As lawyers, we took an oath to fight for justice and equity, but this duty doesn’t end in the courtroom or boardroom – it must be reflected in what we say, how we act and what we value as an institution.
DEI
@
ORRICK
Our approach is founded
on 8 core principles…
Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is longstanding. Over the past year, it became clear to us that our progress is not fast enough. We’re bringing heightened focus to taking action at our firm, with our clients and in our communities. It’s essential to the sustainability of our firm and our profession.
1
Goals that get measured, and shared publicly, get addressed.
We aim to be the most inclusive law firm serving the Tech & Innovation, Energy & Infrastructure and Finance sectors. We measure our progress through the diversity of our leadership team, partnership, client teams and summer associate classes.
In addition, our DEI leadership has a strong voice in the management of our firm, including serving on our Management Committee and helping to lead our Client Relationship Program. Our Chairman Mitch Zuklie is an advocate for DEI – both at Orrick and as a board member of the Leadership Council on
Legal Diversity (LCLD). And to invest in the next generation of diverse leaders, we send rising stars to leadership pipeline programs every year, including Chart Your Own Course, the LCLD Pathfinders and Fellowship Programs, and The NYC Bar Office for Diversity and Inclusion Associate Leadership Institute (ALI).
Where
we stand today
We exceed large law firm averages at the partner and associate levels, as reported by NALP, in every category: lawyers of color, women and LGBTQ+.
Senior Leadership Team:
50%
U.S. Partnership:
40%
New Partner Classes (past 7 years):
50%
Partners Hired in the Lateral Market (past 5 years):
50%
2022 Summer Associate Class:
92%
Creating Accountability
Every Orrick Business Unit reports to our Chairman and DEI leadership annually on progress against group-specific diversity goals – for both group demographics and individual career advancement. Our Board and Management Committee review a summary report.
Client Teams
As one of the four founding law firms of the Move the
Needle (MTN) Fund, we have pledged that our client teams for 40 valued clients will be at least 55% diverse by 2025. Our relationship partners are collaborating with our clients to drive staffing opportunities.
Candidate Pools
As a signatory of the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield
Rule, we pledged to consider a diverse candidate pool. For the past four years, that has helped drive results – at least 30% representation for our leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, client opportunities and senior positions – and earned “Mansfield Plus” certification.
Diversity starts at the top.
We believe inclusive leadership is better in every way – which is why our Board and Management Committee are 50% diverse.
2
The Pipeline
To expand the talent pool and ensure the success of incoming diverse talent, we are a founding
member of an initiative led by ALSP Legal Innovators (LI). LI brings social science-driven insights to identifying and developing talent. They devote six months to training and then place candidates with us for a two-year fellowship – a program they also offer to corporate legal departments. They expand beyond the traditional law schools targeted for BigLaw placement – partnering with 25+ schools across the United States, including George Washington, Howard, Georgetown, the University of Connecticut and New York Law School – and use predictive analytics to look at 20 factors – like accolades and work experience in undergrad – to identify the best fits between talent and BigLaw.
– Bryan Parker , Legal Innovators co-founder
Bryan Parker
We’re actively focused on staffing client teams, confronting implicit bias and creating a strong sponsorship culture.
Increasing access to our most valued clients and successful partners is the
best way to accelerate the careers of diverse lawyers.
3
Client Teams
Bias Interrupters
Sponsorship
Women’s Mentorship
We’re listening to our clients on the value they place on diverse teams, learning from the best practices of great companies and working together to make our profession more inclusive.
We’ll make greater and faster progress by collaborating with our clients.
4
Client Advisory Boards
Leadership Conversations
Summer Fellowships
Career Fairs
Moving the Needle Together
Making Tech More Inclusive
As a member of the tech community, we are allies for a more diverse ecosystem.
We fund and collaborate with organizations that support diverse founders – M12 Female
Founders Competition, Gaingels, StartOut, 37Angels and Female Founders Alliance.
