{"id":7019,"date":"2022-09-12T13:53:55","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T17:53:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/?p=7019"},"modified":"2023-12-11T11:59:49","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T16:59:49","slug":"great-deideas-innovative-diversity-programs-top-law-firms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/great-deideas-innovative-diversity-programs-top-law-firms\/","title":{"rendered":"Great DEIdeas: Innovative Diversity Programs from Four Top Law Firms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><button id=\"listenButton1\" class=\"responsivevoice-button\" type=\"button\" value=\"Play\" title=\"ResponsiveVoice Tap to Start\/Stop Speech\"><span>&#128266; Listen to this article<\/span><\/button>\n        <script>\n            listenButton1.onclick = function(){\n                if(responsiveVoice.isPlaying()){\n                    responsiveVoice.cancel();\n                }else{\n                    responsiveVoice.speak(\"Lawyers often lead the push for equality in our society, and many U.S. law firms have been working steadfastly to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at their organizations and in the profession as a whole.\u00a0 Recent progress toward DEI goals was acknowledged in the National Association for Law Placement\u2019s (NALP) 2021 \u201cReport on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms.\u201d In the study, the professional organization reported that the percentage of summer associates of color grew 5 percentage points in a single year, with more than 41% of all summer associates last year being people of color.\u00a0 However, the good news was tempered with an admission of the work still to be done. The survey also reported: Black attorneys are still drastically underrepresented in U.S. law firms, making up only 3.6% of all lawyers. At the highest levels, women make up only 22% of equity partners.\u00a0 Just 9% of equity partners are people of color. Experts cite many contributing factors for slow progress toward diversity and inclusion in the legal sector. Among these are lack of mentorship, unconscious bias, and challenges in recruiting and retention. Just as there\u2019s no single reason for stagnant DEI efforts, there are many innovative ways to spark transformational change. Let\u2019s take a closer look at some great ideas from four award-winning law firms. Expand the pool of diverse candidates. Beveridge & Diamond, an environmental law firm based in Washington, D.C., has several initiatives aimed at getting more people of color into the law firm diversity pipeline. The aim is to increase the number of lawyers the firm can recruit, and more broadly, to increase the number of people working in environmental law. To demonstrate what a career in the field might look like, the firm frequently assembles environmental attorneys for panel discussions at law schools, says Roy Prather III, a principal at the firm. Speakers might be from law firms, corporate partners, non-governmental organizations, or government agencies. \u201cIt introduces a wider range of people, particularly law students, into the field of environmental law, which is not particularly diverse,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a great way to reach students from underrepresented groups, who don\\'t have a ton of insight into all the different careers that you can have, coming out of law school in general, and particularly not with respect to this very narrow field.\u201d Beveridge & Diamond, which was ranked No. 22 on Vault\u2019s 2022 survey for Best Midsize Law Firms for Diversity, also partners with Just the Beginning Foundation. The nonprofit aims to encourage and support students of color and those from underrepresented communities who wish to pursue careers in law.\u00a0 To get high-schoolers thinking about baseline legal skills, the firm has sponsored debate clubs. At the elementary-school level, staff have led science and ecology classes to introduce broad concepts of environmental law.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThat\\'s something less pipeline-oriented and probably more community engagement-minded, but it does have that double benefit,\u201d says Stacey Sublett Halliday, Principal and Chair of the DE&I Committee. Promote law firm diversity with actions and resources. Diversity fellowships are a common way to support promising first year law students with scholarships and professional development. These DEI initiatives require some capital investment, but they yield results.\u00a0 Robinson Bradshaw, which received the Compass Award by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) in 2021, recently established its Diversity Fellowship Program. The firm, based in Charlotte, N.C., offers $25,000 in scholarship funds to law students from underrepresented populations, and the fellowship includes a paid clerkship and enrichment activities. In 2021, there were two fellows, who both returned to work at the firm this summer, and this year, the program grew to include four diverse first-year law students.\u00a0 Angelique Vincent-Hamacher, Director and Co-Chair of the firm\u2019s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, is hopeful that the fellowship participants will join Robinson Bradshaw when they graduate from law school. \u201cI feel really good about the firm taking the initiative and taking action, so that we can attract law school students, particularly law school students from underrepresented groups,\u201d she says.\u00a0 \u201cOur diversity fellows have also become ambassadors for the law firm, in terms of talking about their experience at the law firm to other law school students who may be interested in having a summer associate position at the firm.\u201d Create formal mentorship programs that foster belonging. Building lasting relationships is a central tenet of the business strategy at Smith Anderson, based in Raleigh, N.C. In 2021, the firm received the Diversity and Inclusion award from North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. Smith Anderson\u2019s Diversity Mentor Program, which pairs women and diverse associates with partners, fits with the company\u2019s core values and its DEI goals.