Page 19 - Delaware Lawyer - Winter 2019

strong partnership among all levels of practice?
Generally speaking, younger profes- sionals enjoy working together to solve problems and also enjoy working to bring about positive change in an organization, institution or profession at a high level. Of course, these lawyers are years away from leading organizations, and for some more experienced attorneys, the expectations new lawyers have about their role in the conversation can be frustrating. But this frustration can obscure a real opportuni- ty — the opportunity for all generations to learn about their respective perspec- tives, to identify areas ripe for change, and to develop role-appropriate ways to work toward that change together.
Individual members of the practicing bar can begin to work with newer lawyers to enhance the entire profession. Practic- ing lawyers can better focus not only on mentorship for new women attorneys, but on active sponsorship opportunities.
What’s the difference between mentor- ship and sponsorship? In short, mentors advise and guide others. So, a lawyer men- tor might have coffee with a junior lawyer mentee and provide wisdom about how the junior lawyer might grow her career, navigate thorny issues or develop skills.
Sponsorship goes deeper. Sponsorship is the true vertical alignment of interests between the sponsor and the junior law- yer. Sponsors identify concrete opportu- nities to include the junior lawyer in busi- ness meetings, client development efforts, depositions and off-site events. A sponsor uses power to advocate for the junior law- yer, ensuring that the junior lawyer’s in- terests are represented in the rooms and conversations that matter.
Research has shown that we tend to sympathize with others like us. It makes
Taking a longer view, legal organizations can harness the many talents women lawyers bring to the profession.
sense — we can see ourselves in those with shared experiences. We should be mindful of this tendency, though, and seek to spon- sor (and continue to mentor) junior attor- neys with different experiences. We there- by create opportunities for different kinds of lawyers and leaders to become more in- formed about different perspectives.
A sponsorship approach ensures that legal employers do more than just provide resources to women attorneys and declare progress achieved. Instead, women law- yers should be included in leadership de- velopment programs and business devel- opment opportunities.
Active sponsorship allows legal employ- ers to maximize the talent in their organi- zation, provides diversity of perspective to representations and to working with cli- ents to solve problems. It also avoids the cost and damage to productivity that re- sults from high levels of attrition and dis- engagement. This focus on long-term en- gagement allows legal employers to avoid the short-sighted mistake of prioritizing efficiency and complacency by sustaining
cultures that discourage the participation of women in planning for the future of the organization. Taking a longer view, legal organizations can harness the many talents women lawyers bring to the profes- sion, particularly when it comes to leading through a time of change.
Following Through
Sustaining momentum around these efforts is key to making change. Estab- lishing a regular agenda item for manage- ment meetings around gender inclusion efforts, reviewing your performance on key metrics, staying informed and invit- ing new voices to contribute to solutions will help you to make progress. And, of course, harness the power of the educa- tion and enthusiasm of the junior at- torneys among your ranks. Working to- gether, you can learn more, change more and work toward preventing the kinds of wasteful, morale-killing attrition we have experienced for too long.
Conclusion
In many ways, the generational shifts in attitudes and behaviors between prac- ticing lawyers and law students will con- tinue to create challenging dynamics in the workplace and in professional interac- tions. From changes in the way we engage with technology to different expectations with respect to work arrangements, new lawyers and their employers and more sea- soned colleagues will need to determine where to draw the lines and where to cre- ate new paradigms.
When it comes to women and the pro- fession, though, broadening opportuni- ties, putting women’s leadership skills into action and ensuring that half of the stu- dents studying to join this great profession will one day comprise half of its leaders benefits not only the women themselves, but the entire profession and its clients.
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