We provide pro bono legal advice and other support to organizations working to change the landscape – including AllRaise, Hack the
Hood and Him for Her. We serve as pro bono counsel to PayPal Ventures in connection with its change-making initiative to invest in Black- and Latinx-led VC funds.
We partner with ChIPs to advance women at the confluence of technology, law and policy. We sponsor the annual Global Summit, and our associates attend their Next Gen Summit and Mock Programs – where our partners serve as coaches. We have also hosted regional events related to their Advocacy, Leadership and Innovation (ALI) program, which gives high school students an up-close look at careers in tech law.
For six years, we have collaborated with Atomico on the State of European Tech – an annual study that brings rigorous gender and ethnic metrics to the European tech ecosystem and spotlights the need to improve equity.
And we help place diverse directors on private and public company boards.
Our affinity groups are communities that take action and advocate for change in our firm and also connect with bar associations and other community groups.
Affinity is an important part of being
seen and heard, building a network and knowing there’s a path.
5
Asian Pacific Attorneys
Black Lawyers of Orrick (BLOO)
Orrick Latinx Attorneys (OLA)
LGBTQ+ Attorneys
MENA Attorneys
Parents Forum
Women’s Initiative
DiversAbility Network
Veterans Forum
We are equipping our entire team with the training, tools and accountability to be allies.
It’s not on someone else. Becoming better allies is essential to creating the diverse and inclusive culture we strive for.
6
Making Allyship a Focus
We encourage our associates to devote 50 hours of bonus-eligible time each year to efforts that advance DEI, and we ask our partners to describe their sponsorship and other efforts as part of our annual compensation review.
Allyship Training
Established in partnership with Dr. Arin Reeves, our allyship curriculum addresses intersectionality, remote mentoring and sponsorship, strategies for becoming a better ally and wellness. We offer programming for our entire team and special training for leaders in our firm.
“When it’s important to you and you signal to everybody, ‘Yes, I’m a white, middle-aged dude, and what’s important to me is I need to see younger people on this panel, I need to see women on this panel, and I need to see Black people on this panel.’ If that’s what’s important to you, then you can live your values.”
– Soledad O’Brien in a conversation with Orrick
associate Tierra Piens on Juneteenth 2020
Dive/In @Orrick
Each year, we devote a day to reflecting on DEI in every Orrick office globally. It’s a moment dedicated to listening, knowing each other, and reflecting on our own assumptions. Our 2021 theme focused on leading and building diverse, inclusive and hybrid teams.
“I said, ‘Here’s what I want you to think about every day while I’m your commander. I want you to ask yourself three questions: Have you taken
Gender Inclusive Training
In conjunction with the adoption of our Gender Inclusive Workplace Policy in 2020, our LGBTQ+ Affinity Group collaborated with the National LGBT Bar to deliver firmwide training on being a gender-inclusive ally.
“The key about your policy is to let it be led by the person, to understand where their comfort is and how you can support them properly.”
– Dru Levasseur (LGBT Bar) at Orrick’s firmwide training
We’re not only navigating multiple crises, but also living at work. The
past year has demanded exceptional grit – and we’ve sought to find new ways to support our team, make room for caregiving, and destigmatize
the conversation about wellness and mental health.
Adapting How We Work
We’ve expanded our flexible working options, enhanced our Parents Forum and expanded our childcare benefits. We discourage Friday meetings and weekend emails that are not tied to serving our clients. And we offered caregivers who could not rely on outside support – due to heightened health risks – the option of a short-term reduced schedule at full pay.
We cannot sustain inclusion without wellness – and we cannot sustain wellness without inclusion.
7
Talking About Self Care
We turned to Dr. Arin Reeves to teach us about self-care and its intersection with inclusion through a series of fireside chats and workshops.
“A lack of wellness results in the majority being less inclusive as well…
Being inclusive actually takes so much cognitive energy that people who are not taking care of themselves don’t have enough cognitive energy to listen or to be patient.”
