Aimée Israel Click here to see full sized version.

Life is a balancing act. At one time, the scales were tipped in favour of work, but a new generation of lawyers is making it clear that they want ample time for family and for themselves. Law firms are getting the message just as clearly — and implementing programs and practices to demonstrate their acceptance and their commitment.

“We are very mindful of the importance of these issues...both to our own office and to the profession at large. If you can’t recruit or retain the top talent, no matter who they may be, your firm is already five steps behind everyone else,” says Pamela Clarke, a partner with Wickwire Holm in Halifax.

It’s not just law firms that are grappling with this issue; so are lawyers. A survey conducted on the issue by Catalyst, a legal services consulting firm based in Toronto, found that roughly 50 per cent of lawyers reported work/life conflict and more than 60 per cent said they had difficulty managing the demands of work and family life. “This is more than double the rate at which the average Canadian worker reports the demands faced at work make it difficult to satisfy non-work responsibilities,” the report stated.

While the issue affects all lawyers, women carry a greater burden. According to Catalyst’s research, which involved surveying more than 1,400 lawyers across Canada, while both men and women lawyers experience work/life balance difficulty, the challenge of managing work and personal/family responsibilities is felt disproportionately by women lawyers, especially women associates.

“Nationally, research shows that women between three to five years in their careers will leave private practice for government, and after seven to 10 years will leave the practice for good,” said Darrel Pink, executive director of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.
Part of the struggle for balance is related to the demands of raising a family, but this is only part of the issue and law firms must see the bigger picture, cautions Aimée Israel, CEO of LifeSpeak Inc. in Toronto. “There are women who want to leave at 6 p.m. because they’re in a book club or they want to go running. They want a choice not to put in face time or have a choice to work around (other commitments).”

The first thing law firms need to do to is, in the lingo of business, walk the talk. The new generation of lawyers is advised to listen carefully. “Young lawyers generally should consider when they are looking at firms how supportive are they of (the need for balance),” said Kate Broer, a partner with Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP in Toronto and co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee.
Of course, it is not enough for a firm to state support; such support must be demonstrated. At FMC, for example, the firm has a telecommunications system that allows lawyers to have an office phone installed in their homes. “It will ring as if they were in the office,” noted Broer.
“For many people,” she added, “that means they can leave the office at fairly routine times and continue to work as if they were in the office. It is seamless.”

Because time is a precious commodity, anything law firms can do to make it easier for lawyers to attend to the myriad of commitments on their plate – or bring a little insight – into their lives is appreciated.

Israel’s company, for example, developed a workshop series for Torys LLP that focused on issues of interest to young lawyers. The 90-minute sessions, held over lunch or later in the day, brought in experts from the community to offer tips and strategies on everything from being a great parent to savvy financial management. The information was both helpful and relevant, and lawyers didn’t have to leave the office or eat significantly into their billable hours.

Underlying the workshop series was a real commitment to meeting the needs of lawyers — and such commitment is essential, said Israel. “We don’t just want to parachute in one speaker and say, ‘There, we’ve fixed the problem.’”

In the case of the Torys’ workshops, spouses and life partners were also invited to take part. That recognition and inclusion is important, and relatively new. The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, for example, recently offered a program for the spouses of female lawyers. “They face very unique challenges as husbands and fathers and partners,” said Pink.

The program, he added, “was profound, and we’ve just scratched the surface.”

The key is to keep scratching. After awhile, the itch will be satisfied. “A lot of (what is involved) is trying to provide opportunities for lawyers so they don’t have to figure it out for themselves,” said Kara Sutherland, director of professional resources for Fraser Milner Casgrain’s Toronto office.

FMC, for instance, has helped to establish a networking group called Connections for their female lawyers along with women from Deloitte Touche. Such initiatives provide much more than an opportunity for information. “You don’t want to feel like you’re the only one,” said Israel.

When such feelings of isolation disappear – in response to actions on the part of the law firm – the result is increased loyalty. Eighty-eight per cent of respondents who completed an evaluation form at the conclusion of a LifeSpeak workshop said the experience had positively affected their perception of their firm’s commitment to a work/life balance.

Indeed, most indications of support will be warmly welcomed and remembered. This support does not have to be formal. In many cases, especially for smaller firms, a program or policy is not necessary. Action is.

Clarke remembers interviewing with Wickwire Holm nearly seven years ago as a recently single parent with a 20-month-old baby. “I was very candid about my situation and what my capabilities would, and would not, be in terms of hours of work, having to stay late without notice and so forth. The entire firm was very welcoming and my personal situation was never a factor,” she said. “All of the associates were aware prior to my arrival of the particular circumstances under which I would be working, so there were never issues of why I was getting ‘special treatment.’”

Indeed, no one is looking for special treatment — but lawyers are looking for follow through, said Broer. “It’s not uncommon to hear young lawyers complain about the unfulfilled promise of balance,” she said. “Young lawyers are very, very bright. They will see through (the buzzwords).”

Indeed, said Clarke, without a firm commitment from the firm any initiatives launched are likely to backfire. “If you’re not a generally tolerant and open-minded firm, trying to implement (balance-friendly) policies is bound to be an exercise in futility and failure.”