International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP was today named by Working Mother magazine as one of the 2017 “Best Law Firms for Women,” in recognition of using best practices in retaining and promoting women lawyers. The annual list recognizes 50 U.S. law firms for their policies in the advancement of women and for the implementation of work-life balance initiatives. This is the tenth time Dorsey has been recognized.

“We are committed to being a women-friendly workplace and having the policies and infrastructure in place to enable our attorneys to manage their professional and personal lives in the way that works best for them. We believe this benefits our lawyers, the Firm as a whole, and, most importantly, our clients,” said Ken Cutler, Dorsey’s Managing Partner. “We are pleased to be recognized once again as a Best Law Firm for Women.”

The full list of the 2017 Working Mother Best Law Firms for Women is posted here with highlights on representation of women and women of color in key leadership roles, and usage and promotion rates for reduced-hour lawyers, among other key points. For the first time, Working Mother worked in collaboration with the ABA Journal as a knowledge partner.

“The ABA Journal is delighted to be part of the Best Law Firms for Women project that explores in depth what’s really working at law firms to fill the diversity gap and ensure women are getting the support and resources they need to advance,” says Molly McDonough, editor & publisher, The ABA Journal. The ABA Journal’s companion feature will appear in October.

Here are highlights from the 2017 Working Mother Best Law Firms for Women data:

  • Over the last 10 years, the percentage of female equity partners has increased to 20% from 16% and female non-equity partners has grown to 30% from 22% at the Best Law Firms. This year, the Best Law Firms employ more female equity partners (20%) than the national average (18%).* Source: National Association of Women Lawyers.
  • Among their Top 10 rainmakers, 83% of the top firms have at least one woman.
  • Since last year, the number of paid weeks of maternity leave offered at the Best Law Firms increased one week to an average of 16 weeks. Yet the average number of weeks of maternity leave taken by lawyer moms stayed the same, at 14. An average of 8 weeks of paid paternity leave was offered with an average of 4 weeks taken.
  • A majority (53%) of all lawyers at the top firms report working remotely, the most popular flex option among both male and female lawyers at every level, which is offered by all of the winning firms.