Generous Parental Leave Policies Spreading in Law Firms

By Gayle Cinquegrani, Bloomberg BNA

Lawyers typically work long hours that don’t leave much time for personal pursuits. When they have a baby, however, they may need to slow the pace for a while, and many firms are helping them do that with generous parental leave policies.

Large law firms generally offer 16 to 18 weeks of paid leave for mothers and approximately six weeks for fathers, Bloomberg BNA found by contacting several major firms. Many firms also allow lawyers to add paid sick or vacation leave or unpaid leave to extend their time off.

It’s fairly common for ...