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Law Practice Management

As More Male Lawyers Use Flextime, its Acceptance Increases

Posted Nov 12, 2008 6:38 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

More law firms are offering flextime, and it may be gaining in acceptance because more male lawyers are using the benefit.

“To stem those defections and attract recruits, flextime has become the perk of the moment,” the American Lawyer reports. The story reports that law firms offering flextime or allowing work at home include Arent Fox; Ropes & Gray; Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCoy; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; and Baker Botts. Wal-Mart also offers the accommodation to its legal staff.

At Milbank and Cleary Gottlieb, junior associates are discouraged from taking too much flextime. "It can be a bad career choice for junior associates,” said Milbank’s hiring partner Taisa Markus. “You'll miss out on training, mentoring and client meetings."

More men are using flextime, even though it started as an accommodation for working mothers, according to Jennifer Halliday, the head of human resources at Arent Fox. She told the American Lawyer that younger male lawyers are bold about using flextime, and that may have helped increase the acceptability of the benefit.

The story features Baker Botts partner Robert Murray Jr., who leaves the office to coach his kids’ little league team. Officially sanctioned or not, "our attitude is that as long as you get the work done, it doesn't matter where you do it," Murray told the publication.

Comments

1.

Karen Yotis
Nov 12, 2008 12:20 PM CST

Well, that figures. Working moms have been fighting to get flex time for two generations and now it’s becoming more acceptable b/c males are “bold” in using it? During my days in the law firm, partners and secretaries alike would criticize women who wanted flex time and say things like “she should make up her mind if she wants to be a mother or a lawyer.” When the men left early to do something for their children, they were praised as good fathers.
I’m happy that firms are beginning to understand that flex time for its attorneys (and support staff)  just makes sense, but the continuing double standard is very, very frustrating.

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2.

Ellen Barshevsky
Nov 12, 2008 3:56 PM CST

I agree with you.  I think it is OUTRAGOUS that we women have to FIGHT for everything, and once we get something, then its all GOOD for the MEN to use.

Mabye the MEN should do something for US for a change.  Why am I ALWAYS the one to do the FIRST draft on complecated PLEADENGS and legal RESEARCH, so that the MANAGEING partner can THEN take ALL the credit for MY WORK?????

Because I am a WOMAN, that is why, and it is time that we make the men know we are tired of being second class.

My boyfriend is the ONLY man I know that apreciates me and does NOT patroninize me.  He KNOWS that I would NOT hurt him,and he will not hurt me. 

But SO many other MEN always TAKE TAKE TAKE and then just burp and walk away.  That is so espasperating!

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3.

B. McLeod
Nov 12, 2008 4:26 PM CST

It is probably GOOD career-wise to do first drafts of complicated PLEADINGS and RESEARCH for senior attorneys REGARDLESS of their GENDER.  Then the MANAGING partner will CONTINUE to like you.

ALSO, in DEFENSE of MEN, sometimes when we feel like we are going to HAVE an ISSUE with digestive gasses, we WALK AWAY because we are trying to be POLITE.  I dare say, you do NOT want to deal with the fellow who just decides to hang around until something WORSE occurs.

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4.

Man A. Male
Nov 14, 2008 7:18 AM CST

SOOOOOOO tired of FemiNazi’s, SO DEVISIVE really give what is otherwise probably the BETTER gender a bad name and for what, some misconstrued notion of equality….very, very frustrating.

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5.

Hadley V. Baxendale
Nov 14, 2008 7:30 AM CST

Ellen’s statement of great truth, although I would make it gender-neutral: “My boyfriend is the ONLY man I know that apreciates me….”

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6.

HVB
Nov 14, 2008 7:35 AM CST

young lawyers, take note:  Do not follow this philosophy: , “our attitude is that as long as you get the work done, it doesn’t matter where you do it,” That may be logical to Gen X but logic does not control your superiors’ impression of your work ethic.  There is NO substitute for face time. When your office is dark, you are not working no matter what you are doing remotely. (Hint: leave a coat on your chair and tape your light switch “on”).  If you can, get an office near the partner who feeds you, and be visible.  I don’t care if it’s fair or as it should be, it’s reality, folks.  I’ve been around the profession for 50 years and practiced 25.  This is what matters:  an ounce of image is worth a pound of production.

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7.

BVH
Nov 14, 2008 8:58 AM CST

hey HVB, thanks for the report from the 1950s.

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8.

HAL
Nov 14, 2008 9:07 AM CST

What’s the big deal about flex time?  At my firm, and the firms of many other lawyers I know, we ONLY have flex time.  You can show up whenever you want and leave whenever you want.  If you have to go to a parent teacher meeting or a doctor’s appointment, it’s no problem.  But you still have to do your work, so skipping out early just means that you are going to come back to work and stay later than usual.

Of course, if there is a meeting or a deposition or a court appearance, you better be there.

Maybe if I ever get to work fewer than 70 hours a week, I will take advantage of this flex time.  Until then, flex time is absolutely useless.

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9.

HVB
Nov 14, 2008 9:22 AM CST

Hey BVH more like from the 80’s.  But since that’s where the decision makers come from, that’s the reality that matters.  You can try to buck the system, and it will eventually change, but in this enviroment it’s better to be smart about it.
“Better to be a live dog than a dead eagle” as they said in “Somethung Wild.”

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10.

lawyer with a life
Nov 14, 2008 11:48 AM CST

SOOO tired of people putting apostrohpes where they are not needed: “FemiNazi’s.” Writer was intending a plural, not a possessive. Advice: Now you have a law degree (do you?), maybe you should learn to speak English. Condolences to all who work for firms, sounds hideous, but you made your beds, so now go ahead and lie lie lie in them

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