Bodman Recognized in Inaugural Michigan Lawyers Weekly Empowering Women Award
11/06/23
Bodman PLC is pleased to announce that it has been chosen for Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s inaugural “Empowering Women” award.
This new award recognizes law firms and legal departments that have shown a strong commitment to hiring and promoting women, providing mentoring and opportunities for professional advancement to women attorneys, and establishing programs and policies to help women attorneys thrive professionally. Bodman is one of 16 law firms selected for this recognition.
Bodman has implemented various programs to enhance inclusivity and equal opportunity within the firm. The programs are coordinated by the Women’s Forum and standing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
The Women’s Forum is dedicated to fostering a positive and supportive environment for the firm’s women attorneys. The Forum offers professional development, educational, and networking opportunities that empower our women attorneys and strengthen their personal and professional relationships with colleagues. Most recently, the Women’s Forum hosted a stress management and wellness seminar that focused on avoiding burn out and time management strategies.
The internal “bInclusive” webinar series, coordinated by the firm’s DEI Committee, features outside speakers on topics related to the law and workplace culture. For Women’s History Month this year, the firm hosted Renee Knake Jefferson, a professor at the University of Houston Law Center and Michigan State University trustee. Jefferson shared concrete strategies on how to confront gender inequality and bias in the practice of law. In addition to Women’s History Month, Bodman has hosted speakers this year for Black History Month, Arab American Heritage Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Bodman was also recently awarded Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Plus Status, the highest level of designation in the Mansfield program, after completing a rigorous 12-month certification process in collaboration with Diversity Lab. The Mansfield Rule program is the standard by which law firms track and certify that they have considered at least 30 percent underrepresented lawyers – including women – for top leadership roles, senior-level lateral hiring, promotions into the equity partnership, and participation in client pitch meetings. Mansfield Certification Plus status indicates that, in addition to meeting or exceeding the baseline certification requirements, the firms have at least 30 percent underrepresented lawyers in a notable number of their current leadership roles.
In 2020, Bodman appointed its first-ever female chair, Carrie Leahy, who continues to lead the firm’s executive management committee. Bodman has also been recognized as the most highly ranked Michigan-based firm on the National Law Journal’s “Women in Law Scorecard,” an annual analysis of law firm gender diversity.