April.22.2022
For the 10th year in a row, Yale Law Women has selected Orrick as a top firm for workplace equity. This year the firm is No. 1 for both Agency & Flexibility and Diversity – two of the five metrics YLW’s Top Firms Report 2022 identifies as key to associate happiness and success.
“We’re incredibly grateful to YLW for the accountability they bring to our profession – and for recognizing Orrick,” said Chairman Mitch Zuklie. “It’s clear there’s much to be fixed about our profession. At Orrick, we’re seeking to think differently about how to make legal careers inspiring, sustainable and inclusive as we prepare for the workplace of the future – and YLW’s report is one of the ways we are listening. We’re also very fortunate to have the guidance of the nine women on our Board and Management Committee.”
YLW’s Diversity Award looks at attorney diversity, hiring and retention, and diverse representation in leadership. Some of Orrick’s areas of focus include collaborating with clients to enhance the diversity of their Orrick teams; pairing every Black and Latinx managing associate with a sponsor who is a member of our Management Committee or Board (a senior leadership that is 50% diverse); and a Racial Justice Fellowship Program, through which we’ve made a four-year commitment to embed five experienced associates annually with organizations working on the frontlines to address civil rights, criminal justice reform, social justice and economic equity.
The Agency & Flexibility Award recognizes caregiver support and paid leave policies, as well as agile-working options. At Orrick, agency and flexibility begins with recognizing the importance of time for reflection and recovery after periods of intensive work. We became the first law firm to make it truly possible to unplug by giving lawyers 40 hours of creditable time for it each year. Our commitment to flexible working is longstanding – and a quarter of the partners we promoted this year work on a flexible schedule. We’ve also long provided 16 weeks of paid leave for all parental caregivers and another eight weeks of benefits for birth parents.
Orrick also received an honorable mention in the Compensation category.