The Women’s Initiative Committee (WIC) works in conjunction with the Diversity Committee to review and enhance the policies, programs and initiatives that affect women lawyers at the Firm. Comprised of partners, associates and key administrators, the WIC serves as a means for enhancing the experience of women at the Firm by focusing on women’s professional development and work/life balance. The Committee meets on a monthly basis, and opens its meetings up to all women lawyers on a bi-monthly basis.

Initiatives and Programs

Firm Policies

The Women’s Initiative Committee works to promote policies that enable women to enjoy successful and fulfilling careers at S&C. Recently, based upon the recommendation of the WIC, the Firm increased the paid maternity and adoption leave for lawyers, thus ensuring that the Firm remains a leader among its peers regarding lawyer benefits.

Professional Development

The Firm encourages its women lawyers to participate in bar association committees and meetings and other professional activities in support of women lawyers’ professional development. For example, a group of our women partners and senior women associates attended the ABA 2006 Women in Law Leadership Conference in Chicago. In addition the Firm sponsored the New York City Bar Association's production of "Trailblazers: Pioneering Women in New York Law," a documentary film that chronicles the legal careers of three women attorneys whose lives and achievements have significantly impacted the legal profession. S&C alumna Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye was one of the women featured.

To see a more complete list of boards and bar committees the Firm’s women lawyers serve on, please see Boards and Committees.

The Firm is a member of Catalyst, a leading research and advisory organization whose mission is to build inclusive work environments and to expand opportunities for women in the fields of business and law. As a member, the Firm has access to the latest research and workplace studies. Currently the Firm is participating in a Catalyst study on the experience of Women of Color in large law firms. The goals of the study are to identify best practices and to provide recommendations for lowering attrition and improving advancement among women of color in law firms.

The Firm is also a corporate member of Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, a national consulting firm that advises law firms, corporations, and lawyers on work/life balance and the retention and promotion of women attorneys. Flex-Time Lawyers LLC also provides an important forum for lawyers who work on a reduced schedule, or may be interested in doing so, to meet, network, and discuss issues related to work/life balance. The Firm's corporate membership entitles any lawyer of the Firm to attend Flex-Time Lawyers LLC's regular meetings in the New York area.

Community Development

The Firm supports several charitable organizations that assist girls and women and are also run by women, such as The New York Women’s Foundation, In Motion, the [Civil Division] of the Legal Aid Society, as well as Catalyst. The Firm’s support takes several forms, including purchasing tables at benefits and participating in fund-raising activities. As a result of the Firm's leadership support of The New York Women's Foundation, a grant, selected by the Firm, has been identified with Sullivan & Cromwell by the Foundation. The particular grant and grantee selected by and identified with the Firm was awarded to Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), an organization that operates a program called Equity Now! that conducts a series of Gender Respect Workshops in the fourth through sixth grades of public schools in Brooklyn.

The Firm also encourages its women lawyers to participate in projects for charitable organizations supported by the Firm.

For example, under the auspices of the WIC, the Firm sponsored a team of its lawyers and their families to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on September 9 in Central Park. The Race for the Cure raises money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Over 60 men, women and children in their S&C "Save & Cure" t-shirts joined thousands of others for the 5K run/walk. Together with the Firm's matching donation of US$ 10,000, the S&C team raised over US$ 24,000 for breast cancer prevention and treatment. In addition, Yvonne Quinn, an S&C partner, is a member of the Board of Directors of The New York Women’s Foundation, and two of the Firm’s lawyers are members of the Foundation’s Committee for the Future.

Personal Development

"Time-Out Thursdays"

The WIC sponsors bi-monthly activities for women lawyers, such as wine tastings, spa evenings, self-defense classes and movies. These activities are designed to provide opportunities for our women lawyers of all seniority levels to interact with each other in fun social settings outside the Firm. In 2007 and 2008, these events included a party at a neighborhood salon, where the women received manicures, pedicures, and chair massages; a perfume-blending party; a casino night, after which the Firm made charitable donations on behalf of the two winners; and a paint-it-yourself pottery night. In June, the WIC will host its second annual Dinner and a Movie event at Tribeca Cinemas.

Working Mothers Group

The Working Mothers Group meets twice a month and is open to all women lawyers. Recognizing that women can concurrently be great mothers and successful lawyers, members of the group provide invaluable insight and support to one another by openly exchanging ideas and sharing the challenges and successes of balancing both roles.

Family Matters

The WIC is instrumental in helping the Firm continuously examine and develop its family benefits so that the Firm will remain at the forefront of employers providing these benefits to its lawyers. For more information on family matters, click here.


Recent News

S&C was named to MultiCultural Law magazine's 2008 list of "Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity" and to Women 3.0 magazine's 2008 list of "Top 100 Law Firms for Women." MultiCultural Law addresses diversity in the legal profession and the roles that minorities and women play in the corporate world. Its sister publication, Women 3.0, promotes and celebrates the success of women in business. The rankings will appear in the publications' March 2008 issues.
On January 3, 2008, S&C alumna and University of Richmond Professor of Law Azizah Y. al-Hibri spoke to a group of forty people at S&C. Professor al-Hibri, who is the founder and president of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, gave a brief overview of the role and rights of women as reflected in Islamic jurisprudence. She also spoke about her organization's work with government and human rights officials and religious leaders in the wake of September 11th. Professor al-Hibri concluded by discussing recent legislative efforts and present realities in Islamic countries, in the areas of family law, gender equality, and freedom of religion.

S&C was named one of the Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces for 2007 by The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.