\u00a0 \u201cIt was created not for the purpose of anything other than just connecting people who were different, creating a space where you could share perspectives in a way that was safe and non-threatening,\u201d says Kerry Shad, Partner and Co-Chair of Smith Anderson\u2019s D&I Committee. \u201cThe program has helped us foster that critical sense of belonging that everybody needs and wants, but can be so grossly lacking in a lot of organizations.\u201d Along with team-building between mentors and mentees, Smith Anderson hosts social events to encourage conversations and networking. Among these events are the firm\u2019s Diverse In-House Mixers, where diverse in-house lawyers from companies all over North Carolina are invited for drinks and socializing. \u201cThe in-house lawyers love it, because some of these people work in very small legal departments,\u201d Shad says. \u201cThey may be the only diverse lawyer in their legal department, or maybe they\u2019re the only lawyer in their company.\u201d\u00a0 Every now and again, there is a business opportunity, but that is not the goal of these get-togethers. The aim is to create connections that are personally satisfying and professionally enriching, she says. Retain employees with people-first policies. At Bookoff McAndrews, a flexible mindset has allowed the ten-year-old firm to attract and retain top talent. The Washington, D.C., firm specializes in patent counseling and prosecution and was ranked first on Vault\u2019s 2022 survey for Best Midsize Law Firms for Diversity. Jessica Winchester, a partner at Bookoff McAndrews who leads the firm\u2019s culture initiatives, has always worked remotely from her Ohio home. \u201cI wanted so desperately to work with Bookoff McAndrews. I knew the people; I knew their commitment to fairness in general. So I asked, and they graciously agreed that this arrangement would work for them too,\u201d she says. \u201cWe can find our talent wherever they are and support them from there. I know I wouldn\\'t have been able to work here had it not been for that flexibility and that open mindset that the partners had at the time I joined.\u201d The firm, with roughly thirty-five lawyers on staff, has also been able to expand its reach nationwide because it has people working in California, Texas, and even in South Korea. Create a top-down and bottom-up commitment to DEI. Like the partners at Bookoff McAndrews who approved Winchester\u2019s remote work arrangement, committed leaders are essential if law firms are going to advance DEI throughout their organizations. Along with describing their firms\u2019 successful strategies, each of these DEI practitioners credit leaders who evangelized the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion.\u00a0 At Beveridge & Diamond, Prather attributes much of the firm\u2019s DEI success to a former managing partner who was passionate, outspoken, and created space for other like-minded people to speak up as well. \u201cNow we have this whole suite of folks, and DEI is just baked into how they think about how the firm works,\u201d he says. Great ideas can come from anywhere \u2013 from the frontline to the CEO \u2013 but transformative change can only happen when DEI is part of every aspect of the business. If you are a leader who is looking for ways to make your organization more innovative, more profitable, and more welcoming, contact us today or download A Business Leader\\'s Guide to Driving Diversity & Inclusion In The Workplace. The Diversity Movement is happy to share our great ideas.\u00a0 Amber Keister is a Content Writer and Editor at The Diversity Movement. She has spent more than 20 years as a journalist for publications throughout the South. Connect with her on Linkedin.\", \"US English Male\");\n                }\n            };\n        <\/script>\n     <\/br><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lawyers often lead the push for equality in our society, and many U.S. law firms have been working steadfastly to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at their organizations and in the profession as a whole.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent progress toward DEI goals was acknowledged in the National Association for Law Placement\u2019s (NALP) 2021 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nalp.org\/uploads\/2021NALPReportonDiversity.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cReport on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d In the study, the professional organization reported that the percentage of summer associates of color grew 5 percentage points in a single year, with more than 41% of all summer associates last year being people of color.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the good news was tempered with an admission of the work still to be done. The survey also reported:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Black attorneys are still drastically underrepresented in U.S. law firms, making up only 3.6% of all lawyers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the highest levels, women make up only 22% of equity partners.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just 9% of equity partners are people of color.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/racism.org\/articles\/law-and-justice\/practice-of-law\/9110-why-the\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts cite many contributing factors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for slow progress toward diversity and inclusion in the legal sector. Among these are lack of mentorship, unconscious bias, and challenges in recruiting and retention. Just as there\u2019s no single reason for stagnant DEI efforts, there are many innovative ways to spark transformational change. Let\u2019s take a closer look at some great ideas from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/five-eastern-us-law-firms-dei-right\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">four award-winning law firms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7021 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-12-at-1.38.03-PM-1024x626.png\" alt=\"Shot of a group of lawyers standing in the city stock photo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"626\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-12-at-1.38.03-PM-1024x626.