Infobit: Since 1985, law schools have been graduating classes of new lawyers that are 40% or more female. Yet in 1996, only 14.2% of law firm partners were women, and in 2005, only 17.2% were women. (Note: this figure is for all partners; the number of equity partners is lower.) Source: Catalyst. At this rate of increase, women should make up half of law firm partners by the year 2115.

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PAR has been researching and compiling best practices for law firms and other legal employers for more than a decade, and is pleased to be able to share its findings here. Each best practice addresses an aspect of creating and implementing a balanced hour program, and follows PAR's policy of recommending only practices that are already being used successfully in the business world. We will update this list from time to time; please check back often.

We want to hear from you about best practices for law firms. What is your firm doing to provide non-stigmatized alternative work schedules? What is it doing to retain and advance women and minority attorneys? Let us know your experiences, thoughts, and questions by sending us an email.

Best Practice#1: Appoint a Balanced Hour Coordinator

A Balanced Hours Coordinator is a partner or administrator with a direct report to the head of the firm who is appointed by the firm to oversee the successful implementation and administration of its balanced hours program. Firms need a Balanced Hours Coordinator . . . [read more]

Best Practice #2: Make Balanced Hours Available to All Attorneys

Making balanced hours available to all attorneys is a best practice that prevents several common problems traditionally faced by part-time programs. . . . [read more]

Best Practice #3: Adhere to the Principle of Proportionality

Proportionality is fundamental to a balanced hours program's success, particularly in these key areas: salary, bonuses, benefits, and . . . [read more]

Best Practice #4: Build an Effective Implementation Plan

Many firms will say, "we have a reduced hours policy, but it doesn't work,"- that is, it hasn't stemmed attrition or improved recruiting, morale, and client service. The most likely problem is . . . [read more]

Best Practice #5: Adopt a Written Policy

A key component of a balanced hours program is a written policy. To create a plicy that will be uniquely effective at your particular firm, . . . [read more]

Best Practice #6: Develop Individualized Schedules

A universally available policy cannot be one-size-fits-all, but rather must provide enough flexibility to fit specific individual situations. Flexibility applies not only to . . . [read more]

Best Practice #7: Check for Assignment Disparity

If you're familiar with PAR's research, you know that a major penalty for attorneys who reduce their hours is the loss of good assignments. PAR has heard reports of attorneys being passed over for challenging and interesting assignments, being relegated to document reviews, and even being told to change their practice areas to do more rote work. PAR has also heard [read more]

Best Practice #8: Provide Tech Support with that Technology

Making balanced hours programs effective often involves encouraging attorneys and staff to use technology to work more efficiently. All too often, however, technology can create frustration and major inefficiencies. . . . [read more]

Best Practice #9: Hold Partners Accountable

If an inflexible workplace hurts the bottom line, it follows that managers who fail to implement effective work/life initiatives hurt profitability. And managers who hurt profitability typically feel it in their compensation. . . . [read more]

Best Practice #10: Job Share

Job sharing is a work arrangement that allows two attorneys to share a single position. Nonlawyers have been job sharing for decades. Corporate counsel and government attorneys are already successfully job sharing, and a couple of law firms have. . . [read more]

Best Practice #11: Curb Email on Weekends

It’s a 24/7 world, where we have Blackberries, text messaging, and instant access to everyone and everything at our fingertips.  Not so long ago you had to be in your office to do work—no longer.  With this new freedom to work anywhere at anytime, attorneys are . . .  [read more ]

Best Practice #12: Move Toward Mass Career Customization

Most organizations offer flexible work arrangements as accommodations and exceptions to the "norm" of full-time work. Yet the American workforce has changed significantly in the past generation: only 17% of today's households have a breadwinner husband and stay-at-home wife - down from 63% a few generations ago.

This means that the old-fashioned assumption that committed professionals will be available for work virtually 24/7, because they have someone else taking care of the home front is no longer realistic. Today's corporations are [read more]