All those in the legal profession should take the advancement of women in the industry seriously.
Managing IP does our bit with our Women in IP Global Network. Many law firms and associations also do great work in this area. One example of this is the Women in IP Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO)
The committee has developed a collection of work products encouraging the retention and advancement of women in the legal profession. These practical resources developed by corporate counsel and law firm cooperation are designed to help companies and firms build and expand their practices benefitting women and diversity.
The resources include:
- A toolkit on implicit bias (the PowerPoint slides can be downloaded here)
- An implicit bias whitepaper
- A toolkit on vague feedback
- A toolkit on speaking with influence
- A toolkit on work-life balance
- A Push Forward report
The committee is not stopping there: it also has two new white papers in development, on pay gaps and economics of diversity.
The committee tells us that it welcomes all feedback and suggestions for expanding this important diversity dialogue, so do not hesitate to reach out if you want to contribute. You can find more details on the committee here.