Honors and Awards
Ranking

Blank Rome Named a 2017 "Best Law Firm for Women" by Working Mother

Blank Rome LLP has been named one of the 2017 Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother magazine, marking the second year that the Firm has been recognized for its commitment to creating one of the best women-friendly workplaces in the United States. Working Mother’s annual list honors 50 U.S. law firms for their policies in the advancement of women, notably with regards to key factors such as female representation, flexibility, paid-time off and leaves of absence, leadership, and compensation and advancement, as well as the development and retention of women. The winning law firms will be honored at a special awards luncheon, which will be held at the Peninsula Chicago on October 4, 2017, following Working Mother’s annual Career Accelerator Summit.

“Blank Rome has a longstanding history of commitment to diversity and inclusion, and has been at the forefront of leading the legal industry with developing and promoting policies and programs aimed at advancing women in the workforce,” said Alan J. Hoffman, Blank Rome Chairman and Managing Partner. “Through our affinity groups such as the Women’s Forum, diversity programs, industry initiatives, and professional and personal development offerings—including mentoring opportunities and alternative work arrangements—we are actively engaged in fostering the next generation of female leaders at our Firm, and our proud of their achievements and successes as they grow within Blank Rome and our local communities.”

“Our Women’s Forum regularly meets and holds events designed to bring the Firm’s female attorneys and leaders together to support and promote career advancement, business development, leadership development, and overall strategies to succeed—both inside and outside of the Firm,” adds Lisa Casey Spaniel, Chair of the Firm’s Women’s Forum and Vice Chair and Partner of Blank Rome’s Intellectual Property and Technology group. “It’s truly an honor to be a part of such an inclusive, forward-thinking firm, and to be recognized for our role in advancing women in the legal industry.”

This year alone, the Firm was recognized by Bloomberg for its record women partner promotions as well as its participation in Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule pilot program, which measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered women and attorneys of color for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and lateral positions. Blank Rome has also partnered with Diversity Lab on other initiatives aimed at attaining and advancing women in the legal industry, including the OnRamp Fellowship program, an innovative, first-of-its-kind program that provides women lawyers re-entering the legal profession with an opportunity to update their skills and legal contacts through one-year, paid positions with top law firms, and the Women in Law Hackathon Alliance, an initiative designed to increase gender parity in the top ranks of the legal profession. The Hackathon Alliance follows Blank Rome’s participation in Diversity Lab’s first-ever Women in Law Hackathon in 2016, a Shark Tank-style competition aimed at advancing and retaining experienced women lawyers in law firms.

“As our Women’s Forum continues to grow and evolve, we look forward to expanding on our current initiatives in this space, as well as exploring additional opportunities to advance and retain women in the workforce,” said Ms. Casey Spaniel.