The following article was published in Law Practice TODAY , June 2005.

The Case for Motherhood
Joelle K. Jay, Ph.D.

Molly Georgeson was an asset to her firm. Conscientious, dedicated, smart, and a winning attorney, she had reached a high point in her career. That is, until she left. A sudden realization prompted her to scale way back on her hours. She ended up leaving her firm and working for the competition at half the salary and half the time.

What could possibly make such a rising star suddenly back off her career and go seemingly backwards? Here’s a clue: she met another woman. One who weighed 14 pounds, had no more hair than a peach, and had the most endearing way of looking at her mother. Georgeson’s baby daughter dramatically altered her perspective on life.

According to the latest trends, Georgeson is not alone. Census Bureau data shows nearly a quarter of women with professional degrees absent from the workforce at the height of the recent labor crunch. Other surveys of Ivy League graduates reveal that

• 57 percent of women graduates leave the workforce
• 38 percent of women graduates end up in full-time careers,
• 33 percent of white women holding an MBA is not working full-time (Harvard Business Review,2005).

Time magazine recently reported the first-ever drop-off in workplace participation by married mothers with a child less than one-year-old…“mostly among women who were white, over 30, and well-educated.”

These statistics indicate a disturbing trend that those abandoning their careers are largely high-achieving women, whose jobs tend to demand longer hours, who carry more responsibility, and whose absence arguably makes the greatest impact on business.

Billable hours
Having one’s work assessed by billable hours makes it especially difficult to scale back a work schedule to make time for family.

Long work weeks. Accomplished attorneys frequently work 70-80 hours per week. The culture respects long hours; it’s one of the ways attorneys show their commitment.

A male-dominated environment. Despite a sizeable number of male fathers in her firm, Georgeson experienced a subtle discrimination when she became a mother. She felt her status in the firm went down in the eyes of her male colleagues.

Inflexible working conditions. Attorneys work at the pleasure of their clients, and clients’ needs don’t always coincide with part-time attorneys’ schedules. 

Shared overhead costs. Although Georgeson could argue otherwise, she had a hard time convincing the other partners in her firm to reduce her contribution to overhead. They believed it was only fair for her to foot her share of overhead costs despite a part-time schedule.

These characteristics of practicing law make it difficult for attorneys to accommodate new motherhood. Often, the choices become

• continue working long hours it takes to make partner, at the expense of a baby’s childhood but for the benefit of his or her future;
• look for a more flexible opportunity at a family-friendly firm;
• quit.

In almost every scenario, somebody loses.

The legal profession needs a new way of approaching maternity—one that helps firms maintain the talent they have recruited and cultivated, that continues to advance a woman’s career, and that leaves room for healthy families as they grow.

Attorneys and their firms can both take responsibility for creating this environment.

Firms can consider job sharing, in which two attorneys share overhead costs, clients, workloads, schedules, and even offices to seamlessly accommodate the firm, their clients, and their families. They can also honor creativity, allowing their attorneys to suggest innovative ways of scheduling their time, energy and commitments that satisfy everyone’s needs. They can hire a coach to help attorneys resolve the tensions between work and motherhood and find the most workable balance. They can also rethink their policies for recognition and advancement by combating stereotypes that discredit attorneys who choose flex time or job sharing.

For their part, attorneys who face this issue can also ask themselves key questions that will help them align their commitments with their values.

For example, they can get clear on their career goals and be honest with themselves about what it will take to reach them—as well as the implications for family life. They can also get clear on their vision for their family and consider different scenarios that make the vision possible. They can make proposals at their firms, helping everyone together find the win/win solution that makes an accomplished career in law possible, even for new mothers.

If it sounds like a lot of effort to retain a great attorney, it may be. But the common saying in business that it’s easier to keep a current client than find a new one also applies to attorneys – especially the most talented. A little effort on the part of attorneys and their firms can help find the kind of balance that works for everyone.

View the actual artical.

Joelle Jay, Ph.D., is the owner and president of Pillar Consulting LLC, a leadership development firm in Reno, N.V., specializing in leadership and personal effectiveness. She coaches business leaders and executives in achieving success while maintaining a healthy life balance. She can be reached at Joelle@pillar-consulting.com.

Reprinted with permission from Law Practice TODAY, June 2005.