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The North
Carolina Association of Women Attorneys has supported the entrance
and retention of women into the practice of law. Increased
participation of women in the profession has helped galvanize a
consciousness regarding issues of work and life balance. Most women
combine legal careers with significant family responsibilities and
personal development goals. These responsibilities and goals are
shared by a growing number of male lawyers. Moreover, attorneys are
increasingly likely to have caretaking obligations for elderly
family members, a trend that is expected to increase into the
future. The profession needs sensible options in the workplace to
meet family demands, encourage healthy activities outside of work
and still perform capably in our professional capacity. The need
for a better balance between a lawyer’s personal and professional
lives is an issue for all of us.
Many law firms
and legal employers throughout North Carolina have adapted to the
needs of their employees. These offices recognize that alternative
work arrangements, such as part-time, flex-time, compressed work
weeks, and job-sharing may increase employee effectiveness and job
satisfaction, while decreasing turnover and absenteeism. These
employers have created an environment that fosters and encourages
balanced lives in an increasingly diverse and competitive legal
market.
The North
Carolina Association of Women Attorneys acknowledges and applauds
these employers for the options they have provided to their
attorneys and for the contribution that they are making to
attorneys’ quality of life and to the profession as a whole. The
Balanced Life Workplace Awards are presented annually by the
NCAWA to (1) small (2) medium-sized and (3) large firm employers
that have distinguished themselves by establishing employment
policies and practices that assist lawyers in achieving balance
between their work and personal lives. Any legal employer in either
the public or private sector, employing at least 2 or more
individuals, is eligible for consideration by the NCAWA. We will
consider, among other factors, the employer’s policies and practices
on work hours, office benefits or perquisites, part-time employment,
flexible work schedules, leave options, effect on partnership
prospects, and work-at-home or telecommuting arrangements.
Any person
familiar with the employer can submit a nomination form by mail or
email or send an email to
info@ncawa.org to request the nomination form in either
Microsoft Word or WordPerfect format.
The deadline to
submit a nomination form is 5:00 p.m. July 16, 2008. The awards
will be presented at the NCAWA annual conference awards banquet at
the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Asheville on October 3, 2008 and announced in our quarterly newsletter and in
Lawyers Weekly.
We are hopeful
that everyone will take this opportunity to acknowledge those
progressive employers with the foresight to implement policies and
practices that encourage and foster balance between an attorney’s
professional obligations and need for personal and family time. We
also are hopeful that other employers will realize that giving
workplace options is necessary for recruitment and retention in the
dynamic culture of our demanding legal field.
For more information, contact Stacy Race, chair of the NCAWA Career Support Committee, at
919-719-3713, or
srace@hedrickgardner.com.
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