Law Practice Management Tips & Tricks
| Publication year | 2019 |
| Pages | 24 |
| Citation | Vol. 88 No. 1 Pg. 24 |
Off-Ramps and On-Ramps
by Larry Zimmerman
The Center for Work-Life Policy published a series of intriguing reports starting in 2005 called Off-Ramps and On-Ramps. The reports examine professionals who temporarily leave careers (off-ramping) and barriers faced when trying to return (on-ramping). The lawyer-specific data indicates that 31-42 percent of women temporarily leave practice primarily to care for children, parents, or family members. As many as 15 percent still in the workforce would like to off-ramp temporarily but indicate they cannot afford to or worry an on-ramp back will not be available. By contrast, some 15 percent of men off-ramp but usually due to frustrations in the profession or to change careers altogether.
Private Sector Efforts
While men and women graduate law school and are hired on as new associates at similar rates, women start disappearing at the mid- and senior-levels in firms and industry. The OnRamp Fellowship aims to address the "leaky pipeline" of capable women lawyers by improving the on-ramps back into practice. OnRamp places returning lawyers with top law firms, legal departments, and financial services firms for six month and one-year paid positions. In addition to opening an employment door, lawyers have access to free continuing education, business training, and one-on-one coaching. (Information available at onrampfellowship.com.)
Another attempt to improve the on-ramp comes from the insurance world via ALPS. Leah Gooley, ALPS Underwriting Manager, indicates that over 30 years of claims data revealed that women lawyers have a lower propensity for malpractice claims—almost a full 20 percent better risk than male counterparts. Retaining women or easing their on-ramp back into practice would improve the ALPS bottom line and that data-driven information prompted ALPS to survey how to better serve women in law. ALPS is interested both in retention and in improving the on-ramp back into the practice. (The survey is available at available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/FH-P3R8C.)
Public Sector Barriers
Despite private sector interest in helping lawyers find an on-ramp back into practice, the actual mechanics of doing so under the rules of the Kansas Supreme Court are obscured. Multiple Kansas lawyers interviewed indicate that planning an orderly exit and return was difficult given the...
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