New York Lawyer
May 27, 2004

Q:
I am a female associate on my way to becoming a partner. There aren�t a lot of women at my firm, except a couple of senior women who are too busy to have much to do with me. I have gotten friendly with a couple of the female secretaries and paralegals, who are very nice and intelligent people.

Recently in a talk with a partner I do a lot of work for, he said words to the effect of, "Don�t hang around with support staff so much if you�re wanting to be a partner."

His comment really took me by surprise. Are people really scrutinizing me that much? Why do they care? What possible bearing does it have on whether I would be a good partner or not?

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A:

Welcome to Politics 101.

There are a few dynamics that go into creating this scenario. First, while some people are status conscious and carefully filter who they will hang out with and who they reject, others (such as yourself) are more egalitarian. Moreover, as you point out, often women have fewer options for companions in the legal workplace, and sometimes become friendly with other females who happen to be secretaries or paralegals.

Law firms in particular continue to be very status conscious, with rigid lines drawn between attorneys and support staff. This is not optimal for the organization, because it results in less teamwork and causes unnecessary divisions, which can affect morale and loyalty. There�s reams of evidence showing that support staff who are treated like adults, and like part of a team, are more energized and work better than those who are ignored as a lesser form of life -- indeed, turnover goes down, loyalty goes up, and performance improves. However, as you are seeing starkly in your workplace, in many offices the hierarchy continues unabated.

While there are lots of concrete factors that go into evaluating potential partners -- such as one�s record on billable hours, ability with clients and rainmaking skills -- many intangible factors figure in as well. Chiefly the present partners will have a sense of whether or not they are confident in your judgment and can trust you. Some with a hierarchical, status-conscious mindset may feel that your association with secretaries suggests that you don�t see yourself as partner material, causing them to think, "Why should we?" This perception can quickly become their reality. I�m not defending this attitude, just identifying it.

This may strike at core values for you -- of egalitarianism, treating people with respect and encouraging teamwork. If so, and if other aspects of the firm similarly nag at you, you might need to reexamine whether this is a long-term workplace for you. On the other hand, if this is an isolated occurrence, I doubt you�d want to bail on this issue alone, since you�re so close to partnership. And to the extent that you very much want to be partner, and that this might be an impediment, I guess it�s better to know about it than not. For now you could keep a lower profile vis-�-vis your secretarial friends. It�s up to you to evaluate whether this is something you can live with, or whether it�s symptomatic of a culture where you don�t fit in.

Remember, once you�re a partner, you will start on the road to becoming a change agent, one who can help to break down unnecessary barriers within the workplace by demonstrating the benefits of a more cohesive relationship between lawyers and staff. Individuals truly can make a difference, even in the somewhat old-fashioned environments of law firms, to open up new paths for cultural inclusion and enlightened management.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work