– Dr. Arin Reeves
Support for Parents
We offer one of the most holistic parental support programs in our profession. It begins with 16 weeks of paid leave for all parental caregivers and another six to eight weeks of benefits
for birth parents. To support parents returning to work, we offer on-ramping, with a gradual increase in hours, a predictable schedule and longer-term flexible work hours.
16 weeks of paid leave
another six to eight weeks of benefits
“Orrick’s generous gender-neutral parental leave policy has allowed me to be an equal partner with my spouse in raising our son, and to be fully present in his life during perhaps the most critical period for bonding… But even more than the paper policy, what impresses me is how quickly and decisively that policy has become ingrained in the firm’s culture… Orrick’s policy has made it possible for me to have a sustainable law practice, be a true partner at home, and be the kind of parent I aspire to be.”
– Paul Meyer, Senior Associate (San Francisco)
“Working for a top law firm with long hours and client demands – and balancing raising a family – is challenging. That challenge has only been magnified by the pandemic. Fortunately, Orrick has made it one of its top priorities to focus on this issue. I was able to take advantage of a flexible work schedule, caregiver relief, and mentoring through the women's initiative, which together has been absolutely instrumental to my success.”
– Kyle Kessler, Senior Associate (Los Angeles)
Destigmatizing the Conversation About Mental Health
We seek to address mental health at many levels – from offering leave after the killing of George Floyd to sharing a podcast conversation between our Chairman and a partner who detailed his own experience with anxiety. We offer mindfulness training and weekly group meditations. After particularly intensive months, we encourage our associates to take a wellness break by sending Unplug On Us gift cards. And our London office developed a mental health curriculum that was recognized by the Financial Times’ European Legal Innovation Awards.
It’s part of the oath we took as lawyers. We have increased our impact through both pro bono representation (98% of our lawyers participate) and an innovative Racial Justice Fellowship Program.
We have a heightened duty to advocate for racial, social and economic justice.
8
Orrick’s Racial Justice Fellowship
Through our Racial Justice Fellowship
Program, we embed experienced Orrick lawyers – full time and at full compensation – with innovative organizations working on the frontlines to advance a more just and equitable society. To sustain this effort and continue the impact, we have extended the program for the next three years.
The Policing Project at NYU School of Law
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Common Future (investing in minority owned businesses)
A New Way of Life (supporting women after incarceration)
“The criminal justice system is not broken; it is working exactly as intended. I have witnessed this truth over the last seven years through both personal experiences and pro bono work in the criminal justice sphere. The criticality of federal and local policy-based support cannot be understated.”
– Ciarra Carr, 2021 Orrick Racial Justice Fellow
Pro Bono Service
Our No. 1-ranked pro bono program is another form of allyship. We represent more than 700 individual clients and social impact organizations globally.
Learn More About Our Pro Bono Program
MARKET RECOGNITION
2020 Thomas L.
Sager Award
MCCA
WILEF Gold Standard Firm
10 Years in a Row
Diversity Lab Mansfield Certified Plus
5 Years in a Row
100% Score –
16 years in a row
Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index
Fortune 2022 Best Places to Work
7 Years in a Row
contacts
Angelique Magliulo-Hager
As Orrick’s Director of Diverse Talent & Firmwide Training, Angelique works closely with firm leadership and our affinity groups to drive training and coaching programs and support diverse talent.
Lorraine McGowen
As Firmwide Partner-in-Charge of DEI and longtime diversity advocate and community leader, Lorraine is a partner in our Restructuring practice and member of the firm’s senior leadership team. She was named 2019 Rainmaker by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) – a list that honors exceptional diverse lawyers who are leading law figures and have contributed significantly to their communities – and serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession and on the Advisory Committees for Legal Outreach and the Vance Center for International Justice of the NYCBA.
Sheryl Garko
Our Women’s Initiative leader, Sheryl is a leading trial lawyer and founding member of our Boston IP team. She serves on the board of Legal Momentum, the first and oldest legal defense and education fund in the U.S. for women.
