Lindquist & Vennum was the first law firm in Minnesota to formally adopt the Minnesota State Bar Association's Best Practices Goals for Women in the Legal Profession. The goals are intended to promote practices among both public and private legal employers that encourage employing and retaining women in the legal profession.
Daryle Uphoff, the firm's managing partner, said, "Lindquist & Vennum currently employs many of the best practices and will use the goals to guide us in setting firm policies in the future."
The best practices are intended as guides to achieve goals in a variety of areas. For example, workday issue guidelines offer equitable and viable alternative part-time and flexible work schedules, adoption of formal and informal mentoring programs and communication of gender equity data to all lawyers.
The best practices arose from the
Self-Audit for Gender Equity (SAGE) compiled by the Minnesota State Bar Association's (MSBA) Women in the Legal Profession Committee. The purpose of the SAGE report was to find a way to promote and aid gender equity in Minnesota's legal profession.
Nancy Vollertsen, chair of Lindquist & Vennum's Employment and Labor group, said, "The adoption of these best practices is another step in the continued commitment by the firm to remove any barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the practice of law."
The MSBA committee established best practices in six areas. They comprise Equal Access Issues, Workday Issues, Governance, Evaluation and Promotion, Retention and Compensation.