Initiative on the Advancement and Retention of Women

Melanie Vartabedian, Evelyn Furse, and Lisa Yerkovich (not pictured) giving presentation on the Initiative at the Sun Valley Retreat

As of October 30, 2010:

Today Women Lawyers of Utah (“WLU”) releases “The Utah Report: The Initiative on the Advancement and Retention of Women in Law Firms”—a groundbreaking report addressing why Utah law firms have trouble retaining and advancing women attorneys.

The Utah Report is the culmination of the organization’s Initiative on the Advancement and Retention of Women Attorneys. The Initiative was a four year journey to answer two basic questions: (1) Do Utah law firms face greater challenges retaining and promoting female attorneys than male attorneys? (2) If so, what concrete, unbiased actions can Utah law firms and Utah attorneys take to meet these challenges?

To answer the first question, and if it was answered in the affirmative to isolate the causes, WLU worked with professionals to survey the legal community. Following the survey, WLU held symposia – the first to explore the challenge further with the help of industry experts and the second to begin developing best practices.

The Initiative confirmed what many have feared and experienced for years: Utah firms are having difficulty retaining and advancing female attorneys. But more fascinating are the reasons why. Although many have attributed female attorney departures as an unexplainable mystery or due solely to childbearing and family responsibilities, the survey responses demonstrated certain themes – some shocking – that are occurring in Utah law firms.

Highlights include that a startling amount of sexual harassment and sex discrimination occur in the legal workplace in Utah. Incidents of gender bias also emerged as a consistent theme in the survey responses. Other issues identified include a lack of mentoring of women attorneys, a failure to include women attorneys in social activities, leading to a sense of isolation for women attorneys, unequal compensation for women attorneys, and a failure to promote women attorneys to partnership.

The Utah Report makes concrete suggestions for how Utah attorneys and law firms can help address this situation. These suggestions are made with the underlying assumption that firms are businesses that exist to make money and that firms want women lawyers to succeed.

To see full final report, please click WLU Initiative Report .

To see the executive summary, please click WLU Executive Summary .

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As of November 16, 2009:

Women Lawyers of Utah are diligently working on their Initiative on the Retention and Advancement of Women Attorneys in Law Firms. Two symposia were held on the related topics in 2009.

The first symposium was held on May 21, 2009 at the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse and it addressed the topic Identifying the Problem and How It Hurts Your Bottom Line. Chief Justice Durham moderated the event and introduced the topics: The Unveiling of the Retention Survey Results, Discussion of the Best Business Practices, and The Financial Implications of Retention. The special guests included Cynthia T. Calvert, co-director PAR at UC Hastings College of Law and Blane R. Prescott, the Hildebrandt Institute — nationally recognized experts on retention issues in the work place. The symposium also featured prominent local attorneys and judges.

The second symposium was held on June 25, 2009 at the Federal Courthouse in Judge Benson’s courtroom and it addressed the issues of Moving Forward and Best Management Practices. The symposium included a presentation from Mary Crane, a nationally recognized expert on generational issues in the workplace, and discussions moderated by Karen Lockwood of the Lockwood Group, LLC, about the best practices for retaining and advancing women attorneys.

Thank you so much to all the generous Sponsors of the Initiative:


COMMITTED SPONSORS
As of May 4, 2009

Platinum Sponsors
	Utah State Bar	$10,000.00
	Holme Roberts & Owen LLP	$10,000.00
	Howrey LLP	$10,000.00

Gold Sponsors
	Kirton & McConkie	$ 5,000.00
	Ray Quinney & Nebeker PC	$ 5,000.00
	Stoel Rives LLP	$ 5,000.00

Silver Sponsors
	Chapman and Cutler LLP	$ 2,500.00
	Dewsnup King & Olsen	$ 2,500.00
	Dorsey & Whitney, LLP	$ 2,500.00
	Durham Jones & Pinegar PC	$ 2,500.00
	Parr Brown Gee & Loveless	$ 2,500.00
	Parsons Behle & Latimer	$ 2,500.00
	Snell & Wilmer LLP	$ 2,500.00
	VanCott Bagley Cornwall & McCarthy	$ 2,500.00
Bronze Sponsors
	Clyde Snow Sessions & Swenson	$ 1,000.00
	Cohne Rappaport & Segal, P.C.	$ 1,000.00
	Fabian & Clendenin	$ 1,000.00
	J. Reuben Clark Law School	$ 1,000.00
	Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough	$ 1,000.00
	Parsons Kinghorn Harris	$ 1,000.00
	Prince Yeates & Geldzahler	$ 1,000.00
	Richards Brandt Miller & Nelson	$ 1,000.00
	Women Lawyers of Utah, Inc.	$ 2,000.00
Small Firm Sponsors
	Jane Reister Conard, LLC	$ 250.00
	Kruse Landa Maycock & Ricks, LLC	$ 750.00
	Strindberg & Scholnick	$ 500.00
	Young, Hoffman, Strassberg & Ensor, LLP	$ 250.00
Other/In Kind Sponsors
	Utah State Bar Litigation Section	$ 500.00
	Utah State Bar Young Lawyers Division	$ 500.00
	Utah Minority Bar Association	$ 250.00
	Stephen W. Owens	$ 100.00