Diversity
We are committed to attracting, retaining and promoting a diverse team of attorneys and staff for the benefit of our clients, our business and ourselves. We believe that placing a high value on achieving diversity in our workplace is fundamental to the continued success of our business and our personal satisfaction as attorneys. We believe that by incorporating diversity into our long-term business philosophy, we add value to the service we provide our clients, we enrich our colleagues, and we advance our core values: teamwork, client service, innovation, excellence and commitment.
Our view of diversity includes a variety of experiences, backgrounds, viewpoints and perspectives in addition to race, religion, national origin, gender and sexual orientation. We recruit and develop a range of talent because we understand diversity broadens the capacity of our team and strengthens the quality of our services.
Hispanic National Bar Association Selects Seyfarth Shaw as 2006 "Law Firm of the Year"
Our Diversity-Focused Activities
Seyfarth Shaw attorneys are active leaders and participants in bar associations and other programs and organizations that promote diversity in the legal profession and in the community. The firm encourages and supports participation in local and national minority bar associations. Many of our lawyers have undertaken leadership roles in organizations such as:
- American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
- Asian American Bar Association
- Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
- Black Lawyers Association Urban League
- Black Women Lawyers Association
- California Minority Counsel Program
- Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms
- Corporate Counsel Women of Color
- Diversity Program of the State Bar of Georgia
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- Korean American Bar Association
- Minority Corporate Counsel Association
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- National Lesbian Gay Law Association
- Philippine American Bar Association
The firm actively supports and recruits at minority law student job fairs, and recruits diverse students from law schools across the country.
Walking the Talk
Our commitment to diversity is more than simply words on a page. It includes concrete action, such as an innovative program specifically designed to promote the attraction, recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse attorneys. Our Diversity Action Team has researched and formulated policies and practices aimed at facilitating diversity. Execution of these policies and practices is carried out by the firm’s Diversity Steering Committee, comprised of all of the firm’s Office Managing Partners. Our Executive Committee shares responsibility for enforcing our diversity policies and practices, and monitors and ensures implementation. The goal is simple – keep diversity a key priority at Seyfarth Shaw and drive our programs from the Executive Committee through each of our offices on a consistent, sustainable basis.
Our commitment is also holistic. Maintaining diversity is the responsibility of all of our partners, and every member of our organization has a role to play. Our lawyers are engaged in our efforts to achieve and maintain greater diversity. Some examples include: our Hiring Committee addresses issues related to attracting and recruiting diverse legal talent, we leverage the expertise of our Lawyer Development Committee to address unique challenges confronting female and minority attorneys in practice, and we rely upon our Lawyer Development Committee to identify training opportunities of particular interest to female and minority attorneys. The result? A firm in which diverse people, cultures and backgrounds work together to achieve and deliver excellence in their professional careers.
Associate Development
Our goal is to be the firm of choice for both clients and attorneys. To deliver the best work product and provide superior service, we need the best people. Ongoing learning and professional development is crucial to attracting and retaining top talent. A Seyfarth Shaw associate will find challenging work at even the earliest stage of his or her career, supported by ongoing coaching, training and feedback. All associates create an individualized development plan with the assistance of their mentor. We provide a welcoming and supportive environment, which we believe is unique among law firms, to encourage attorneys to successfully navigate the development of their career.
We recognize that creating a diverse culture and workforce is a journey, not a destination. We are committed to continually gauging our progress, learning how we can improve, and fulfilling our commitments to be a firm that is diverse in perspective, experience and talent.
