Inclusive Talent Development
At Seyfarth, one of our key inclusion and diversity pillars is creating a strong talent pipeline full of diverse candidates at every stage in their legal careers. To accomplish this, we strive to recognize and identify opportunities for change or growth at all levels of legal careers; focus on evolving professional needs, particularly at key transition points; and develop new career paths and opportunities that match the changing landscape of the legal industry. We understand that inclusion and diversity must be integrated into every talent development and management process with an eye toward disrupting bias and building cultural fluency.
Affinity Groups. Our Affinity Groups are a warm and welcoming place for diverse attorneys to gather, share stories, network, and simply be themselves. These groups, resources for our attorneys who are African-American/Black (A+), Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Hispanic/LatinX (Hispanic), LGBTQ+, women (Seyfarth Women's Network), and differently abled (All Abilities), also support and sponsor activities across the firm to raise awareness and engagement.
Affinity Group Leadership
- Ephraim Pierre, A+ Affinity Group Chair
- Angelina Evans, A+ Affinity Group Vice-Chair
- Loren Gesinsky, All Abilities Affinity Group Chair
- James Yu, AAPI Affinity Group Co-Chair
- Stacy Paek, AAPI Affinity Group Co-Chair
- Edward Maluf, Hispanic Affinity Group Chair
- Mia Batista, Hispanic Affinity Group Vice-Chair
- Sam Schwartz-Fenwick, LGBTQ+ Affinity Group Chair
- Ellen McLaughlin, Seyfarth Women’s Network Chair
- Jennifer Kraft, Seyfarth Women's Network Vice-Chair
Seyfarth Fellows Program. A contemporary approach to talent development, the Seyfarth Fellows Program focuses on a selection process that accounts for both interest in a particular field and the need for a diverse pipeline.
Triad Mentoring Program. The distinct roles of a mentor and sponsor are critical for progress, especially for attorneys from underrepresented groups. Recognizing that certain attorneys are often over-mentored and under-sponsored, we understand that focusing on sponsorship is a necessary factor in the advancement of historically marginalized professionals. That's why we created this year-long professional development program for rising attorneys designed to cultivate their relationships with firm leaders, one each playing the roles of an assigned mentor and sponsor. The program provides associates a structured avenue for discussions and feedback—and the enhanced visibility with leadership this offers. To date, 64% of Triad program alumni have made partner.
Attorney Leadership Program (LAP). In 2021, Seyfarth piloted an internal development program focused on firm succession planning and training the next generation of leaders. This six-month leadership development program provides high-potential partners, who are nominated by department leadership, with facilitated workshops to develop key leadership skills, individualized career coaching, and a community of supportive attorneys with similar professional goals. The program helps participants to develop internal cross-department networks for support and to grow business and increase compensation. The first cohort launched in January 2022.
Seyfarth Women’s Network Business Development Training. This quarterly series led by our Women’s Affinity Group is open to all attorneys. It focuses on business development and other topics pertinent to the business of law.
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Programs. Seyfarth actively participates in the programming of the LCLD, including the LCLD Fellows Program, Pathfinder Program, and 1L mentorship program.
Quarterly Diverse Talent Review. For attorneys at the associate and income partner level, Seyfarth uses a quarterly talent review system to evaluate the status of attorneys at the firm. Each fiscal quarter, this review evaluates the work allocated to all attorneys, including those from underrepresented groups—both individually and at each level of the department—and their utilization, personal development plans, and goals.
Diversity Retreat. In 2021, Seyfarth hosted the firm's first-ever virtual diversity retreat, "Meet Where We Are." This important event brought together a diverse group of attorneys at all levels of the firm with firm leaders, including every member of the Executive Committee, and an impressive roster of industry leaders and clients. Sessions covered topics such as resilient careers, business development, becoming a leader at Seyfarth, financial success, personal branding, and making partner. The two-day event closed with an intimate session with firm leadership in which no topic was off-limits.
Innovative Client Solutions and Partnerships. We have undertaken a data-driven effort to optimize staffing on client business, always focused on qualifications and skills of lawyers, but also ensuring that staffing isn’t ad hoc. Solutions borne of this effort help clients consistently and holistically evaluate law firm diversity and a relationship management and succession planning program to help create future leadership roles for a wide variety of attorneys on client teams.