Qwest is in the business of communication. The large telecommunications company provides local service to fourteen Western states, and also serves as a national communications provider to businesses and the federal government.
So what’s the most important message they can communicate? That, put simply, diversity is the right thing to do. Qwest believes that a diverse law department leads to a superior work product, more creativity, and the ability to better relate to internal and external customers alike. But that’s only part of the story, according to the company’s philosophy. “As a company or law department, diversity leads to a better understanding of the work product and different points of view,” observes Laurie Korneffel, the vice president of legal affairs for Qwest, “but the main reason we stress diversity is that it is simply the right thing to do.”
Qwest’s law department illustrates a successful picture of diversity. A glancing at Qwest’s metrics provides that example — 50% of its attorneys are women, and 18% are minorities. And the numbers will only strengthen as its programs evolve.
Qwest concentrates the bulk of its community diversity efforts in Denver, where its headquarters is located. Among the organizations that supported Qwest’s nomination for this award are The Colorado Lawyers Committee, an organization that is dedicated to advancing the rights of children, the poor, and the underprivileged; the Colorado Bar Association, whose mission is to break down the long–standing barriers that have prevented diverse attorneys from succeeding in the legal field; and the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence, which strives to make the legal environment as inclusive as possible — an organization that would not exist if not for the Call to Action and Qwest’s generous support. The list goes on, but the picture is clear: Qwest is working on promoting diversity in its own backyard.
“One program that comes immediately to mind in demonstrating our commitment to diversity is our ten–week summer clerkship,” Korneffel shares. Open to nine law school students each year from either the University of Colorado Denver or the Stern College at the University of Denver, participants acquire first–hand experience in a variety of legal fields.
One strength of Qwest’s legal department is the outreach of its lawyers. Qwest’s general counsel, Rich Baer, is on the board of the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence. Another Qwest lawyer, Meshach Rhoades, is president of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association. The overlap brings concerns of the local community to Qwest’s doorstep.
“Thankfully, the economy hasn’t distracted us from our diversity efforts,” reflects Korneffel. “We have a very robust pro bono program, and a number of programs that support diverse communities at the high–school level.” One such program is the Hate Violence Task Force, which sponsors mock trials in middle school. The program exposes students to the legal process in the hope that they will gain an understanding and appreciation of the legal aspect of our society — and perhaps those students will lead to their choosing to pursue a legal career later in life. A similar program aimed at diverse public–school students is the Denver Urban Debate League, in which high–school students learn courtroom basics that help establish confidence in public speaking. Twenty Qwest employees are involved in that program.
“Fortunately, these programs take time more than money,” notes Korneffel, and that effort has been a hallmark of the commitment that Qwest attorneys embody. “The community involvement excites a lot of folks,” she concludes, “and Qwest will continue to work in the community.” DB
From the November/December 2009 issue of Diversity & The Bar®