There’s a bit less midnight-oil burning at Denver law firms these days, and lawyers say that’s a good thing in a profession known for long hours and high turnover.
More attorneys are working flexible and part-time schedules. Law firms increasingly allow some of their associates and partners to put in fewer hours in return for lower pay. For lawyers, it means more time for family or other personal pursuits; for firms, it’s about holding on to talent.
“Part-time legal practice can work very well,” said Beth Kiovsky, a partner at Baird & Kiovsky in Denver who typically works five to six hours a day and returns home in time for her teenage children to return home from school. “The philosophy of the legal profession — that if you’re not working 20 hours a day you can’t be servicing your clients — is not really true.”
Kiovsky regularly fields clients’ calls and e-mails from home. When duty requires — such as preparation for trial — she works longer hours.
The number of part-time partners remains small, and the recession may have temporarily slowed the trend. In Denver, 4.4 percent of partners worked part time in 2009, down from 5.2 percent in 2008, according to a National Association for Law Placement survey.
Nationally, 3.5 percent of partners worked part time last year, up from 3.2 percent in 2008. In 1999, the number was just 1.6 percent.
Part-time lawyering used to be a certain path toward being marginalized in law firms. Part-time associates rarely made partner, and part-time partners faced disapproval and pay discrimination, said Cynthia Thomas Calvert, director of research at the San Francisco-based Project for Attorney Retention.
Stigma, barriers fade
A study done by the group last year found that barriers to part-time attorneys have fallen at many firms. In part that’s because clients have become more comfortable with the idea. Major corporations such as Wal-Mart are beginning to require firms they hire to implement “balanced-hours” policies.
In the attorney study, nearly 60 percent of 109 part-time lawyers at law firms in San Francisco, Washington and Denver reported experiencing no stigma from their firms or clients related to their part-time status. Many are successful partners involved in leadership at their firms, Calvert said.
The attorneys said they bill between 1,200 and 1,600 hours annually. Average full-time billable hours typically range from 1,800 to 2,000.
Their hours usually are flexible rather than rigid, and in most cases their pay is proportional to the hours they work. The study found, however, that in Denver, more partners reported feeling stigmatized in their firms, though fewer associates reported the same. Several Denver firms penalized part-time lawyers by paying proportionally less than they worked, Calvert said.
Twenty-two percent of partners at Denver firms are women, compared with 19 percent nationally, according to the National Association for Law Placement.
Twenty-nine percent of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s partners are women, managing partner Bruce James said. The firm allows partners to work part time on a case-by-case basis but rarely denies a request, he said. He did not know how many of the firm’s partners work part time.
Fifteen of Holme Roberts & Owen’s 113 partners work part time, said chief operating officer Patty Fontneau. The firm also allows part-time practice on a case-by-case basis.
Women aren’t the only lawyers working reduced hours. The lawyer study found that men represent about half of part-time partners in Denver, compared with about a third nationally. Perhaps that’s why more part-time lawyers in Denver said they work reduced hours for reasons other than family, Calvert said.
Keeping clients happy
Kenneth Stern, a partner with Stern & Curray in Denver, works part time so he can run consulting and executive coaching businesses. Stern has formed a working group of legal organizations to encourage Denver firms to adopt balanced-hour programs available to all employees.
So far, none has gone that far, he said. Lawyers working reduced hours pose tricky questions for law firms, such as whether they earn enough to cover their share of overhead costs. Allowing attorneys to work reduced hours can recoup those expenses by keeping them on staff and saving on attrition and rehiring costs, he said.
Wanda Abel, a partner with Davis Graham & Stubbs in Denver, said she works part time primarily for health reasons. She’s had two kidney transplants and needs considerable time off for medical reasons.
Abel concedes it’s not easy working part time in a down economy. She may bill fewer hours than her colleagues, but she spends up to a third of her time on non-billable administrative tasks and generating new business. The key is keeping clients happy, she said.
“Clients don’t really care how many hours you work,” she said. “They care that their project gets done. They care that when they call or e-mail you that you get back to them.”
Greg Griffin: 303-954-1241 or ggriffin@denverpost.com
