Redwood Analytics

The August 2007 California Lawyer included a lengthy article titled “Mothers {IN LAW}” by Laura McClure that carried the subtitle A new generation of women is changing the way law firms operate.

Whenever I write about this subject, I get e-mail reminding me that the work/life balance dilemma is not a gender issue. When I mention the demand of child rearing, I am reminded that some men now take on that role. Nevertheless, the importance of this issue has grown with the increase of women in the talent pool. And regardless of the exceptions, the role of child rearing still falls predominantely on mothers both married and single.

Why is the issue so important for law firm leaders? It is simple: 50 percent or more of the new lawyers are women. Somehow, some way, law firms have to discover how to become a friendlier place for mothers. I do believe that the most profound quote in the article was that of Jennifer Altfeld Landau, a partner in the Los Angeles office of Sidley Austin. She said, “Of course it’s possible to have it all. The secret is that you can’t have it all, all of the time….”

We are driven by our personal “goals” and motherhood is on the list, along with other goals, for the majority of women professionals. Within any business, each member of the team has a “role” to play. There is a relationship between a person’s goals and the role they are expected to perform. An organization cannot expect people to successfully perform in roles that do not match their goals—you can’t motivate people to succeed in roles inconsistent with their goals without conflict. Likewise, our goals as individuals may not be achievable unless our role in the business is changed. Roles and goals must be in harmony.

That harmony between the motherhood goal and the role expected of mothers in the work force is what is missing in most law firms today. To accommodate talented and contributing individuals, management must be willing to vary the “roles”, the “organizational expectations”, available to individuals. It means that “work flexibility” has to be accompanied by “role flexibility.” To provide work hour and workplace flexibility without a matching “role” is simply a recipe for failure. It does not mean that the role they can play is any less important or that it is not an important role in the enterprise’s pursuit of its objectives.

Carving out a compatible “role” is going to be hard for many firms especially midrange firms. Those that do can tap a highly capable segment of the talent pool. Those that don’t succeed at carving out such roles will be at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting young female associates. For many midrange firms, their best opportunity for tapping this important segment of the talent pool is to be an inviting and attractive place for full-time reentry into the profession as the demands of child rearing diminish with time.

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