Goodwin has been recognized as a “Best Law Firm for Women” by Working Mother magazine for the ninth consecutive year. The annual report recognizes 60 U.S. law firms that utilize best practices around retaining and promoting women lawyers.
"The law firms that make Working Mother's list are remarkable for their long-term commitment to retaining and promoting women lawyers," said Meredith Bodgas, editor-in-chief of Working Mother. "One hundred percent of these firms provide flexible work arrangements and 57 percent of them offer sponsorship programs for high-potential women lawyers. That's resulted in a jump in the number of women equity partners to 21 percent."
Goodwin actively supports the development, retention and advancement of its lawyers through a number of efforts, including its firm-sponsored Women@Goodwin initiative, which maximizes networking and career opportunities for women at the firm and fosters critical dialogue about gender diversity. The initiative provides mentorship and sponsorship opportunities and focuses on innovative programming on topics such as professional development, business development, career paths, leadership and work/life integration. The work of Women@Goodwin is complemented by a best-in-class Flex(ability)@Goodwin program, which offers gender-neutral and need-blind opportunities for lawyers to work remotely and adopt reduced or alternative hours arrangements.
The 2018 Working Mother “Best Law Firms for Women” application included more than 300 questions about attorney representation, schedule flexibility, paid time off and parental leaves, and development and retention of women. The ABA Journal acted as a partner in recruiting participant firms and publicizing results.
Working Mother founded the Best Law Firms for Women report in 2007 to recognize firms that lead the industry in initiatives for women’s business development and career advancement, plus offer flexible work arrangements and generous paid parental leave, among other important benefits.