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Robinson & Cole’s Women’s Initiative is a firm-wide effort to promote the success of women attorneys at the firm. As part of this effort, the firm conducts educational programs in areas such as professional development and business development, and strongly encourages mentoring, networking and community involvement. In several of our offices the women attorneys participate in an informal internal lunch network where they share interests and learning experiences. In our larger offices, Hartford, Boston and Stamford, our women attorneys have hosted a number of networking events, such as wine tastings and a chocolate-making class, to which women contacts and clients from the area are invited; local charities are honored at these events and attendees bring in-kind donations to support the charities.

While not unique to women attorneys, effective alternative work arrangements are often critical to the retention of attorneys who balance family and other outside responsibilities. Robinson & Cole supported the use of alternative work arrangements long before other firms recognized the need; our first formal alternative work arrangement began in 1988, and in 2001, our first partner was elected while working an alternative work arrangement.

One measure of firm-wide support for women at any firm is the presence of women attorneys in positions of leadership. At this time, two of the five members of our Managing Committee are women, in addition, women are co-chairs of firm sections and practice groups.