NEW YORK, July 24, 2017: Morgan Lewis has been named one of the “Best Law Firms for Female Attorneys” as part of Law360’s Glass Ceiling Report, with the firm tying for the #6 spot on the list among law firms with 600 or more US-based lawyers.
Rankings were based on the percentage of female lawyers both at the nonpartner and partner level, with firms grouped based on US lawyer headcount. In a workforce that is more than 40 percent female, “the firms on this list are outpacing their peers in breaking down the old boys’ club and moving the industry toward a more inclusive status quo,” according to the publication.
For the report, Morgan Lewis Chair Jami McKeon was asked by Law360 to share her perspective on gender diversity as one of the industry’s female leaders “who have beaten the odds.” Ms. McKeon touched on several of the firm’s initiatives to empower women in the profession, including by providing training on implicit bias to clients and partners; offering an industry-leading remote working program to associates; and supporting organizations such as the ABA and Harvard Law that are advancing the role of women in law. In addition, Law360 noted in the report the firm’s early adoption of the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule, which challenges firms to commit to ensuring that at least 30 percent of the candidates considered for firm leadership and governance roles are women and attorneys of color.
“We are proud of the investments we’ve made to ensure that our firm is leading the way in breaking through the historic barriers to leadership facing women,” said Ms. McKeon. “That we have a female chair and many other female leaders sends a strong signal that there is no glass ceiling at Morgan Lewis, but we hope that the profession will progress to the point where this is not such an unusual circumstance.”