Flex-Time Lawyers

2009 BEST LAW FIRMS FOR WOMEN INITIATIVE
Press Release: The 2009 Best Law Firms for Women

Executive Summary: Highlights of Work/Life and Women Trends from the 2009 Best Law Firms for Women Survey
In 2009, law firms across the country participated in a national survey conducted by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC. We now release from that survey the third annual list of the 50 Best Law Firms for Women. We measured firms on a variety of factors including: workforce profile; family-friendly benefits and policies; flexibility; compensation; leadership; and, development and advancement of women.

Deborah Epstein Henry, Esq., Founder & President, Flex-Time Lawyers LLC (left) & Carol Evans, CEO, Working Mother
Media (right)

"We are proud of our 2009 Best Law Firms for Women because they understand that when the market improves, the war for talent will return and they will be better positioned to recruit and retain the best and brightest. Big salaries and bonuses will no longer be the pivotal means for firms to draw the best talent, and culture and environment will become more important ways for firms to distinguish themselves."

Deborah Epstein Henry

"The recession has created a shift in the legal industry and now is the time to push through mutually-beneficial, cost-effective reforms that directly benefit work-life balance and allow working moms to succeed both at home and in the court room. We salute the 2009 Best Law Firms for recognizing that making the legal profession work for women is good business for everyone."

Carol Evans

REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2011 BEST LAW FIRMS FOR WOMEN
To register for the 2011 Best Law Firms for Women and learn more, please click here . Applications will be available in November 2010. Winning firms will be announced in the August/September 2011 issue of Working Mother.

Dear Colleagues,

Without a doubt, 2009 was a challenging year, for both the legal profession and the publishing industry. With that in mind, and after much discussion, Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers have decided to move the Best Law Firms for Women initiative to a new schedule.

Best Law Firms for Women will return in 2011. The application for 2011 will be available in November 2010, with the winners published in the August/September 2011 issue of Working Mother. The Roundtable and Award Luncheon will be held in September 2011, in New York City.

All firms currently registered for the 2010 application will remain registered for the 2011 application. Registered firms will also receive notifications regarding any informational calls about the 2011 application or other necessary information throughout the coming year.

The 2009 Best Law Firms for Women benchmarking reports are now available. The benchmarking reports provide extensive data in the five categories in the application: workforce profile; family friendly benefits and policies; flexibility; leadership, compensation and advancement of women; and, retention and promotion of women. The report compares an individual firm’s data to three invaluable benchmarks: the 50 winning firms; winning firms of the individual firm’s size; and, winning firms in the individual firm’s region or any 10 winning firms an individual firm selects. Contact Kristen Willoughby at Kristen.willoughby@workingmother.com for more information.

WORKING MOTHER ARTICLES ABOUT THE 2009 NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE BEST LAW FIRMS FOR WOMEN
The 2009 50 Best Law Firms for Women
By Renee Cordes, Patty Orsini, Joanna Ramey, Sarah Scalet and Vicki M. Young
August/September 2009 issue

The Curious Case of the Flexible Lawyer
By Katherine Bowers
August/September 2009 issue

The Laws of Finding Work/Life Balance
By Katherine Bowers
August/September 2009 issue

Video: Lawyers & Work-Life Balance
Claudia Trupp, author of Hard Time & Nursery Rhymes: A Mother's Tales of Law and Disorder

PRESS ABOUT THE 2009 NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE BEST LAW FIRMS FOR WOMEN
October 2009, The National Jurist
By Michelle Weyenberg
Best Law Firms for Women

September 18, 2009, The American Lawyer
By Vivia Chen
Bad Economy: A Boon for Women Lawyers?

