Kramer Levin is committed to creating and maintaining an environment where its women can flourish and become leaders in the legal community, both inside and outside the firm. Representation by women in the firm’s senior and partnership ranks continues to increase.

The Women’s Initiative Committee is an energetic and active group open to all genders.  It addresses issues of importance to women at the firm, including improving the recruitment, retention and advancement of women lawyers, and increasing the representation of women in leadership roles. Business development and networking are key components of the committee’s efforts. 

Among the programs overseen by the Women’s Initiative are the following:

The Global Fund for Women

The Women’s Initiative has launched a firmwide awareness and fundraising campaign in support of the Global Fund for Women, a leading organization dedicated to the advancement of women’s human rights worldwide. All contributions will be used by the Global Fund to support the education of girls and women in the developing world. Through a series of programs available to all employees of the firm, the committee has worked not only on fundraising efforts but also on awareness and advocacy to support the countless studies that have demonstrated that educating and empowering women and girls in the developing world has transformative effects on entire communities and economies.

Women in Law Hackathon

Since 2016, Kramer Levin has partnered with Diversity Lab and was one of the 54 law firm participants in the inaugural Women in Law Hackathon. The firm continues to participate in this unique event and not only has participated in the 2018 Hackathon but also has embraced the programs that have emanated out of this competition, such as OnTrack and OnTrack 2.0 in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Networking and Social Events

Kramer Levin hosts monthly breakfasts for all its women lawyers to ensure community, and foster collegiality and collaboration.

The firm has Women’s Circles that meet quarterly to provide members guidance on topics such as mentoring, career progression, business development and fostering community. Recent events have included social gatherings and training presentations on “Authentic Boldness” and “Becoming an AGILE Leader.” 

Speakers

Kramer Levin frequently hosts discussions with noted speakers on various topics, including business and professional development and effective communication strategies. We have been honored to collaborate with, and learn from, inspirational women such as Alycia Suter of GrowthPlay, a highly regarded business development consulting firm that specializes in helping lawyers and law firms grow their practices; Tal Fagin, a former lawyer and certified life coach; and Paula Davis Laack, founder and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute and a former lawyer. 

Training 

Our women lawyers are encouraged to participate in a variety of training sessions and CLE programs focusing on presentation skills, networking, the art of self-promotion, work-life balance, business development and other topics tailored to their interests. The firm also sponsors programming with clients and outside organizations, including Deloitte & Touche, Flex-Time Lawyers LLC and the Financial Women’s Association.

Part-Time and Leave Policies

Recognizing the challenges of balancing professional and personal responsibilities, the firm’s part-time and child care leave policies are both generous and flexible. These policies benefit all our lawyers, women and men alike. Any lawyer can request a part-time schedule, which includes three-day and four-day options. Likewise, lawyers and staff are entitled to leave in connection with a birth, adoption or foster care placement, and can follow that leave with a reduced work schedule on a long-term basis. Lawyers in all departments of the firm, and at all levels of seniority (including partners), have availed themselves of these benefits.

Our Commitment

The firm is a signatory to the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s “Statement of Goals of New York Law Firms and Legal Departments for the Retention and Promotion of Women,” which provides our commitment to, among other things, the full and equal participation of women in all levels of our firm.

We also back a number of legal organizations aimed at supporting women, including Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Women in the Law, the National Association of Women Lawyers and the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Women in the Profession.