Biglaw

Biglaw Firm Celebrates International Women's Day By Highlighting Men's Voices

So much side eye.

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Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and brands around the globe went out of their way to signal their support for the cause. And while a tweet or IG post doesn’t change much, it at least lets consumers or potential clients know the values their money supports.

Biglaw is a business, and subject to the same PR pressures as other brands. So, it was unsurprising to see Skadden highlighting the accomplishments of the women of the firm, or Akin Gump amplifying the message of two female partners, or Milbank sharing an associate’s thoughts on how to change the legal industry to become more equitable. But not every Biglaw firm hit the right tone with their message.

Take Squire Patton Boggs. The firm’s tweet about International Women’s Day was exclusively of men showing support for the concept of equality. Certainly meaningful diversity and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility, not just the traditionally disenfranchised, but this was the firm’s *only* tweet for #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2021.

If you’re trying to promote gender diversity, giving male voices center stage is hardly the best way to do it. But this isn’t the first time a Biglaw firm has made men the center of their gender diversity efforts. Back in 2018, Paul Hastings did something similar in an internal email, and as I said at the time:

Listen, I’m sure these are good people that probably even care about diversity in the workplace. But there is a way to handle and even promote allyship that doesn’t make it all about the men. One of the fundamental keys to being a good ally, in any context, is realizing it isn’t about you [the person with the privilege]. Certainly increasing gender diversity at the firm is something that men need to prioritize and take responsibility for, but casting men as the heroes that will save women from their own languishing careers misses the mark.

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If you want people to recognize your commitment to gender diversity, try talking to someone besides men.

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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