Women in Law Empowerment Forum Cites Ropes & Gray as a “Gold Standard” Firm

Rankings & Awards
June 14, 2012
Ropes & Gray has received a 2012 “Gold Standard” award from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum for its record with regard to women’s achievement at the firm. Ropes & Gray is one of 50 firms to receive the award, and one of six new winners.

The Women in Law Empowerment Forum, a national organization that promotes education and networking opportunities for women at premier corporate law firms, evaluates firms based on the number of women in the equity partnership ranks and leadership positions.

The announcement of the firm’s “Gold Standard” award on June 14 follows Ropes & Gray’s recognition as the #3 firm for diversity for women and #3 firm for overall diversity in the 2012 Vault rankings.

Ropes & Gray has a longstanding commitment to recruiting, retaining, and developing women attorneys and supporting their progress once they arrive at the firm. Ropes & Gray hired its first female associates in 1942 and named its first female partner in 1973. The number of women currently practicing at the firm demonstrates Ropes & Gray’s progress since that time: as reflected in the firm’s 2012 report to NALP, 40 percent of the firm’s lawyers and 20 percent of the firm’s equity partners are women, as are six of the 13 lawyers promoted to partner in 2011.