Linda Coberly Talks BigLaw Diversity in Chicago with Bloomberg

Chicago Office Managing Partner Linda Coberly was featured in Bloomberg BNA’s January 14 article “Does Chicago Tout the Largest Population of Female Managing Partners?” The article is a result of a research project led by Winston & Strawn and another top Chicago law firm that found Chicago has more women leading “Big Law” offices than any other city in the top 10 U.S. legal markets.

In the article, Ms. Coberly discusses how she joined Winston in 2004 to start the firm’s appellate practice and thereafter took on a role in management, participating in gender diversity initiatives and other firm committees. She was also nominated and elected to the firm’s Executive Committee.

Ms. Coberly attributes much of her success to the motivation she received after pursuing a reduced-hours arrangement following the birth of her first daughter and feeling that she was being underestimated. She notes that, in the 1990s, there were very few women who had succeeded in that kind of arrangement.

“Many of the men I was working with at the time assumed I would stop working altogether at some point—or that my career would stall out,” she said. “I had no patience with those kinds of assumptions and I refused to accept them as limitations.”

Ms. Coberly notes that progress in gender diversity is contagious, and Chicago is a prime example. She notes that the city has a history of pioneering female leaders in Big Law and that when one firm makes visible progress, clients, competitors, recruits, and lawyers take notice.

“Having women adequately represented in leadership positions communicates a meaningful commitment to diversity and shows younger women that they can achieve long-term success at the firm,” she said.  

Ms. Coberly adds that while there was a time when law firms handed out leadership positions as a trophy to the biggest producers, the office leaders at Winston tend to be people who have leadership skills.

“Being an office managing partner is and should be a true leadership position, with responsibility for leading the lawyers, staff, and the operations of the office,” she said.

When asked about the biggest challenges facing women advancing in law, Ms. Coberly said time and short-sightedness. Similar to her situation, she notes that there will likely be one or more periods in the course of a career when it may be necessary to adjust one’s professional commitment to be more available for family. She emphasizes the importance of looking at one’s career with a long-term perspective and mentioned that Winston is working to change how it provides support to new parents over the longer arc of their careers. 

“Just because my working schedule and priorities have changed over time doesn’t mean I am not committed to my career and the practice of law over the long term,” she said.  

View the article.