ages; and locating a support group.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) — A free, confidential, and professionally staffed service to help employees resolve personal problems.
- Leave Programs
- Leave Bank Program — A pooled fund of donated annual leave that is available for use by Bank members who need such leave because of a medical emergency.
- Voluntary Leave Transfer Program — Employees can donate annual leave to others who need such leave because of a medical emergency.
- Telework Options.18
For state and local governments, the California State Attorney General’s Office provides an example of some of the benefits offered:
- Day care (in certain locations)
- Telecommuting
- Pregnancy disability leave
- Leave of absence
- Family school partnership leave
- Family and Medical Leave Act benefits.19
More generally, it is helpful to be aware of state or federal legislation that affects work/family balance. For example, family school partnership leave,20 mentioned above, reflects state-specific rights—in this case, California—that enhance the ability of workers to balance work and family.
Further Resources
Below are some sample questions law students and recent graduates can ask during the recruitment process to gauge an organization’s work/life balance. The questions were suggested or reviewed by an associate at a prominent law firm, a recruiter at another prominent law firm, and staff members at a law school’s office of career services and public interest office.
Sample Questions on Work/Life Balance to Ask During the (OCI) Recruitment Process
*If not already mentioned on an organization’s website or the National Association for Law Placement (NALP)’s directory of legal employers.
- General interview question: Can you describe a typical day for you, if such a thing exists? (i.e., when you get in each day; your projects (research, drafting, client interaction); who you work with; when you leave?)
- General interview question, especially when interviewing with public interest organizations: How involved are you with community activities and other activities, such as sports, volunteering, or sitting on the board of nonprofits?
- General interview question: What do you do for fun? How often do you get to do X activity?
- Ask an associate: What non-billable projects have you been assigned to in the last year? How much time did they take? How were these hours counted toward your contribution to the firm?
- Post-offer question for an associate: In the last three months, how many weekend days have you worked?
- Post-offer question for an associate: How possible is it to telecommute? Are there particular hours you need to be in the office?
- Post-offer question for a partner, preferably one knowledgeable about the firm’s policies: Does the firm have a part-time or alternative work schedule policy? What do you consider to be the biggest challenges of alternative work schedules? How has the firm addressed these challenges?
- Post-offer question for a partner, preferably one who is familiar with associate workflow: I understand that the billable hour requirement for associates at [firm] is ____ hours/year. What are the average hours billed by associates at this firm? What is the average in X department?21
- Post-offer question for a partner: How many women has the firm promoted to partner recently? Equity or non-equity partner?
- Post-offer question for the Human Resources or Recruiting Manager: What percentage of attorneys work alternative schedules? How is this viewed within the firm? How many of these attorneys are partners?
- Post-offer question if a firm offers a reduced hours policy: Does the firm offer “true up” pay and bonuses proportional to the reduced hours schedule? How does the policy affect timing for partnership consideration?
- Post-offer question: What is the firm’s family leave policy? Does it cover fathers as well as mothers? Adoption? Family situations other than newborns (e.g., caring for elderly parents, illnesses, etc.)?
- Post-offer question: Is emergency back-up child care offered?
- Post-offer question: How does the firm support women? For example, is there a Women’s Initiative or a Work/Life Issues Committee? If so, how often does it meet? What programming do they offer?
In addition to asking direct questions, law students can observe how attorneys balance work and family responsibilities during their internships. For example, how many of the associates you work with stay at the firm for dinner? How many nights a week? Do attorneys go home for dinner and then work remotely from home? Are there different expectations for partners and associates?
For those interested in learning more, please find additional resources below:
- The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) has a directory of legal employers: http://www.nalpdirectory.com/. The directory includes self-reported information on topics such as Hours & Lifestyle and Compensation & Benefits.
- Yale Law Women conducts an annual ranking of the Top Ten Family Friendly Firms: http://yalelawwomen.org/top-ten-list/.
- Yale Law School’s Career Development Office also provides resources on Work/Life Balance: http://www.law.yale.edu/studentlife/cdostudentslibraryworklifebalance.htm.
- Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC have an initiative on the Best Law Firms for Women: http://www.flextimelawyers.com/best.asp.
- Healthy Mothers Workplace is a partnership between government, nonprofit, and private sector organizations to promote health and equity in the workplace. It awards businesses, including legal employers, which have policies that support lactation accommodation, pregnancy and parenting leave, and work/family balance: http://www.healthymothersworkplace.org/.
- Ms. JD’s Library has great resources on work/family balance: http://ms-jd.org/library-all?keys=&tid=All&tid_1=570 and http://ms-jd.org/library-all?keys=&tid=All&tid_1=678.
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