The Q&B Experience
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Diversity
We've made considerable progress and we don't intend to stop. We constantly strive for better ways to understand the subtleties of diversity, to meet the challenges, and to capture the opportunities that true diversity presents for everyone at Quarles & Brady, for our clients, and for our communities. Our ongoing initiatives include the Women in Leadership Program, Minority Attorney Recruiting and Retention and Family-Friendly Policies.
The firm is committed to an aggressive agenda designed to promote and achieve diversity at all levels. In March 2001, Quarles & Brady adopted a "Strategic Plan" as an organic statement of the firm's goals. "The Diversity Goal," one of 10 goals in our "Strategic Plan," demonstrates our commitment to respect and inclusion for all. To advance the Goal, the Executive Committee appointed a Diversity Committee to ensure that diversity is a part of the infrastructure of our organization. The Diversity Committee consists of representatives from each of our offices and includes partners, associates and staff, as well as members of the firm's Executive Committee. More recently, the Executive Committee created the position of Director of Diversity and Community Outreach. The Director is charged with providing leadership on diversity efforts, including investigation and implementing "best practices."
The firm also retained consultants to assess the diversity climate at Quarles & Brady. The consultants conducted a series of focus group discussions with partners, associates and staff in each of our offices. Simultaneously, we presented two events for all attorneys at which representatives of seven clients engaged in panel discussions about their own diversity initiatives. The client and consultant advice improved our program by grounding it in the experience of the larger business community.
The diversity assessment process also allowed us to tailor our diversity-focused training programs implemented in all offices beginning in Spring 2002. Ninety-eight percent of all attorneys and staff firmwide participated in the training. All new employees participate in a half-day diversity training session presented by Quarles & Brady's diversity consultants. In addition, all of our offices provide diversity-related programs annually that are open to all employees.
We are proud of our efforts to create an environment that values and fosters diversity. We are also determined to improve and are pursuing the following initiatives:
Our Women in Leadership Program is the means by which we evaluate and account for the multi-faceted action items, policies and programs that impact women at our firm. Some programs are not directed toward women alone -- such as our Mentoring Program -- but have made a big difference in women's career advancement. Others have been created with women in mind -- such as the Q&B Women's Forum and work/life balance policies -- but can in many cases be taken advantage of by men. Still others have been designed for particular groups -- such as our annual Minority Lawyer Retreat -- but significantly help women since a large number of women are affected by such changes.
Our results to date have made us leaders in the profession. In three of our six offices (including our largest), our managing partners are women. Additionally, women hold 40 percent of all leadership roles, and three women serve on our 12-person Executive Committee.
Women's Forum - The Women's Forum provides programming on professional and career development topics. Each of our offices pursues topics based on the needs and interests of women in that office. The Women's Forum also organizes peer and group mentoring circles to facilitate sharing of ideas and best practices.
The Firm recruits at institutions having high percentages of minority lawyers, attends minority job fairs and, prior to on-campus interviews, contacts career placement officers and minority student organizations to express our interest in engaging a diverse pool of candidates.
Minority Scholarships - Quarles & Brady sponsors scholarships for minority students at Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin, Arizona State University, and the University of Arizona. The firm has provided funding for a $15,000 scholarship ($5,000 annually for three years) to each school. Two of the scholarships have been matched dollar for dollar by individual contributions from firm attorneys.
Minority Clerkships - For more than 11 years, Quarles & Brady lawyers chaired the State Bar of Wisconsin's minority clerkship program, which has placed 15-25 minority students each year into prestigious clerkships across the State of Wisconsin. In addition to our leadership role, we have always participated in the program by hiring minority law students in our Madison and Milwaukee offices. Likewise, we participate in the Arizona State University and University of Arizona Minority Intern Programs. We also support the ABA section of the Litigation Minority Judicial Internship Program. We are funding the participation of one minority first-year law student who will clerk for a Phoenix judge.
Native American Summer Associates Program - Quarles & Brady has developed a program with the General Counsel's Offices of the Navajo Housing Authority. We have augmented our regular summer associates program by adding joint summer associate positions for Native American law students. The summer associates spend half of their time in the Navajo Housing Authority and half with our offices while participating in all of our summer associate experiences. Quarles & Brady pays the full salary for each position. Summer associates participating in the joint clerkship program may receive offers from both the firm and the Navajo Housing Authority.
Minority Liaisons and Diversity Partners - Not only does Q&B work hard to ensure that its recruiting efforts seek out historically under represented individuals, but we also work hard to foster an environment that encourages our associates to build careers with the firm. Our Minority Liaison program ensures that every minority associate is assigned a second mentor, above and beyond the mentor assigned through the Q&B mentoring program. Minority Liaisons serve as "super mentors," up until partnership, to the minority associates to whom they are assigned. In addition, Q&B's Diversity Partner program ensures that every firm Practice Group has a partner charged with ensuring that the Diversity Partner's Group makes diversity a focus in lateral hires, training, work assignments and leadership opportunities.
Minority Retreat - In November 2004, Q&B held its first Minority Attorney Retreat, providing partners and associates of different races, ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientation an opportunity to reinforce their sense of community and to discuss issues and problems unique to minority lawyers. The retreat generated specific recommendations, including improved mentoring and professional development, that have since been implemented. A subsequent all-Q&B Minority Retreat and a recent all-Q&B Minority dinner have built upon this experience. Q&B plans on holding additional retreats for its minority lawyers to encourage collegiality and career development as well as to provide our Diversity and Executive Committee with suggestions to promote diversity.
Flexible Work Schedule - At Quarles & Brady, we have a strong commitment to the practice of law and client service. We also know that we must provide our lawyers with the means to balance professional commitments with commitments to family and community. The firm believes that lawyers can and will remain committed professionals while working a flexible work schedule, and that lawyers working a flexible schedule can and do provide exceptional client service.
Both partners and associates are eligible for flexible work schedules. The partnership agreement governs partner eligibility. Associates ordinarily must work at the firm on a full-time basis for at least two consecutive years to be eligible. The associates must have a proven record of strong performance and the request must be approved by the Practice Group and the Legal Personnel Committee. The program allows the attorney to designate a percentage commitment to the firm, usually at least a 60% commitment, and to work a reduced schedule that meets the needs of the requesting attorney, the firm and the firm's clients. Rather than placing the emphasis strictly on the billable hour, the program emphasizes performance and encourages participation in business development, leadership opportunities and professional development.
Partnership Opportunities - The firm revised its partnership structure in part to make it possible to promote associates to partnership who, for family or other reasons approved by the Executive Committee, are not able to meet the financial expectations set for equity partners. Associates in this situation who satisfy all of the other criteria for admission to partnership, and who have demonstrated compliance with all of the partner expectations other than the financial expectation are eligible to become income partners for a defined period of time (although that may be an extended period of time) and then considered for admission as an equity partner, or may retain an income partner for their entire career at the firm.
Maternity/Paternity Leave - Associate maternity and paternity leave is fully paid. Parental leave can be extended for up to an additional six months on an unpaid basis. Parental leave can also be used to work part time in the year after the birth of a child -- we understand that a gradual return to work helps our lawyers balance work and life commitments.
Domestic Partner Benefits - Quarles & Brady recognizes and respects not only the individual differences in lawyers and staff but also in their families. Wherever possible, the firm extends insurance coverage and applicable policies (such as funeral leave, parental leave, sick leave, and leave of absence) to domestic partners and their children. Domestic partners may be of the same or opposite sex.