Siobhan Handley
Our Chief Talent Officer, Siobhan brings her experience as a litigation partner to designing unique programs, helping to staff client teams and coaching our lawyers. Financial Times named her one of the most innovative Business Leaders in Law in 2020, in part because of her leadership of the firm’s response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the intersecting crises of 2020.
Orrick partners Amanda Galton and Greg Heibel share their top legal tips with finalists of the M12 Female Founder Competition at the Microsoft Reactor
We’ve set a goal to diversify the teams for 40 of our valued clients. We made this pledge as part of our participation in the Move the Needle Fund – a collaboration launched by four law firms, 25+ general counsel and The Diversity Lab to take action. To achieve our goal, our Managing Partner and DEI leaders work together with our partners to set diversity goals for each client team, strengthen client relationships and develop opportunities to collaborate on our shared commitment to DEI.
Also as part of the MTN Fund initiative, we’re piloting six science-backed bias interrupters to make our systems of feedback, work allocation, sponsorship, communication, connection and retention more equitable. For example, we’re using a technique from the U.S. military to improve how we prepare teams for assignments and provide feedback during and after these engagements.
Each Black or Latinx experienced associate at Orrick has a sponsor who is a member of our Board or Management Committee. Our sponsors complete training in how to sponsor effectively and work with associates to develop client opportunities, explore career paths, expand support networks, and enhance their visibility and profile.
Our Women’s Initiative launched a Resource Network in 2020 to increase connectivity for our women lawyers during COVID and beyond. Our women’s mentoring program is built on a curated process that matches mentors and mentees based on needs and interests. We also offer mentoring circles. We are expanding leadership training to groom the next generation of firm leaders, and our dedicated women’s business development program includes individualized coaching beginning at the associate level.
To learn from the world’s best companies – and hold ourselves accountable – we’ve formed a DEI Advisory Board and a Women’s Leadership Advisory Board, each led by our Chairman. The boards are composed of leaders of corporate legal departments and industry experts. They meet regularly to share best practices, benchmark and give us candid feedback on our progress.
In response to 2020, we’ve started hosting small-group conversations among senior
in-house leaders in the Tech and Finance sectors. The purpose: promote open and honest dialogue, identify best practices and foster allyship. The only rule: bring a Black leader to the table.
Through our Diverse 1L Sector Fellowship Program, law students split the summer between our clients’ legal departments and Orrick. We also collaborate with clients through Diversity Lab’s Law in Technology Diversity Collaborative.
We’ve created two career fairs to help our clients and peer firms recruit diverse talent.
The Bay Area Diversity Career Fair, which we founded and host today with the Bar Association of San Francisco, is open to corporate legal departments who want to interview.
We also founded the nation’s first Veterans’
Legal Career Fair which attracts more than 40 corporate and law firm employers nationwide and has helped more than 500 active duty and veteran lawyers and their spouses attain employment.
The MTN Fund initiative provides a unique forum to collaborate, solicit input from 25+ participating general counsel and share learning about what works. Our specific goal is to diversify our client teams, but we’re also working with in-house counsel to:
• Diversify the pipeline of legal talent, including through a split-summer internship program and a virtual summer learning forum for diverse 1Ls
• Help our diverse junior partners build stronger business development skills through a personalized program with professional coaches, in-house leaders and Diversity Lab staff
• Improve allyship and introduce new perspectives – on topics such as barriers to inclusion, intersectionality and unconscious biases – through virtual discussions, led by Diversity Lab and other experts, focused on TED talks, podcasts and other audio-visual content
Asian Pacific Attorneys
• Recorded a video about the importance of heritage-based affinity groups with
representatives of the South Asian Affinity Group and the Middle Eastern and
North African (MENA) Affinity Group.
• To address the increase in anti-Asian racism and harassment in our communities
since the start of the pandemic (and racism and harassment of all kinds),
sponsored a bystander intervention training program with Hollaback! and
Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus where more than 1,300 participants learned
safe de-escalation strategies
• Signed a joint statement denouncing the rising number of incidents involving
anti-Asian discrimination and racist remarks related to COVID-19
• Participate in industry organizations: NAPABA, AABA and Asian Law Caucus.
