Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Comment:
This is really hard to accept at face value. Perhaps the choices were delimited to those with a neutral tone. I'll bet participants were not allowed to select:
cut throat, shark pool, money-grubbing, soul-destroying....
The Kinder, Gentler Law Firm?: Attorneys Cite Progressive Practices at Their Organizations in New Survey
MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- When you think of words to
describe a law firm's culture, what comes to mind? Formal? Competitive? Not
so, say attorneys. When surveyed recently about their work environments, the
top adjectives used were "team oriented" (76 percent), "family friendly"
(36 percent) and "casual" (30 percent).
The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a leading staffing service
specializing in attorneys, paralegals and other highly skilled legal
professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes
responses from 100 attorneys among the nation's 1,000 largest law firms in the
United States and Canada.
Attorneys were asked, "Which two of the following adjectives best describe
your law firm's culture?" Their responses:*
Team oriented 76%
Family friendly 36%
Casual 30%
Fast paced 26%
Competitive 24%
Formal 4%
Academic 3%
* Participants were allowed more than one answer.
"Managing cases has always required collaboration among lawyers because of
the scope and complexity of the work. One difference today is that a broader
range of legal professionals are actively involved," said Charles Volkert,
executive director of Robert Half Legal. "Paralegals, for instance, are
handling more billable tasks and assuming responsibilities previously held by
attorneys, such as conducting preliminary research and preparing legal
documents."
Volkert added, "Greater work/life balance is a priority for employees in
all professions, and many law firms are responding by reassessing their
corporate cultures and providing family-friendly benefits and a more relaxed
atmosphere at the office."
This is really hard to accept at face value. Perhaps the choices were delimited to those with a neutral tone. I'll bet participants were not allowed to select:
cut throat, shark pool, money-grubbing, soul-destroying....
The Kinder, Gentler Law Firm?: Attorneys Cite Progressive Practices at Their Organizations in New Survey
MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- When you think of words to
describe a law firm's culture, what comes to mind? Formal? Competitive? Not
so, say attorneys. When surveyed recently about their work environments, the
top adjectives used were "team oriented" (76 percent), "family friendly"
(36 percent) and "casual" (30 percent).
The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a leading staffing service
specializing in attorneys, paralegals and other highly skilled legal
professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes
responses from 100 attorneys among the nation's 1,000 largest law firms in the
United States and Canada.
Attorneys were asked, "Which two of the following adjectives best describe
your law firm's culture?" Their responses:*
Team oriented 76%
Family friendly 36%
Casual 30%
Fast paced 26%
Competitive 24%
Formal 4%
Academic 3%
* Participants were allowed more than one answer.
"Managing cases has always required collaboration among lawyers because of
the scope and complexity of the work. One difference today is that a broader
range of legal professionals are actively involved," said Charles Volkert,
executive director of Robert Half Legal. "Paralegals, for instance, are
handling more billable tasks and assuming responsibilities previously held by
attorneys, such as conducting preliminary research and preparing legal
documents."
Volkert added, "Greater work/life balance is a priority for employees in
all professions, and many law firms are responding by reassessing their
corporate cultures and providing family-friendly benefits and a more relaxed
atmosphere at the office."
Monday, December 20, 2004
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal
From the December 20, 2004 print edition
Diversity 'call' has teeth
Andrew F. Hamm
"Several large Silicon Valley corporations are putting their legal budgets where their social commitments have been by pledging to hire only outside law firms that can demonstrate an ability to diversify their workforce.
More than 70 Fortune 500 companies have signed on to the so-called "Call to Action" campaign that has law firms across the country scrambling to prove their offices are open to women and minorities. But statistics show Silicon Valley firms are particularly well positioned to meet the challenge, with workplace diversity numbers that are at or ahead of the national averages...
The feeling is that a law firm whose employees mirror the population as a whole will have a better understanding of real world issues, says Veta Richardson, executive director of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association."
From the December 20, 2004 print edition
Diversity 'call' has teeth
Andrew F. Hamm
"Several large Silicon Valley corporations are putting their legal budgets where their social commitments have been by pledging to hire only outside law firms that can demonstrate an ability to diversify their workforce.
More than 70 Fortune 500 companies have signed on to the so-called "Call to Action" campaign that has law firms across the country scrambling to prove their offices are open to women and minorities. But statistics show Silicon Valley firms are particularly well positioned to meet the challenge, with workplace diversity numbers that are at or ahead of the national averages...
The feeling is that a law firm whose employees mirror the population as a whole will have a better understanding of real world issues, says Veta Richardson, executive director of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association."
