Although we have made great strides in our efforts to retain and advance experienced women, there is always room for improvement
DENVER, Colorado (PRWEB) March 11, 2016
Holland & Hart is honored to be one of 54 top law firms participating in the first-ever nationwide initiative aimed at tackling recruitment, advancement, and retention of experienced women in law firms. Diversity Lab, an organization that creates diversity initiatives to help firms find and keep the best talent, is launching its inaugural “Women in Law Hackathon,” a Shark Tank-style pitch competition designed to generate innovative ideas to close the gender gap in law firms. Partner Chris Groll, current leader of Holland & Hart’s Mergers & Acquisitions practice, is one of two Colorado lawyers joining participants throughout the nation comprised largely of law firm managing partners, practice group chairs, or high-level leaders.
Teams will work together virtually from January to June 2016 to develop initiatives and will present their ideas in-person to a panel of high-profile judges at the Pitch Event at Stanford Law School June 23-24, 2016. The top three winning teams will grant the prize money donated by Bloomberg Law (1st place $10,000, 2nd place $7,500, 3rd place $5,000) to their choice of a non-profit organization that is advancing women in the legal profession and beyond. Each team consists of six partners, two talent/diversity thought leader advisors, and a Stanford law student.
While the number of women in the legal profession and in law firms has steadily risen over the past 20 years, a mere 18% of women are equity partners according to a 2015 report by the National Association of Women in Law. Holland & Hart has been at the forefront of developing policies and programs that support women in becoming partners, pursuing firm leadership roles, and as working mothers. As of January, 2016, 28% of the firm’s partners are women and 34% of the firm’s lawyers are women. “Although we have made great strides in our efforts to retain and advance experienced women, there is always room for improvement,” says Holland & Hart Chair Liz Sharrer. “We look forward to learning from the collective wisdom of the Hackathon participants and hope to implement some of the recommended initiatives.”
To learn more about the event, visit Diversity Lab’s website.
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About Holland & Hart
Established in 1947, Holland & Hart is a full service, national law firm that today has more than 500 lawyers in 15 offices across the Mountain West and in Washington, D.C. delivering integrated legal solutions to regional, national, and international clients of all sizes. Holland & Hart’s attorneys have consistently been recognized by leading national and international peer and industry review organizations for innovation and dedication to the practice of law. Holland & Hart has been named five times as one of the 50 Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers and has received Gold Standard Certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum for five consecutive years. For more information, visit http://www.hollandhart.com.