Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP is pleased to participate in the Women in Law Hackathon, a new Shark Tank-style pitch competition aimed at generating innovative ideas to close the gender gap in law firms.
On June 24, 2016, the teams will pitch their ideas to a group of high-profile judges at Stanford Law School. Participating from Neal Gerber Eisenberg is Leah A. Schleicher, partner in the firm’s Real Estate practice group and co-chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
“The numbers don’t lie. It is clear that law firms are not doing a good job at retaining and promoting women,” said Schleicher. “This event is an incredible opportunity for law firm leaders to put their heads together in the spirit of good-natured competition, but with something very important at stake: to find solutions to this problem.”
The top three teams selected by the judges will grant their prize money, donated by Bloomberg Law, to nonprofit organizations that are helping to advance women in the legal profession and beyond. The first place award is $10,000, second place is $7,500 and third place is $5,000. Diversity Lab is contributing an additional $5,000 for a Crowd Favorite award voted on by the audience, which also will be donated to a nonprofit organization.
Nearly two-thirds of the participants in the Hackathon are managing partners, practice group chairs, or other high-level leaders in their respective firms. The teams have been meeting virtually since January to devise initiatives that will help retain and advance experienced women in law firms. Each team is comprised of six partners from across the country, two talent/diversity thought leaders and a Stanford law student.
For additional information on the program, please click here.