Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy announces that Litigation partner Stacey J. Rappaport, who has been instrumental in devising programs benefiting professional development for women lawyers, has joined the board of the University of California at Hastings Center for WorkLife Law. The San Francisco-based Center (https://worklifelaw.org/) supports studies of gender bias and its effect on women’s advancement in the workplace, and makes proposals in the legislative, public policy and private sectors aimed at advancing women’s career options, especially for working mothers. The Center has worked with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and national media to strengthen legal protections for women in the workforce and to promote improvements in work-family balance – initiatives in which men have a significant role as well. The Center’s founding director, Joan Williams, is a Distinguished Professor of Law at Hastings and prolific writer on challenges facing working women and work-family issues affecting men and women. Ms. Rappaport joins an 18-member board that includes other attorneys in private practice, and noted entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and in-house counsel from around the country. Ms. Rappaport also serves on the Advisory Board of the Hastings Leadership Academy for Women, an executive education and leadership program designed for women law firm partners. She is an alumna of the program. “Participating in the Hastings Leadership Academy and getting to know Joan and her work were powerful experiences for me,” she explains. “The Center’s research and advocacy are unique, grounded in empirical studies that support solid, actionable policy proposals on issues including women’s leadership, gender discrimination and pregnancy and leave.” She adds, “I am honored to join the Center’s board and help support its many worthy programs. Participating with the Center also allows me to leverage its groundbreaking research for the benefit of Milbank’s Women’s Initiative, enhancing the programs we’ve developed for the firm’s women lawyers.” On top of a thriving litigation practice, for which she frequently represents major financial institutions, Ms. Rappaport actively recruits, sponsors and mentors women lawyers. At Milbank, she co-founded the Milbank Women’s Initiative, an outgrowth of her seven years as a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. The Initiative was designed to work closely with other key committees, including Milbank’s Executive, Professional Development, Recruiting and Associate Life Committees. Complementing its focus on women lawyers’ career development, the Women’s Initiative has spearheaded pro bono work by Milbank on behalf of women in need, including projects for a variety of organizations helping women and families in crisis. Ms. Rappaport also serves the firm as a member of its Compensation Committee and its Associate Life Committee. In addition to her work at Milbank, she is founder and co-chair of the Women Partners Subcommittee of the New York City Bar’s Committee on Women in the Legal Profession. She served two terms on the board of the New York County Lawyers’ Association and currently sits on the board of Lincoln Square Legal Services, Inc. (Fordham Law School’s student law clinic). She has been a featured speaker on women’s workplace challenges at numerous bar association presentations and in 2013 was inducted into the YWCA’s Academy of Women Leaders, which honors senior women leaders from organizations nationwide.
About Milbank
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy is a leading international law firm that has been providing innovative legal solutions to clients throughout the world for more than 145 years. Milbank is headquartered in New York and has offices in Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Munich, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, DC.
The firm’s lawyers provide a full range of legal services to the world’s leading commercial, financial and industrial enterprises, as well as to institutions, individuals and governments. Milbank’s lawyers meet the needs of its clients by offering a highly integrated and collaborative range of services across key practice groups throughout its global network. Milbank’s integrated practice is underpinned by its attorneys’ acknowledged technical excellence, sectorial expertise and a strong tradition of innovation and client service.
