a female attorney, Sigrid Tompkins. In 1953, she became the first female partner at a Maine law firm. Today, women serve in leadership roles across the firm. "I remember from my early days here, there was a sensitivity and aware- ness of the need to pay attention to gender equality issues and to provide a working environment where women would have strong opportunities," says Barry, who has been with Pierce Atwood for 30 years. He and his pre- decessor as managing partner, Gloria Pinza, became partners in the firm around the same time. "Gloria spoke many times over the years about the value and the importance of the firm's flexibility, and awareness of the need for flexibility, in allowing her and other women to both pursue their careers in a successful way and also to have the ability to deal with other aspects and demands of their lives. So I think this has been a long-standing and ongoing awareness at the firm." Today, a third of Pierce Atwood's attorneys are women. e firm contin- ues to work to achieve gender equality through hiring, says Barry. Initiatives include flexible work schedules and generous paid parental leave policies, to help lawyers and their families balance the demands of pro- fessional and personal lives. e firm is also a founding and con- tinuing sponsor of the Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute, a three- year program that prepares high school girls for future leadership roles in the Maine economy. In 2006, the firm established a diver- sity and inclusion committee to develop initiatives to diversify its workforce and educate firm members on diversity. Outcomes It can be difficult to quantify correla- tions between the various programs and gender/diversity numbers, leaders agree. But, they also agree, discussions around gender and diversity are timely. Says Barry, "It's certainly something the legal profession is spending time and focus on, because the challenges are real. You can have all of the policies you want, but that's not the complete answer. Equally important is the will and the effort needed to create a culture where diversity and gender equality are both valued and encouraged, as well as creating and maintaining an environ- ment where everyone has an opportu- nity to succeed and flourish." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber@mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Maine Law and diversity M aine Law's programs promote equality and diversity in the workplace, Dean Danielle Conway says. Diversification, she says, "will create more cohesion in the community because people in the community will see people who look like them in these important profes- sions." A few examples: Clinical programs, moot courts, Maine Law Review and Ocean and Coastal Law Journal allow students of diverse backgrounds to find their voices. Women's Law Association, LGBT Law & Policy Group, Multicultural Law Society increase awareness. Justice For Women lectures focus on justice for females in the devel- oping world. PreLaw Undergraduate Scholars Program immerses students underrepresented in law — peo- ple of color, first-generation col- lege-goers, those challenged by poverty or from rural communities. [T]he overall ratio of men to women isn't the story. It's the ratio along each stage of the career path that is important. — Joan Fortin Director of attorney recruiting, Bernstein Shur People of color Women of color Openly LGBTQ Persons with disabilities Associates Non-equity partners Equity partners N AT I O N A L D I V E R S I T Y N U M B E R S ( 2 0 1 8 ) S O U R C E : National Association of Women Lawyers Women in senior positions Minorities with equity partnerships 8% 47% 30% 20% 2% 2% >1% Female equity partner earnings average 88% of male earnings Men Women

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