Our Diversity Policy and other initiatives undertaken to enhance diversity
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Diversity Policy
EGAO is committed to diversity through recruiting, hiring, mentoring, retaining and promoting minority and women attorneys. Currently, we have nine women among our attorneys, including one whom we supported to obtain her commission as a Notary Public, and overhalf of our members of our staff are women.
We recognize that outstanding people are the firm's greatest asset, and diversity is an integral component of our commitment to achieve the highest level of ethical conduct and professional competence, as individual attorneys and as a firm. To accomplish our goals, the following initiatives, among others, will be pursued: • Continue to recruit, hire, mentor, retain, promote and advance outstanding minority and women law students who will thrive in the firm.
•Improve the diversity of those holding firm leadership positions and participating in practice development efforts.
•Encourage reporting of any discrimination or harassment based on gender, race, color, national origin, religion, age or disability.
•Participate in diversity initiatives outside the firm with clients, bar associations, and minority organizations.
Every firm employee must accept responsibility for and do his or her part to fulfill the firm's commitment to diversity.
Pro-Bono and Community Activities
The firm's commitment to diversity will extend to community involvement, through various initiatives, including but not necessarily limited to:
1. Pro bono initiatives that support organizations, associations and programs that promote equality and fairness.
2. Sponsorship initiatives, with the firm lending its name, as well as providing financial support, to events and programs that promote diversity, and an avenue for all citizens to enjoy equal access to legal services and the judicial system
3. Cultural event initiatives, with the firm promoting and supporting cultural events, and programs that promote various cultures and ethnicities.
Professional Organizations
Firm members will promote diversity, at all levels, in all professional organizations in which they are members, and work to advance and promote minorities and women in leadership positions within those organizations.
Recruiting
The firm's recruiting policy will ensure that every effort is made to recruit qualified minority and women law students, for clerkships and associate positions. Its members will annually recruit qualified minority and women law students.
Hiring
The firm's legal support staff and lawyers should reflect the ethnic, cultural and social diversity of the communities in which our staff and lawyers live. Toward that goal, the firm will make concerted efforts in hiring minorities and women, and it will endeavor to maintain that status through its recruiting, hiring, retention, development and promotion of minorities and women.
Retention and Promotion
Each Partner will endeavor to communicate to the firm's members and legal staff, the firm's commitment to diversity, in order to ensure that the firm's diversity goals and initiative are strongly supported by all our employees. Behavior, practices, improper conduct and statements that are prejudicial to the firm's diverse population will not be tolerated.
Minority and women lawyers will be included in marketing and client contact activities.
No bias will be tolerated in reviews and evaluations that determine performance, compensation and advancement.
Mentoring
The firm recognizes that retention and advancement of minority and women lawyers, is as important as recruiting, and that an important component of professional growth is a strong mentoring program. The firm's mentoring program will include training, guidance and advice in specific legal practice areas, as well as client development and internal firm relationships. The strength of the mentoring program will be reflected in the time and attention given to appropriately matching mentors with protégés, and establishing a structure and training program, to facilitate the professional advancement and leadership development of minority and women lawyers. | |
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