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Women in the Law

Dozen major law firms had new partnership classes with 50% or more women for at least 4 years

By Debra Cassens Weiss

October 31, 2024, 11:27 am CDT

Female lawyers made up at least half of new partner promotions in 82 major law firms this year, according to the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.

The 82 firms are “tipping the scales” toward gender parity, the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance—a consulting and membership organization helping businesses optimize diversity, equity and inclusion, flexible work environments and well-being—said in an Oct. 29 press release.

The group looked at public information for 196 firms to determine gender breakdowns in new partner classes in the United States and globally. The “tipping the scales” firms had 50% or more women in new partner classes in total or in the United States, according to an infographic.

Several firms on the list had 50% or more women in their new partner classes for multiple years. They are:

  • Six years: Davis Wright Tremaine

  • Five years: Epstein Becker & Green; Jackson Lewis; Littler Mendelson; Miller & Chevalier

  • Four years: Boies Schiller Flexner; Debevoise & Plimpton; Dechert; Jenner & Block; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Wiley Rein

Although more firms are achieving gender parity in new partner classes, there is an overall decline in female representation in new partner classes, said Manar Morales, president and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, in the press release.

Overall, 41.6% of U.S.-based new partners at 196 major firms were women this year. Last year, the percentage was 43.7%.

The decline “is a stark reminder that progress isn’t inevitable—it requires intentional action,” Morales said.

Here is the complete list of 82 firms that included 50% or more women in their new partner classes:

1. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
2. Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis
3. Armstrong Teasdale
4. Arnall Golden Gregory
5. Baker McKenzie
6. Baker Botts
7. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz
8. Baker & Hostetler
9. Ballard Spahr
10. Barnes & Thornburg
11. Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff
12. Beveridge & Diamond
13. Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod
14. Blank Rome
15. Boies Schiller Flexner
16. Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
17. Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
18. Burns & Levinson
19. Burr & Forman
20. Chapman and Cutler
21. Cooley
22. Cox, Castle & Nicholson
23. Cozen O’Connor
24. Davis Wright Tremaine
25. Debevoise & Plimpton
26. Dechert
27. Dickinson Wright
28. Dinsmore & Shohl
29. Duane Morris
30. Dykema Gossett
31. Eversheds Sutherland
32. Epstein Becker & Green
33. Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
34. Fredrikson & Byron
35. Goldberg Segalla
36. Gordon Feinblatt
37. Goulston & Storrs
38. Greenspoon Marder
39. Herrick, Feinstein
40. Hinckley, Allen & Snyder
41. Husch Blackwell
42. Ice Miller
43. Irell & Manella
44. Jackson Lewis
45. Jenner & Block
46. Kelley Drye & Warren
47. Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
48. Lane Powell
49. Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Lewis Roca
50. Littler Mendelson
51. McCarter & English
52. McDermott Will & EmeryMcDermott
53. Miller & Chevalier
54. Moore & Van Allen
55. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
56. Morris, Manning & Martin
57. Munger, Tolles & Olson
58. Nixon Peabody
59. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
60. Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler
61. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
62. Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
63. Polsinelli
64. Porter Wright Morris & Arthur
65. Pryor Cashman
66. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
67. Robins Kaplan
68. Ropes & Gray
69. Saul Ewing
70. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
71. Sidley Austin
72. Snell & Wilmer
73. Susman Godfrey
74. Thompson Hine
75. Tucker Ellis
76. Venable
77. Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
78. Whiteford, Taylor & Preston
79. Weil, Gotshal & Manges
80. Wiley Rein
81. Williams & Connolly
82. Williams Mullen