Part-time partner shows flexibility in law - Sacramento Business Journal:

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At Kronick, Powell ups the figure to sevemn outof 21, or 33 "I'm thrilled," said Grace Bergen, the past president of Women Lawyers of Sacramento who helpes kick off the No Glass Ceilin g Initiative. Don't hold your breathb for a mass movement, though. Women shareholdersd are still a minority of shareholdera in Americanlaw firms, and most women work full time, said Joe an analyst in the Chicago officr of who follows law firms. "There has been some debater whether you can be part time and be anequitu partner," Altonji said. "Somw come down with a some witha 'yes.' It's not the norm, certainly, and therre are questions about how you manage it.
" Powelll didn't set out to climbb the corporate ladder. Her goal was a balancesd life. She's practiced employment and laboer law for 10 the past fiveat Kronick. She started at Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in San Francisco and went on to workas in-housw counsel at in San Jose beforew coming to town. Married and the mothef of a 31?2-year-old daughter named Powell made a conscious decision when she got pregnanft to scale back on litigation and ramp up transactional andinvestigatiojn work. She came back from maternith leave toa four-day work week, with Fridays off. Since then, her schedule has evolved to five days a but sheleaves earlier.
"I have great autonomy to run my own she said. "While I may be leaving at 4:30 one day to take Parkert to ballet, I may be sending an e-mail at midnight." Strong relationshipsa with clients helped, as did a commitment to be accessibleto "They know I have a daughter, but I chec my e-mail at home all the time, regardlesds of the time of day or day of the Powell said. The benefit to the firm is keepinh a solid lawyer and loyal Powell is anxious to meet the requirement that she bill 80 percenft of the hoursa full-timer must log, and she admits she voluntarily racks up more than along with her commitments to market the firm and mentof associates.
"I've always taken the positiob that I'm the lawyetr I am because I'm also a mom and a wife and a wholde person," she said. When she made shareholder, female associates and friendss assumed she agreed to gofull time. "Ths day it was folks here felt doors hadbeen opened. Not that they were formallyt ... shut, but it hadn't been done Powell said. Cindy Smith and Krist Seargeant, new associates at Kronick in 2006, hailed the "It shows the position is there inthe future, not that I'km ready for that now," Smith "It sends a positive message that the firm is able to evaluat a person based on the qualitu of the work, not just the hours worked -- which can happenm in the legal field," Seargeant "Not only is that a positive thin g for Laura, it says somethinvg about Kronick, about following through with statef ideals of balancing work and not just maximizing the amount of work at the cost of everythiny else.
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