Advancing the careers of women is one of the firm’s top priorities, and we are committed to increasing the representation of women in our senior ranks.
Cleary cultivates opportunities for mentorship and creates platforms for gender-focused discussions at the firm.
- The Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women: Cleary’s gender-equity efforts are led by the Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women (CRPW). The committee is comprised of lawyers from various practice areas and seniorities, and meets regularly to discuss the firm’s women’s initiatives and plan programming dedicated to skills development, networking and mentoring.
- The Women’s Working Group: The Women’s Working Group (WWG) and WWG Leadership Committee are key parts of our efforts to support and empower women associates through ongoing programming and new initiatives, including seeking opportunities to collaborate with women associates in other Cleary offices. The WWG hosts various lunches and networking opportunities throughout the year to foster relationships between and among junior and senior lawyers.
- Mentoring Programs: Female attorneys also participate in Cleary Mentoring Circles (CMC), a group mentoring program that offers a dynamic and multigenerational approach to mentoring and helps guide lawyers through their professional life at the firm. The circles meet monthly to expand individuals’ networks across practice areas, and serves as a confidential forum for the continuous exchange of information and support among lawyers of all seniorities. The One-2-One mentoring program was created to advance the firm’s efforts to retain and promote women. The program pairs fourth year and above litigation associates with partners who serve as mentors to discuss and advise on the associate’s professional development.
- The Kate Stoneman Project: Cleary is also a founding member of the Kate Stoneman Project (KSP), which was founded by 20 women partners from 10 leading law firms in Manhattan. KSP provides a forum to address issues of common concern relating to the advancement of women in the profession, and leverages the collective strength of the KSP women partners to advance leadership in professional, civic, educational, and charitable endeavors.
Cleary continues to see results from our efforts to recruit and retain women lawyers, and women currently make up 52% of our U.S.-based associates.
