BAL: The #1 Firm on the ‘Women in Law Scorecard,’ Once Again

DALLAS, June 24, 2021 – The groundbreaking immigration law firm BAL is again ranked #1 for female attorney representation according to the National Law Journal’s 2021 Women in Law Scorecard.

For the third year in a row, BAL tops the Scorecard, which ranks firms by adding their percentage of female attorneys and their percentage of female partners. At BAL, women make up 62% of the attorneys, nearly two-thirds (65%) of the firm’s partners, and 42% of its owners.

“It’s an honor to remain the industry leader in this category. Women not only make up the majority of attorneys at BAL—they hold decision-making positions across the firm,” says Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge, noting that women make up 73% of the firm’s employees and 50% of its C-suite leaders. “We hire the best legal talent in the industry, and we have been forward-thinking in creating policies and instilling a culture that make this a great place to work for women at every stage of their careers.”

BAL has intentionally built a culture that values individuality while rewarding teamwork throughout its 40-year history. Though the firm has tripled its size since 2014 and grown 50% since 2018, it has maintained an inclusive culture, known as “oneBAL,” that elevates female voices and enables collaborative problem-solving without the divisiveness that plagues many large law firms. The firm’s leadership has adopted policies such as flexible schedules, remote work, expanded mental health support and unlimited vacation time that encourage work/life balance and resonate especially for female attorneys who are disproportionately impacted by parenting and caregiving responsibilities. In 2020, BAL formally established a DE&I Action and Advisory Board that launched firmwide focus groups seeking employee input and led to more than 40 employee-inspired initiatives that further promote diversity within the firm.

“I knew BAL was different from other law firms when I joined as an associate,” says Senior Partner Frieda Garcia. “I’ve seen the firm flourish and change over the past two decades, but one thing has remained constant—our culture that values every employee’s unique talents, ideas and contributions.” Garcia will be speaking at the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) annual conference in September with BAL Partner Kortney Gibson and Sr. Director of HR, Julie Dalton, about “Women, Diversity and Inclusion” and how organizations can achieve a collaborative workplace culture.

BAL has dominated industry gender and diversity rankings for the past several years, earning the top spot in multiple publications, including The American Lawyer’s #1 Most Diverse Law Firm in the country (2020 and 2021), Law360’s #1 Best Law Firm for Female Attorneys (2019 and 2020), #1 on Law360’s Diversity Snapshot (2019 and 2020), and Law360’s “Ceiling Smasher” list for highest percentage of female equity partners, five years in a row (2016-2020).

“I’ve been thrilled to step into the culture at BAL,” says COO and Partner Leslie Rohrbacker, who joined the firm this month. “I’ve spent years of my career mentoring women through my work as a practicing lawyer and operational executive in various organizations and industries. While many firms struggle with representation and inclusion, that is clearly not the case at BAL—it’s a special place where women thrive and are truly empowered to lead and make a positive difference in the lives of people all over the world.”