James Sandman
Partner
An exception to MCCA’s general awards criteria, this law firm was selected as an Employer of Choice, a designation usually reserved for corporate law departments. Arnold & Porter deserves special recognition for its exponential and sustained improvement in diversity. In the last five years, the firm has increased its number of minority attorneys by 231 percent.
Arnold & Porter’s diversity strategy has pushed both hiring and retention. Since 1995, new associates as a group have gone from just 6 percent to 36 percent minority attorneys. Yet what makes this firm really stand out is its ability to retain those associates. For each of the past three years, the firm’s retention rate for minority attorneys has been higher than its overall retention rate—a statistic that is almost unheard of in the legal profession. That says a great deal about the depth of inclusivity in Arnold & Porter’s work environment.
Arnold & Porter is a firm where women and minority attorneys want to stay.
None of this would have been possible without the personal involvement of the firm’s senior leadership in communicating to the entire organization that diversity is a top priority.
In addition, organizational changes, like adding a minority subcommittee to the hiring committee, have facilitated the effective implementation of diversity goals. The combination of communication and structural support has enabled this firm to achieve a truly inclusive work environment.
Not surprisingly, Working Mother magazine selected the firm as a top employer.
Return to List of 2001 Award Winners
From the March 2002 issue of Diversity & The Bar®