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-12-at-1.38.03-PM-600x367.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-12-at-1.38.03-PM-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-12-at-1.38.03-PM-768x470.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-12-at-1.38.03-PM-1536x939.png 1536w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screen-Shot-2022-09-12-at-1.38.03-PM.png 1678w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/626;\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Expand the pool of diverse candidates.<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bdlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beveridge &amp; Diamond<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an environmental law firm based in Washington, D.C., has several initiatives aimed at getting more people of color into the law firm diversity pipeline. The aim is to increase the number of lawyers the firm can recruit, and more broadly, to increase the number of people working in environmental law.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7020\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7020\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7020 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Prather_R_Bio2-default-headshot-second-headshot-1573-300x164.webp\" alt=\"Roy Prather III headshot\" width=\"300\" height=\"164\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Prather_R_Bio2-default-headshot-second-headshot-1573-300x164.webp 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Prather_R_Bio2-default-headshot-second-headshot-1573-600x327.webp 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Prather_R_Bio2-default-headshot-second-headshot-1573-768x419.webp 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Prather_R_Bio2-default-headshot-second-headshot-1573.webp 825w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/164;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7020\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roy Prather III<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To demonstrate what a career in the field might look like, the firm frequently assembles environmental attorneys for panel discussions at law schools, says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bdlaw.com\/roy-d-prather-iii\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roy Prather III<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a principal at the firm. Speakers might be from law firms, corporate partners, non-governmental organizations, or government agencies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt introduces a wider range of people, particularly law students, into the field of environmental law, which is not particularly diverse,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a great way to reach students from underrepresented groups, who don&#8217;t have a ton of insight into all the different careers that you can have, coming out of law school in general, and particularly not with respect to this very narrow field.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beveridge &amp; Diamond, which was ranked No. 22 on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vault\u2019<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s 2022 survey for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/firsthand.co\/best-companies-to-work-for\/law\/best-law-firms-for-diversity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best Midsize Law Firms for Diversity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, also partners with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jtb.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just the Beginning Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The nonprofit aims to encourage and support students of color and those from underrepresented communities who wish to pursue careers in law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get high-schoolers thinking about baseline legal skills, the firm has sponsored debate clubs. At the elementary-school level, staff have led science and ecology classes to introduce broad concepts of environmental law.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat&#8217;s something less pipeline-oriented and probably more community engagement-minded, but it does have that double benefit,\u201d says Stacey Sublett Halliday, Principal and Chair of the DE&amp;I Committee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8878 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-C-1024x341.png\" alt=\"TDM Library: your one-stop-shop for update, expert DEI Resources. Explore the platform with a free trial. Click here to learn more.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"341\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-C-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-C-600x200.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-C-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-C-768x256.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/NEW-TDM-Library-Display-Ad_Large-C.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/341;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Promote law firm diversity with actions and resources.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diversity fellowships are a common way to support promising first year law students with scholarships and professional development. These DEI initiatives require some capital investment, but they yield results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.robinsonbradshaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robinson Bradshaw<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which received the Compass Award by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) in 2021, recently established its Diversity Fellowship Program. The firm, based in Charlotte, N.C., offers $25,000 in scholarship funds to law students from underrepresented populations, and the fellowship includes a paid clerkship and enrichment activities. In 2021, there were two fellows, who both returned to work at the firm this summer, and this year, the program grew to include four diverse first-year law students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7022\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7022\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7022 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Angie-Vincent-Hamacher_featured-300x169.jpeg\" alt=\"Angie Vincent-Hamacher headshot\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Angie-Vincent-Hamacher_featured-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Angie-Vincent-Hamacher_featured-600x338.