Black Lawyers of Orrick (BLOO)
• Shared insights and reflections in a video on Black history
• Hosted a Juneteenth Conversation with Soledad O’Brien, moderated by managing
associate and Soledad’s mentee, Tierra Piens
• Made recommendations to the Board in 2020 (BLOOprint)
• Host an annual event in the Bay Area with local Black law students
• Participate in the Move the Needle Fund Alliance of Black Lawyers, which spans
the initiative’s four founding firms
“BLOO is one of my absolute favorite parts of Orrick. From meaningful mentorship, to lifelong friendships and cross-practice business opportunities, it’s one of the many things that makes Orrick a great place to work.”
– Tierra Piens, Managing Associate (San Francisco)
“The BLOO community provides a group of colleagues who are genuinely interested in my work and personal success at Orrick. As black lawyers, we understand each other and the struggles of practicing in a BigLaw environment, particularly for African Americans. Having each other as a resource and sounding board is important so that we know that we are not alone in our quest to succeed in this space but also to share in the good, the bad, and the ugly of the process.”
– Rena Scott, Partner (Geneva)
Orrick Latinx Attorneys (OLA)
• Hosted a Latinx Heritage Month conversation with journalist and author Paola Ramos
• Hold quarterly “Té con Miel” virtual networking sessions
• Piloting an integration and business development program and continuing a group
mentoring program
• Support local Latinx law student associations
• Participate in national conferences: National Latinx Law Student Association
Conference, HNBA Corporate Counsel Conference and HNBA Annual Convention
“Helping to lead the Latinx Affinity Group has given me an enhanced sense of purpose and belonging, and learning about our affinity group members’ personal journeys and family histories has been incredibly inspirational. The support and inspiration I’ve received has helped me overcome some of my most difficult challenges over the past few years.”
– Rob Uriarte, Partner (Los Angeles)
LGBTQ+ Attorneys
• Hosted a conversation with Laila Ireland, a transgender advocate and U.S. Army
veteran, and Shane Ortega, the first U.S. solder to transition while on active duty,
to mark National Coming Out Day and LGBTQ+ History Month in 2022.
• Held first group retreat in 2019 to strengthen internal network and expand
dialogue with firm leaders
• Developed firmwide gender inclusive policies alongside firm leadership and rolled
out firmwide training with the National LGBT Bar in 2020
• Launched a mentoring program in 2021
• Leader Trish Eichar was presented with Orrick’s DEI Award at Lavender Law and
member Danny Rubens was named to the National LGBT Bar’s Best LGBTQ+
Lawyers Under 40
“The LGBTQ+ Attorney Affinity Group is important because it underscores the firm’s commitment to diversity and its efforts to continually improve upon that commitment. The group not only creates a forum for mutual support and mentorship, but a safe space in which we can discuss ideas for making the firm and our communities better. We strive to make Orrick the best place to work for our LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies alike.”
– Matt LaBrie, Senior Associate (Boston)
“The LGBTQ+ Affinity Group changed my life. And through it, I’ve come to know a remarkable group of people who will freely share that most helpful kind of advice – the kind drawn from our shared experiences. It is a wonderful thing to be part of a community that will freely invest in each other without any obligation do so.”
– Darren Pouliot, Managing Associate (London)
“Visibility. Affirmation. Community. Being part of the LGBTQ+ and OLA affinity groups provides an opportunity for me to work on creating visibility and representation of diverse attorneys. Being part of these affirming groups also provides a sense of belonging and inclusion, especially for those of us who have unique challenges and perspectives. Relatedly, these groups provide a support system and a sense of community – something that is invaluable, especially in the legal profession.”
– Kyle Kessler, Senior Associate (Los Angeles)
MENA Attorneys
• Recorded a video about the importance of heritage-based communities with
representatives of the Asian Pacific Attorneys Affinity Group and South Asian
Affinity Group.
