Law360 Names Ballard Spahr One of the Best U.S. Firms for Women Lawyers

Law360 has ranked Ballard Spahr as the fifth best U.S. law firm for women attorneys among firms of comparable size in a recent report. The firm improved its ranking this year, jumping from the tenth spot on the 2017 list.

Law360's Glass Ceiling Report ranks the top firms for women lawyers based on the legal news outlet's survey of more than 300 U.S. firms. To determine the ranking, Law360 first excluded any firm that had below-average female representation at any level of the firm, and then ranked the remaining firms based on their percentage of women attorneys, both for partners and non-partners.

Last year, Ballard Spahr also ranked among the top 50 law firms for women lawyers in the National Law Journal's Female Scorecard, which rates the nation's largest law firms according to their percentages of women attorneys.

Additionally, for the past seven years, Ballard Spahr has earned the Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum. The Gold Standard Certification is based on objective criteria for female participation in firm and practice management and governance, as well as the promotion and compensation of women attorneys. The firm is among an elite group of law firms that has consistently attained this recognition since the program's inception in 2011.

With women comprising 25.9 percent of its equity partners, Ballard Spahr is above the national average. The firm supports its female lawyers through the Ballard Women affinity group, which is co-chaired by New York Partner Denise L. Plunkett, Salt Lake City Partner Melanie J. Vartabedian, Phoenix Associate Lea A. Phillips, and Philadelphia Associate Jane E.R. Siegfried. The group hosts events for women clients and prospective clients; supports a mentoring program for younger women lawyers; and sponsors professional development programming. It is committed to improving the professional experience of women lawyers and bolstering their trajectory into key participation and leadership roles, both inside and outside the firm.