International Women’s Day 2024 Spotlight

A Q&A with Dechert Global Women’s Initiative Co-Leaders Shari Ross Lahlou and Carol Widger

In a continuation of our celebration of International Women’s Day and Women's History Month, we sat down with partners Shari Ross Lahlou and Carol Widger, who currently serve as co-heads of  Dechert's Global Women's Initiative, to capture their thoughts on the importance of “inspiring inclusion” across the firm, as well as how women can leverage inclusion in successfully building their legal careers.

Why is inclusion so important for women in advancing their legal careers?

Shari Ross Lahlou: Getting the right opportunities, training, support and sponsorship is critical to success in the legal profession, as it is for many.  Intentionally encouraging and actualizing inclusion helps to ensure that women have equal access to those essential building blocks, and therefore the same chance to advance. 

How can firms be more inclusive?

Shari Ross Lahlou: Creating an inclusive culture is an important starting point.  That takes a lot of work by a lot of people and requires more than mere rhetoric.  As the saying goes, it’s necessary to “put your money where your mouth is,” and incentivizing truly inclusive behavior certainly helps. 

What efforts has Dechert made to be more inclusive of which you’re particularly proud?

Carol Widger: An important part of the effort to be inclusive is women helping, supporting and inspiring other women. At Dechert we work hard to shine the spotlight on our women leaders in the firm and our senior women generously give their time to mentor, guide and share the benefit of their experiences with the next generation of women in the firm.

Can you describe how inclusion yielded an opportunity in your own career?

Carol Widger: I was fortunate to have had the support of a strong sponsor at a critical time in my own career and I am a strong believer that it is essential for everyone to have someone who advocates for you and encourages you to step out of your comfort zone. An effective sponsor will help you break down barriers and create a space for you to reach your full potential.   

How is GWI working to make Dechert a more inclusive workplace?

Shari Ross Lahlou: GWI provides a forum for our women lawyers to help them get what they need to advance their careers and enrich themselves more generally.  We offer a variety of formal programming aimed at professional and business development goals and, as important, function as a platform for women to form productive relationships with and support one another.  We hope that our women lawyers find GWI to be a valuable resource. 

Can you share any advice for other women seeking a more inclusive environment?

Shari Ross Lahlou: Like many things in life, you can’t just sit back and wait for it to happen.  You have to both live the value of inclusion yourself and demand it of others.  By definition, it is not a one-way street, and helping others understand ways to be more inclusive and how everyone benefits from it goes a long way. 

Carol Widger: As our esteemed colleague Sheila Birnbaum said – when you do eventually walk through the door, leave it open for others to follow.