• Participated in MENA law student events, including panels at USC and Harvard
• Hosted a MENA law student virtual event with Orrick attorneys, including holding
mock interviews and résumé review
• Held fundraisers and raised awareness around the Beirut explosion and Armenia
and Artsakh wars
“Being part of an intimate group of Middle Eastern and North African attorneys makes me feel as if I have a bit of home even at work. Our group is a constant reminder of how far our respective, but related, immigrant families have come in this country. This creates an environment where we understand each other in ways that don’t exist with other colleagues and serves as a source of motivation to be a better attorney and representative of my ancestral heritage.”
– Deena Dulgerian, Managing Associate (Los Angeles)
Parents Forum
• Launched our Parents Forum 2.0, creating age-specific parenting cohorts
• Chief Talent Officer Siobhan Handley – former first-chair litigator and mother of
two young children – held regular check-in calls during COVID
• Launched a Kids Connect volunteer board to arrange virtual meetups among
Orrick kids
• Created a resource site that includes tips for parents on remote work and home
schooling as well as guidance on navigating the current political and social climate
“I am grateful to be part of many DEI initiatives at Orrick, all of which are bright lights of belonging and continuing education, and I am excited to be a co-leader of the firm’s Parents Forum. The Parents Forum provides an invaluable opportunity to engage with colleagues across offices to share experiences, offer support and learn. Our goal is to foster inclusion and connection with all members through this remote-work period and beyond. Our interactions are a steady reminder of the shared and also unique experiences of colleagues and serve as a continuing call to be the best possible teammates and allies.”
– Kate Owen, Senior Career Associate (GOIC)
Women's Initiative
• Focused on action in five key areas: access to deep and meaningful involvement in
client relationships; increasing the number and visibility of women leaders in the
firm; increasing the number of women in the partnership pipeline and the number
of women partners; strengthening connections for women attorneys to each
other and to the firm; and intersectionality.
• Launched our Women’s Initiative Resource Network – built on a curated process
that matches mentors and mentees based on needs and interests – to help our
women lawyers navigate the pandemic and establish mentoring relationships that
will follow them over the years ahead
• Offer mentoring circles to enhance connectivity and business development panel
to create real client opportunities for our members
• Launched an intersectionality conversation series – inspired by the ABA
Commission on Women in the Profession – where small groups of our women
lawyers can share experiences and perspectives around the intersectionality of
race and gender in the legal profession using the ABA Toolkit
• Host a Women of Color Collective that provides a space for creating meaningful
connections, sharing experiences and empowering each other
• In naming us a 2021 Best Law Firm for Women, Working Mother interviewed our
partner Amy Padgett on how Orrick helps women lawyers succeed: “Orrick’s
Family-Friendly Policies and Mentorship Program Set Them Apart in the Industry.”
“Serving as my office’s Women’s Initiative Chair has been a rewarding experience, personally and professionally. It has enabled me to build meaningful relationships with women across the firm as we work together to create mentoring, networking, and career development opportunities for women attorneys at Orrick. I have been inspired by the energy, creativity, and mentoring we have seen from our women. Serving as co-editor of the Women’s Initiative Newsletter, a quarterly publication featuring non-partner attorney achievements, has been especially fulfilling. Watching senior partners reach down to pull more junior women up is very gratifying, I’m extremely grateful this happens here at Orrick.”
– Jennifer Jones, Litigation & IP Practice Manager (GOIC)
DiversAbility Network
The DiversAbility Network provides a supportive community for members and an educational forum for our Orrick team. We are dedicated to promoting awareness specific to living and working with disabilities. Our Network is a safe place for those who identify as well as for allies, advocates, and anyone who wants to share, learn, and grow.
The DiversAbility Network is passionate about advocacy, mentoring, education, and community support. We host conversations to spread awareness and foster inclusivity and belonging. Past events have included recognitions of Autism Acceptance Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, PTSD Awareness Month, and Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.
The Network collaborates with others to develop resources to benefit our community and colleagues. In particular, we support people with disabilities, employees new to the accommodation process, parents of children with a disability or condition, and their allies and advocates.
Veterans Forum
• Active in the Veterans’ Legal Career Fair – launched by Orrick in 2015 and the only
legal career fair in the United States devoted exclusively to veterans, active-duty
service members preparing for a transition out of the military, and military spouses
• Focused on pro bono work – including helping 50,000 “Blue Water Navy” veterans
exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War secure long overdue benefits,
and scoring a major appellate win in the Federal Circuit when we secured an
honorable discharge for a Black Korean war vet who was unfairly dishonorably
discharged in 1955
• Partner with the Overwatch Project, an initiative of FORGE that focuses on suicide
prevention
• Host conversations with experts to discuss, and bring greater visibility to, issues of
importance to Veterans and their families, including supporting soldiers suffering
from PTSD, preparing compelling appeals of certain military discharges, and
remembering the tenth anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.
“Transitioning from active duty military service to private practice was a momentous shift for me. The Veterans Forum helped me navigate that transition by creating networking opportunities and offering a source of mentorship. The group values what I value: service, leadership and teamwork. And the Forum’s more senior attorneys demonstrate that the firm shares these values. This is a rewarding community-within-a-community that enriches my experience as a veteran lawyer at Orrick.”
– Matt Reeder, Managing Associate (Washington, D.C.)
“We’re trying to disrupt…We’re saying that there’s a better way to manage talent, to develop that talent, and to make sure that within the context of that talent everybody is having an equitable right to come in.”
Staff Affinity Groups
Staff Affinity Groups
Affinity is not for lawyers only. We have three affinity groups dedicated to staff: Professionals Of Color Network, Professional PRIDE Network, and the Professional Women’s Network. Each group has a sponsor from our lawyer affinity groups. In addition, staff participate in our DiversAbility Network, Parents Forum and Veterans Forum.
We believe inclusive leadership is better in every way – which is why our Board and Management Committee are 50% diverse.
Goals that get
measured, and shared publicly, get addressed.
2
We’re actively focused on
staffing client teams, confronting implicit bias and creating a strong sponsorship culture.
Diversity starts
at the top.
3
We’re listening to our clients on the
value they place on diverse teams, learning from the best practices of great companies and working together to make our profession more inclusive.
Diversity starts
at the top.
4
Our affinity groups are
communities that take action and advocate for change in our firm and also connect with bar associations
and other community groups.
Increasing access to
our most valued clients and successful partners
is the best way to accelerate the careers
of diverse lawyers.
5
We are equipping our entire team with the training, tools and accountability to be allies.
Affinity is an
important part of being seen and heard, building
a network and knowing there’s a path.
6
We’re not only navigating multiple
crises, but also living at work. The past year has demanded exceptional grit – and we’ve sought to find new ways to support our team, make room for caregiving, and destigmatize the conversation about wellness and mental health.
Increasing access to
our most valued clients and successful partners
is the best way to accelerate the careers
of diverse lawyers.
7
It’s part of the oath we took as lawyers. We have increased our impact through both pro bono representation (98% of our lawyers participate) and an innovative Racial Justice Fellowship Program.
Diversity starts
at the top.
8
Unplug Time
We won some praise in early 2021 for being the first law firm to get serious about making it possible for our teams to unplug. We know that sustaining top performance requires taking time for recovery. Yet remote working – and the hybrid workplace of the future – can create an “always on” expectation that leads to burnout and threatens wellness. As part of our overall vacation policy, we expect our lawyers and staff to take one week fully unplugged each year. To help make that possible, we give lawyers 40 hours of creditable time for unplugging. And we designate “unplug time” buddies to ensure we have each other’s backs in serving our clients. While we believe it’s best for mental health to take this time in a block, during the pandemic we encourage caregivers to unplug in whatever way is most helpful to them.
