Littler Mendelson PC issued the following announcement on Dec. 8.
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, is pleased to unveil its latest initiative to foster diversity and inclusion within the firm. With “Breaking Through: Littler’s D&I Comp Initiative,” the firm is aiming to double the number of attorneys of color, women and LGBTQ+ shareholders in the top quartile of Littler’s compensation system within five years.
“Littler has long viewed the diversity of our team and a culture of inclusivity as crucial to our ongoing success,” said Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, co-managing directors of Littler, in a joint statement. “While we are proud of our track record of being a diverse and inclusive employer, we are always striving to do better and looking for new ways to evolve our initiatives and support our diverse talent. While this is a bold and novel initiative within the legal industry, we are committed to devoting the resources necessary to achieve our goal.”
Led by a working group formed early in the year that consists of stakeholders across the firm – including members of the leadership team, Diversity & Inclusion Council and corporate management – Littler has identified several strategies to increase opportunities and propel diverse attorneys into the top quartile of the firm’s compensation system. This includes creating additional business development, leadership and other training programs that provide the skills and resources needed for career growth. An additional focus is on further expanding access to client opportunities, such as ensuring that diverse attorneys are considered for lead roles on new client matters and in transition/succession plans for existing client relationships.
“Littler’s D&I Comp Initiative addresses one of the most important challenges that the legal profession as a whole should prioritize – equal access to compensation and diverse representation at the top ranks,” said Caren Ulrich Stacy, CEO of Diversity Lab. “Littler consistently impresses us with its innovative and dedicated approach to advancing D&I within the firm and in the industry. We’re looking forward to working with the firm even more closely in the future and following the outcome of this initiative.”
Breaking Through: Littler’s D&I Comp Initiative is the latest initiative that showcases the firm’s dedication to diversity and inclusion. The firm is currently completing a two-year long initiative to provide unconscious bias training to every lawyer in the firm. Additional diversity and inclusion initiatives include the Career Advocacy Program, which selects high-performing diverse associates and pairs them with some of the firm’s most influential leaders and with general counsel of the firm’s current and former clients to help them develop the skills and visibility needed to progress in their careers. The firm also has four affinity groups – Bollo (Black/African American), ‘Ohana (Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, North African and Pacific Islander), Pride (LGBTQ) and Reunión (Hispanic/Latinx) – which provide diverse attorneys with another platform to expand and develop professionally.
Among many recognitions for its efforts, Littler has earned Mansfield Certification Plus for the past two years from Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law.
Original source can be found here.