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Angie-Vincent-Hamacher_featured-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Angie-Vincent-Hamacher_featured-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Angie-Vincent-Hamacher_featured-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Angie-Vincent-Hamacher_featured.jpeg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/169;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7022\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Angie Vincent-Hamacher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.robinsonbradshaw.com\/professionals-Angie-Vincent-Hamacher.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Angelique Vincent-Hamacher,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Director and Co-Chair of the firm\u2019s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, is hopeful that the fellowship participants will join Robinson Bradshaw when they graduate from law school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI feel really good about the firm taking the initiative and taking action, so that we can attract law school students, particularly law school students from underrepresented groups,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur diversity fellows have also become ambassadors for the law firm, in terms of talking about their experience at the law firm to other law school students who may be interested in having a summer associate position at the firm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Create formal mentorship programs that foster belonging.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building lasting relationships is a central tenet of the business strategy at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithlaw.com\/firm-diversity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smith Anderson,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based in Raleigh, N.C. In 2021, the firm received the Diversity and Inclusion award from <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">North Carolina Lawyers Weekly<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Carolina Lawyers Weekly<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Smith Anderson\u2019s Diversity Mentor Program, which pairs women and diverse associates with partners, fits with the company\u2019s core values and its DEI goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was created not for the purpose of anything other than just connecting people who were different, creating a space where you could share perspectives in a way that was safe and non-threatening,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithlaw.com\/professionals-Kerry-Shad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kerry Shad<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Partner and Co-Chair of Smith Anderson\u2019s D&amp;I Committee.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7023\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7023\" style=\"width: 246px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7023 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/kerry-shad-e1503946371713-246x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Kerry Shad headshot\" width=\"246\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/kerry-shad-e1503946371713-246x300.jpeg 246w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/kerry-shad-e1503946371713.jpeg 583w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 246px) 100vw, 246px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 246px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 246\/300;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7023\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kerry Shad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe program has helped us foster that critical sense of belonging that everybody needs and wants, but can be so grossly lacking in a lot of organizations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with team-building between mentors and mentees, Smith Anderson hosts social events to encourage conversations and networking. Among these events are the firm\u2019s Diverse In-House Mixers, where diverse in-house lawyers from companies all over North Carolina are invited for drinks and socializing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe in-house lawyers love it, because some of these people work in very small legal departments,\u201d Shad says. \u201cThey may be the only diverse lawyer in their legal department, or maybe they\u2019re the only lawyer in their company.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every now and again, there is a business opportunity, but that is not the goal of these get-togethers. The aim is to create connections that are personally satisfying and professionally enriching, she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Retain employees with people-first policies.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bomcip.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bookoff McAndrews<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a flexible mindset has allowed the ten-year-old firm to attract and retain top talent. The Washington, D.C., firm specializes in patent counseling and prosecution and was ranked first on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/firsthand.co\/best-companies-to-work-for\/law\/best-midsize-law-firms-to-work-for\/diversity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vault\u2019<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s 2022 survey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for Best Midsize Law Firms for Diversity.