Bloomberg Law Profiles Kim Koopersmith
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In its article “Big Law Rarity Koopersmith Sees More Women Leaders,” Bloomberg Law spoke with Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith, who shares her views on the her tenure as chair of Akin Gump, the importance of building an inclusive firm, and the growing number of women leaders in the legal industry.
Koopersmith, who became chairperson of Akin Gump in 2013, recently began her third term in the role. The article notes that as a woman leading a large law firm she is “still a rarity,” but that she sees more change coming, and views her experience and her management style as a possible template for future industry leaders.
The article states that recruitment and retention have been a hallmark of Koopersmith’s tenure, and she observed that there are few law firm leaders “who made their mark by how associates and counsel and young partners were cultivated and trained and developed.”
Koopersmith spoke of efforts to diversify Akin Gump’s ranks, retain more women attorneys, and create pro bono and other opportunities for the firm’s employees. She pointed out that with multiple offices at the firm led by women or lawyers of color, “You can look around and see yourself in a leadership role in the firm.”
The article reports on the recent launch of a new policy—Akin JUMP!—to allow lawyers to rotate for short stints to other firm offices to help build camaraderie at the firm (click here to learn more). The idea, the article highlights, came from a hackathon for fourth-year associates, who also proposed 10 weeks of leave for all parents, which Koopersmith promptly adopted.
The piece also focused on the importance of pro bono work to Koopersmith, with the firm devoting more than 100,000 pro bono hours last year both in the United States and abroad, including training judges in other countries. The article notes that the firm is on its 12th class of pro bono scholars (click here for more), who are law students who spend part of their summers working at public interest organizations through Akin Gump.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
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