Seramount Recognizes Stinson as One of the “Best Law Firms for Women”

06.22.2021

Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media) revealed their Best Law Firms for Women today, recognizing firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting and developing women lawyers. Stinson LLP was among the 50 firms that earned spots on this year’s list.

"At Stinson, we recognize how hard the practice of law in a large law firm can be and try our best to mitigate attitudes, behaviors, and structures that would adversely impact women and other diverse populations. That's why I'm proud to receive this recognition, which affirms our commitment to making Stinson a great place to work for everyone," said Ann Jenrette-Thomas, Stinson's chief diversity and inclusion officer. "Diversity, equity and inclusion is one of Stinson's core values and strategic initiatives, and we will continue to strive to create a workplace where women feel like they belong and can thrive."

The list highlights law firms that averaged 25 percent women among equity partners, compared with 23 percent last year, and women represented 40 percent of all lawyers overall (up from 39 percent in 2020). Of all female equity partners, 16 percent were multicultural, and multicultural women represented 27 percent of overall women lawyers (up from 26 percent). The application includes more than 300 questions about attorney demographics at different levels, schedule flexibility, paid time off and parental leaves, and development and retention of women. This year, in light of COVID-19, several questions were added about the success of working from home for lawyers.

A few key parental-leave, work-life and career-advancement initiatives taking place at firms featured on the list:

• 100% of firms let new parents come back to work at reduced hours.
• The average number of paid parental leave offered is 13 weeks, the same as the previous year.
• 86% of firms offer subsidized in-home backup childcare.
• 72% of the firms on the list have formal sponsorship, and 74% have formal succession planning.

This recognition builds on Stinson's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which are led by Jenrette-Thomas and the firm's Diversity Committee. Stinson's efforts aim to create a diverse and welcoming environment for all, with flexible work policies, employee resource groups, and programs centered on career success and advancement.

“We know that women have left the workplace in droves since the onset of COVID-19,” said Subha V. Barry, CEO of Seramount. “But the fact that representation of women equity partners, and women lawyers overall, has increased during this turbulent time just shows how supportive our Best Law Firms for Women are to parents and caregivers. They stepped up and offered increased flexibility and new benefit programs to help this critical talent pool balance both work and homelife.”

Most recently, Stinson received top marks in the Human Rights Campaign's 2021 Corporate Equality Index, joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, and is designated as a Mansfield Certified Plus law firm.

Seramount is a strategic professional-services firm dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Over four decades, partnering with some of the most iconic companies in the world, they've built a deep, data-driven understanding of the employee experience. They have empowered more than 450 organizations to realize the business benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion.