The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance has recognized Shook for the third time among its “Tipping the Scales” firms for having 50% or more women in its 2022 new partner class. Shook was one of 57 firms identified based on the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s New Partner Report, a compilation of public data released each year since 2012.
According to the report, in 2022, 40.2% of new partners from 206 major U.S. law firms were women, a decrease from the prior year's figure of 40.9%. When looking at a representative sample of just AmLaw 100 and Alliance member firms, 40.3% of new partners were women, a 2.1% drop from the prior year.
“The legal industry must be mindful of these trends and renew its commitment to increasing the share of women partners by focusing on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women,” said Manar Morales, President and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.
Shook has been recognized for its commitment to women attorneys by other organizations, including The Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), which this year recognized Shook as a Gold Standard Firm for women for the 12th consecutive year, Seramount, which ranked the firm among its “Best Law Firms for Women”; Working Mother magazine; and Law360 Pulse, which named Shook among the best firms in the country for percentage of female equity partners.
Additionally, the firm recently achieved Mansfield Rule Certification 5.0, which requires law firms to consider at least 30% historically underrepresented lawyers—a class that includes women lawyers—when promoting or appointing to leadership roles.
Shook also supports women through initiatives within the firm including the Women’s Management Council and Junior Women’s Management Council, which hold seminars for women to discuss the challenges of work/life integration and leadership opportunities and provide forums to network with successful women attorneys and judges in the greater legal community.
The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is a think tank that collaborates with organizations to develop non-stigmatized flexible work policies that promote inclusive work cultures and help to advance more women into leadership positions.
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