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7024\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7024\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7024 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Jessica-Winchester-Full-928x618-1-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"Jessica Winchester headshot\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Jessica-Winchester-Full-928x618-1-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Jessica-Winchester-Full-928x618-1-600x400.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Jessica-Winchester-Full-928x618-1-768x511.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Jessica-Winchester-Full-928x618-1.jpeg 928w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7024\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jessica Winchester<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bomcip.com\/our-team\/jessica-f-winchester\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jessica Winchester<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a partner at Bookoff McAndrews who leads the firm\u2019s culture initiatives, has always worked remotely from her Ohio home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI wanted so desperately to work with Bookoff McAndrews. I knew the people; I knew their commitment to fairness in general. So I asked, and they graciously agreed that this arrangement would work for them too,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe can find our talent wherever they are and support them from there. I know I wouldn&#8217;t have been able to work here had it not been for that flexibility and that open mindset that the partners had at the time I joined.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The firm, with roughly thirty-five lawyers on staff, has also been able to expand its reach nationwide because it has people working in California, Texas, and even in South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Create a top-down and bottom-up commitment to DEI.<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like the partners at Bookoff McAndrews who approved Winchester\u2019s remote work arrangement, committed leaders are essential if law firms are going to advance DEI throughout their organizations. Along with describing their firms\u2019 successful strategies, each of these DEI practitioners credit leaders who evangelized the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Beveridge &amp; Diamond, Prather attributes much of the firm\u2019s DEI success to a former managing partner who was passionate, outspoken, and created space for other like-minded people to speak up as well. \u201cNow we have this whole suite of folks, and DEI is just baked into how they think about how the firm works,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/intensive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7035 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Intensive-Ad.png\" alt=\"Advertisement for The Diversity Leader's Intensive\" width=\"800\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Intensive-Ad.png 800w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Intensive-Ad-600x150.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Intensive-Ad-300x75.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Intensive-Ad-768x192.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/200;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great ideas can come from anywhere \u2013 from the frontline to the CEO \u2013 but transformative change can only happen when DEI is part of every aspect of the business. If you are a leader who is looking for ways to make your organization more innovative, more profitable, and more welcoming, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/contact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact us today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or download <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/a-business-leaders-guide-to-driving-diversity-inclusion-in-the-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Business Leader&#8217;s Guide to Driving Diversity &amp; Inclusion In The Workplace<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Diversity Movement is happy to share <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> great ideas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/library\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-8045 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-C-1024x85.png\" alt=\"Display ad for TDM Library. Text says &quot;Find more content like this in TDM Library. Start my free trial&quot;\" width=\"1024\" height=\"85\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-C-1024x85.png 1024w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-C-600x50.png 600w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-C-300x25.png 300w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-C-768x64.png 768w, https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/TDM-Library-Footer-Ad-C.png 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/85;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/thediversitymovement.com\/team\/amber-keister\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Amber Keister<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a Content Writer and Editor at The Diversity Movement. She has spent more than 20 years as a journalist for publications throughout the South. Connect with her on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/amberkeister\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Linkedin<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lawyers often lead the push for equality in our society, and many U.S. law firms have been working steadfastly to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at their organizations and15<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,5],"tags":[],"tdm_type":[92],"class_list":["post-7019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trends-industry-insights","category-blogs","tdm_type-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Great DEIdeas: Innovative Diversity Programs from Four Top Law Firms - The Diversity Movement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Experts cite many contributing factors for slow progress toward diversity and inclusion in the legal sector. 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