For 11th Consecutive Year, Ballard Spahr Earns WILEF Gold Certification

For the 11th consecutive year, Ballard Spahr has earned Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). The firm is one of only six law firms nationwide to receive this recognition every year since the program's inception in 2011.

Ballard Spahr was also one of only six firms to meet all six of WILEF’s criteria for Gold Certification.

• 25% of equity partners or, alternatively, 40% of the attorneys becoming equity partners during the past 12 months are women
• 10% of women equity partners are women of color or 4% of women equity partners identify as LGBT
• 20% of the firm and U.S. branch office heads are women
• 25% of the firm’s primary governance committee are women
• 25% of the firm’s compensation committee or its equivalent are women
• 20% of the top half of the firm’s equity partners in terms of compensation are women

Ballard Spahr has been recognized by publications and organizations across the country for its efforts to attract, retain, and promote women attorneys at the firm and within the legal community. It has been ranked among the best U.S. law firms for women by WomenInc., Law360, and Seramount, formerly known as Working Mother Media.

Women comprise 50% of Ballard Spahr’s Elected Board, 33% of legal department chair positions, and 38% of the firm’s Allocation Committee, which applies compensation allocation policies and criteria adopted by the Board. The firm provides professional development support designed to bolster the trajectory of women into key participation and leadership roles, both inside and outside the firm. Ballard Spahr is home to a wide range of networking, sponsorship, and mentoring programs for women at all career levels. It supports its women lawyers through the Ballard Women business resource group, which is led by Las Vegas Partner Maria Gall, New Jersey Partner Holly V. Horsley, Atlanta Associate Chittam U. Thakore, and Denver Associate Jessica Federico.