50 Law Firms Commit to Inclusion Blueprint “Do Something Hard” Actions to Improve Inclusion and Equity
As part of our ongoing partnership with Diversity Lab, we are thrilled to embark on the next phase of the program with the Inclusion Blueprint. This collaborative project between Diversity Lab and ChIPs provides a first-of-its-kind tool to measure inclusion actions at both the leadership and practice group levels to ensure that historically underrepresented lawyers have equal access to quality work, influential sponsors and clients, as well as other opportunities.
The assessment includes three main categories for law firms to track, measure and benchmark their efforts: (1) current diversity representation thresholds and year-over-year progress; (2) ongoing inclusion practices and activities; and (3) a commitment to “hard” actions to be implemented over the next year.
As part of the "Do Something Hard" commitment at the leadership level, the firm will provide 50 hours of “billable credit” to lawyers for meaningful contributions to diversity and inclusion at the firm and in the profession; track and measure whether those hours are being spent equally across demographic populations; and make changes to remedy unequal distribution across demographic populations.
At the practice group level, a majority of partners in the firm's Intellectual Property Department will make the “Ally Action Pledge,” which asks them to advocate for and champion at least one diverse associate or junior partner by actively managing their workloads to ensure they receive career-enhancing and skill-building work that will help them advance; introducing them to at least three partners who will help them expand their client relationships and/or work opportunities; and introducing them to at least three client contacts who will support their efforts to gain career-enhancing work, and/or business generation and credit.