August 29, 2009, AmericaJR
By Garrett Godwin
Working Mother Announces Best Law Firms for Balancing Career and Family

August 26, 2009, examiner.com
By Jace Shoemaker-Galloway
50 Best Law Firms for Women

August 20, 2009, IndyStar.com
By Dana Hunsinger
Ice Miller Wins Kudos as Women's Employer

August 17, 2009, Patent Baristas
By Stephen Albainy-Jenei
Frost Brown Todd Named a Top Fifty Law Firm for Women

August 17, 2009, Charlottesville Daily Progress
By The Daily Progress Staff
CBJ: Business Briefcase

August 15, 2009, RajeshRR.com
Working Mother on the Best Firms for Work Life Balance

August 15, 2009, Trial.com
Bass, Berry & Sims Named A 2009 Best Law Firm for Women

August 14, 2009, Queen Sharon
By Queen Sharon
Best Law Firm for Women

August 14, 2009, Minnesota Business
"Best Law Firm for Women" Goes to Gray Plant Mooty

August 14, 2009, On the Record
By Caryn Tamber
McGuireWoods Scaling Back Summer Program?

August 14, 2009, Darling Hill
By ink
Working Mother Names 2009 Best Big Law Firms for Women

August 14, 2009, examiner.com
By Amy Impellizeri
New York Law Firms Dominate Working Mother Magazine's "50 Best Law Firms for Women"

August 14, 2009, Out of the Jungle
By Betsy McKenzie
Working Mother on the Best Firms for Work Life Balance

August 13, 2009, Long Island Business News
By Michael H. Samuels
Moms Love Littler Mendelson

August 12, 2009, The Denver Post
Colorado Business

August 12, 2009, The Wall Street Journal
By Ashby Jones
The 51st Best Law Firm For Women? The Anonymous Lawyer Weighs In

August 12, 2009, Business Courier
By Lucy May
Frost Brown Todd Among Best Firms for Women

August 12, 2009, Memphis Daily News
Bass Berry Among Top Firms for Women

August 12, 2009, The Tennessean
Bass, Berry & Sims is among Best Law Firms for Women

August 12, 2009, Richmond Times-Dispatch
By Staff Reports
McGuire Woods on List of Female-Friendly Law Firms

August 12, 2009, The New Lawyer
By Olivia Collings
Women Lawyers Work the GFC

August 11, 2009, Legal Intelligencer Blog
By Gina Passarella
Best Firms to Work for Women List Released

August 11, 2009, ABA Journal
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Top Law Firms Named for Working Moms; 62% Allow Full-Time Telecommuting

August 11, 2009, Above The Law
By Kashmir Hill
No Shame On These Biglaw Firms XX: Working Mother's 50 Best Law Firms for Women

August 11, 2009, Bitter Lawyer
Bitter News

August 11, 2009, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
By John Flynn Rooney
Six Offices in Chicago Make List of "Best Law Firms for Women"

August 11, 2009, Indianapolis Star
By Staff Reports
Indy Law Firm Named 1 of Most "Women-Friendly"

August 11, 2009, JD Journal
50 Best Law Firms for Women Announced

August 11, 2009, Law360
By Erin Fuchs
Top Firms For Women Offer Work-Life Balance

August 11, 2009, Law.com
By Carolyn Elefant
Economy Driving More Work/Life Balance at Law Firms

August 11, 2009, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal
By Sam Black
Three Minneapolis Law Firms Ranked as Women-Friendly

August 11, 2009, Ms. JD
By Kat
Working Mother Magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers Rates the Top 50 Law Firms for Women

August 11, 2009, dBusiness News
Smith Moore Leatherwood Selected as a Top Law Firm for Women

August 11, 2009, Houston Business Journal
Andrews Kurth, Vinson & Elkins among Best Law Firms for Women

August 11, 2009, The Nashville Post
By Geert De Lombaerde
Bass Berry is Good for Women

INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2008 NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE BEST LAW FIRMS FOR WOMEN RELEASED BY FLEX-TIME LAWYERS LLC AND WORKING MOTHER
(click here to open)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE 2007 NATIONAL SURVEY OF THE BEST LAW FIRMS FOR WOMEN RELEASED BY FLEX-TIME LAWYERS LLC AND WORKING MOTHER
(click here to open)