Orrick Makes News with Generous Parental Leave Policies

Progress — significant progress — was made yesterday when one American law firm leaped far ahead of the others in terms of paid time off for maternity leave.  That law firm, Orrick , Herrington & Sutcliffe, announced that it has increased its parental leave benefit and will now offer 22 paid weeks off for both its male and female attorneys.  And, lawyers also will have the option of taking a total of nine months off of work without the risk of losing their jobs.

That’s big, and it was “the buzz” at the Polsinelli law firm reception I attended last night in DC.  I was very pleased to be asked about it and to applaud Orrick.  One of the leaders behind the generous family-focused policies at Orrick is a friend of mine who works hard on behalf of all women lawyers.  Patricia Gillette, a partner at Orrick, is a major force for women in our profession, and I can see her influence all over this ground-breaking announcement.

As described in this article, the new policy adds four weeks of paid leave and two months of unpaid leave to the prior policy at Orrick.  It is reported to be the most generous policy offered among large U.S. law firms and includes provisions for non-attorney staff for up to 14 weeks of paid leave and seven months of unpaid leave.  The firm is also adding a “Leave Liaison” to help parents transition back to work as well as training for those in leadership for how to support parents. These new programs are in addition to existing law firm programs addressing onramping for parents and flexible work programs.

The most significant part of the announcement for me was the explanation by Orrick CEO, Mitch Zuklie, about the compelling reasons behind the new policies.  Those reasons center on a combination of what is right for the women and what is in the best business interests of the law firm. Here is how Mr. Zuklie stated it: ““Women are thriving in U.S. law schools at the same rates as men. But they are not thriving—in the right numbers—in law firms. … At Orrick, one way we’re seeking to attract women, and inspire them to stay and lead, is by expanding our parental leave policy.”

Hear, hear.  Read the entire article for more background on how law firm parental policies compare to other industries in America and how the US compares to other countries on these issues.  You may be very surprised at what you read.

And, for your additional reading pleasure and a bit of entertainment after a hard day at the office, enjoy this piece, which posits that men getting pregnant is the sure-fire route to women having it all!