Unplug Time
We won some praise in early 2021 for being the first law firm to get serious about making it possible for our teams to unplug. We know that sustaining top performance requires taking time for recovery. Yet remote working – and the hybrid workplace of the future – can create an “always on” expectation that leads to burnout and threatens wellness. As part of our overall vacation policy, we expect our lawyers and staff to take one week fully unplugged each year. To help make that possible, we give lawyers 40 hours of creditable time for unplugging. And we designate “unplug time” buddies to ensure we have each other’s backs in serving our clients. While we believe it’s best for mental health to take this time in a block, during the pandemic we encourage caregivers to unplug in whatever way is most helpful to them.
“Self-care and self-purpose go hand-in-hand. The more you take care of yourself, the more likely it is that you feel correlated to your purpose.”
Top 10 for Women Equity Partner Representation
Law360 2022 Glass Ceiling Report
Top 10 for Women Equity Partner Representation
Law360 2022
Glass Ceiling Report
care of your family? Have you taken care of your shipmates? Have you taken care of yourself? If
you answer yes to all three of those questions, this will be the greatest theater the U.S. Navy has
ever seen.”
– Retired four-star Admiral Michelle Howard at Orrick’s 2021 Dive/In event on the three questions
for her sailors when she took command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa
Our fellows spent the year working with six non-partisan community organizations, selected with the advice of the Ford Foundation:
No. 1 Social
Impact Leader
Law360
Top 10 Best Workplaces for Parents in the United States
Great Place to Work
Each year, we devote a day to reflecting on DEI in every Orrick office globally. It’s a moment dedicated to listening, knowing each other, and reflecting on our own assumptions. Our 2021 theme focused on leading and building diverse, inclusive and hybrid teams.
“I said, ‘Here’s what I want you to think about every day while I’m your commander. I want you to ask yourself three questions: Have you taken care of your family? Have you taken care of your shipmates? Have you taken care of yourself? If you answer yes to all three of those questions, this will be the greatest theater the U.S. Navy has ever seen.”
No. 1 Social
Impact Leader
Law360
Top 10 Best Workplaces for Parents in the United States
Great Place to Work
Above the Law recently highlighted that more than a third of our new partners in the United States in 2022 were able to take parental leave in the year prior to their promotion: “Biglaw Firm Proves Taking Parental Leave Is Not The End Of Your Partnership Dreams: Making partner doesn't have to come at the expense of your family.”
Black History: Personal Stories About What It Means
In honor of Black History Month 2022 in the United States, the Black Lawyers of Orrick sponsored a video featuring our lawyers and staff talking about what Black history means to them. As BLOO Co-Chair Eugene Clark-Herrera put it: “As I trace my own family’s journey across generations, I see parallels to the experiences of so many other Black Americans, with each generation owing a debt of gratitude to the ones that came before.”
Black History:
Personal Stories About What It Means
In conjunction with the adoption of our Gender Inclusive Workplace Policy in 2020, our LGBTQ+ Affinity Group collaborated with the National LGBT Bar to deliver firmwide training on being a gender-inclusive ally.
“The key about your policy is to let it be led by the person, to understand where their comfort is and how you can support them properly.”
We offer one of the most holistic parental support programs in our profession. It begins with 16 weeks of paid leave for all parental caregivers and another six to eight weeks of benefits
for birth parents. To support parents returning to work, we offer on-ramping, with
a gradual increase in hours, a predictable schedule and
longer-term flexible work hours.
another six to eight weeks of
benefits
16 weeks of paid leave
Top Firm for Diversity and Agency & Flexibility
Yale Law Women
Top 3 on
the A-List
The American Lawyer
2022
Top Firm for Diversity and Agency & Flexibility
Yale Law Women
Inclusion
Champion
Diversity Lab 2022
5-Time Best Workplace for Millennials
Fortune 2022
Inclusion Champion
Diversity Lab 2022
5-Time Best Workplace for Millennials
Fortune 2022
Top 3 on the A-List
The American Lawyer 2022