Today, March 8, 2019, is International Women’s Day. Phillips Murrah would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the achievements and importance of women leaders in the workplace. The theme of this year’s IWD is gender balance, and Phillips Murrah is doing our part to help realize this important societal goal.
We are proud to have sponsored the OKC International Women’s Day Celebration last night, hosted by Oklahoma Women’s Coalition, held at Ponyboy. This event was the second annual celebration of International Women’s Day in Oklahoma City.
“57 attendees joined to network and learn more from women’s organizations, such as Oklahoma Women’s Coalition, YWCA, ReMerge of Oklahoma County, Sally’s List, the Metisse Group and more,” said Caroline Cotton, co-creator of the International Women’s Day OKC celebration.
From left: Caroline Cotton, Lacey Lett, Dawn Rahme, Melissa Gardner, Sam Newton and James Linhardt.
“For me, the importance stems from remembering that the pursuit of equality is an infinite process,” said Phillips Murrah attorney Sam Newton, who initiated the sponsorship. “As time passes, we tend to generalize our own lack of prejudice and declare the issue resolved. Yet, the reality isn’t that simple. Acknowledging the fact that inequality exists moves us forward. IWD serves that goal but is also a day to pause and remember the impact women, both well-known and not, have had on the world today.”
Phillips Murrah is proud to be leaders in the area of promoting women into positions of leadership and equity within our Firm. Our comparatively high percentage of women shareholders and executive leaders is a manifestation of our corporate culture, which celebrates talent, skill, character and collegiality.
All attorneys at Phillips Murrah are expected to meet high standards of professional ability and interpersonal intelligence. Additionally, our workplace expectation is that each attorney is able to thrive in his or her practice, unencumbered by underlying considerations about individual characteristics unrelated to the practice of law.
Liz Charles, Executive Director of Oklahoma Women’s Coalition
Phillips Murrah’s high percentage number of women partners and leaders isn’t motivated by societal pressure. Rather, it has occurred in an authentic way due to our inclusive corporate culture, and can be seen as an accomplishment for everyone at the Firm.
“We didn’t have a structured push to reach any kind of percentage, we just foster a culture that genuinely gives women the opportunity and support to succeed,” said Phillips Murrah Director Melissa Gardner. “I believe that’s the most sustainable kind of change and the coolest part of our equality.”
Phillips Murrah is also a proud Sustaining Partner of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL). We are pleased to be able to support NAWL’s mission, which is to provide leadership, a collective voice and essential resources to advance women in the legal profession, and to advocate for the equality of women under the law.
We are proud of the many strengths and advantages that women leaders bring to our Firm and to society in general, and we are happy to help celebrate this each day – and especially on International Women’s Day!