Bruce McLean
Partner
Every hiring committee in each Akin Gump office actively seeks minority applicants for their summer programs, which serve as primary conduits for attorney hires. Almost one-fifth of the 2001 summer associates firm wide were students of color. In the Washington, D.C. office, 15 percent of the partners are minorities.
The firm has several programs to increase the retention rate among minority and women attorneys. As nearly 30 percent of its attorneys are women, Akin Gump offers stipends and services that facilitate alternative working arrangements for parents. The firm also offers part-time work plans that have seen an increased participation by all its attorneys.
Akin Gump maximizes retention by incorporating avenues for promotion into its diversity goals. The firm is in its third year of an interim promotion program that offers counsel status to partner-track associates.
Counsel receive additional compensation, training, mentoring and leadership opportunities that lead to greater client responsibilities, including development budgets. As a group, the counsel enhance their managerial contact in retreats that facilitate networking and relationship development with firm leadership.
Overall, its emphasis on formal and informal training in all aspects of attorney professional development makes Akin Gump a leader in diversity.
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From the March 2002 issue of Diversity & The Bar®