Source: LawJobs.com
Citing a study (.pdf) that indicates nearly 60 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender law students feel that being "out" would hurt their chances of becoming partner, the Bar Association of San Francisco released a report Tuesday outlining "best practices" (.pdf) for recruiting and retaining LGBT lawyers.

Though many of the recommendations -- such as domestic partner benefits and diversity initiatives -- are standard fare at many big San Francisco-based firms, at least one is not: BASF said firms should adopt "gross up" pay as part of their domestic partner benefit. The report notes that under federal law, money spent by the firm on a domestic partner's insurance is reported to the IRS as taxable income.

Oakland, Calif., lawyer Teresa Renaker, who worked on the benefits portion of the report, said some employers will try to ameliorate the tax consequences by boosting the employee's salary or wages by the amount of the tax, but the practice is still rare. "I think it's too early to say whether it's something that's on the increase or whether it will become a common practice," Renaker said.

A 2005 survey of LGBT and ethnic minority students at Columbia, Harvard and San Francisco Bay Area law schools put together by Thelen Reid & Priest showed that 59 percent of LGBT law students believe that being "out" will have a negative impact on their chance to make partner at a law firm. And 65 percent indicated they would have significant concerns bringing their partner or significant other to a client event.

The BASF report, prepared by its equality subcommittee, also recommends that firms put LGBT attorneys in visible positions, sponsor seminars or brown-bag lunches with an LGBT focus, use marriage-neutral terms when telling employees they may bring a guest to an office function and provide health plans that cover the cost of transition-related care for transgender employees.

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein partner Kelly Dermody, who co-chaired the group that prepared Tuesday's report, said that she was surprised by how many LGBT law students fear they will be treated unfairly.

Full article: lawjobs.com Career Center - San Francisco Bar Association Lists Ways to Keep LGBT Lawyers