Innovative Support
Alternate Work Arrangements
We have for many years officially recognized flexible work schedules which permit attorneys to modify the customary daily schedules and billable hour requirements to suit various personal demands. In many firms, adopting a flexible schedule is tantamount to renouncing election to partnership. At Locke Lord, our alternate work arrangement policy is expressly designed to avoid suspension of attorneys’ opportunities for professional growth and career development. The Firm’s policies provide for reduced-hour attorneys to attain or maintain full partnership. This provides incentive to valued, experienced attorneys to remain with the firm long-term so that these professionals actively enjoy a career which includes both flexibility and upward mobility.
Cross-Cultural Awareness
Locke Lord encourages and facilitates training and events which raise the diversity I.Q. of its workforce. We strive to provide opportunities for open discussion of the impact of differences on the work environment. Examples from 2006 to the present: firm-wide viewings of Crash, a film which candidly examines the complexities of cross-cultural co-existence in modern America, followed by group discussions; firm-wide cross-cultural competency training provided by outside experts; a training and facilitated discussion of privilege systems in America; sponsored outings to see plays such as Court Martial at Fort Devens, a play which graphically depicts the interplay of race and gender in the law in World War II era America and movies such as The Last King of Scotland; and training of mentors and protégés to facilitate mentoring across differences.
Diversity Business Development Initiative
The Firm is actively developing a mechanism for diverse attorneys throughout its offices to forge relationships and develop business. Both diverse and non-diverse attorneys participate in this initiative which is also designed to cultivate business development skills in associates and help them to reach developmental benchmarks. This is a tangible mechanism for the Firm to advance business development by its diverse attorney population, in much the same manner that particular practice groups’ marketing efforts are supported. The initiative not only promotes firm-wide business development and teamwork, but also another of its important goals - to provide more junior attorneys with a business development infrastructure thereby increasing their likely success, retention and promotion.
Domestic Partner Benefits
Benefits afforded to our employees and their spouses extend to both same sex and opposite sex domestic partners.
Paid Family Leave
All attorneys, regardless of seniority, are eligible for a total of up to twelve weeks of paid family leave. Additional unpaid leave is also available on a case-by case basis.
Partner Compensation
Participation in the Firm’s diversity efforts is an important criterion in evaluating partners for annual compensation purposes. Each year, our partners are assessed on their individual mentoring, diversity-related and other similar efforts. The Firm is now actively considering other mechanisms for encouraging every partner to individually act toward increasing and sustaining diversity.
Unity Lunches/Dinners
These Firm-sponsored events are planned and scheduled by and for the Firm’s diverse associates. This provides them with the opportunity to form relationships and discuss issues of mutual concern outside the Firm. This forum allows associates to develop their needs as a group and then communicate them to Firm leadership through their Diversity Committee representatives, the Director of Diversity or an outside consultant. At least once per year, diverse partners are asked to participate in these gatherings. A new component of these meetings are the “Exchanges” in which diverse partners from across the nation meet with associates in other offices in order to give advice, share work, answer questions and generally ensure that the associates feel connected to the Firm, each other and to the diverse partnership regardless of their location.