ROLLONFRIDAY STORY 24TH FEBRUARY 2006

 

Freshfields introduces female mentoring

            

Freshfields is introducing a "buddy" scheme for its female associates in an attempt to increase the woefully small number of women who make it to partnership.

      

Whilst 50% of the firm's trainee intake is female, only around 16% of its London partnership wears skirts and make-up. Or will admit to it. And it's not just a problem with Freshfields of course - Slaughter and May, the only other Magic Circle firm with a pure equity partnership, manages only an execrable 14.8%.

 

The new scheme will pair female associates up with female partners in a bid to encourage more women to go for equity. The scheme has just been implemented, and a spokeswoman has confirmed to RollOnFriday that it is now open to all female associates.

				Buddies at Freshfields: how it will look

The alarming rate of attrition amongst female lawyers has been a problem for decades, so why is Freshfields only implementing this now? Surely it has nothing to do with the fact that one of its biggest clients is now demanding diversity statistics? It's "a genuine coincidence", says a spokeswoman. Hmmm.

             

 

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