Seyfarth Leads Collaborative National Initiative to Support Diverse Attorneys in Coronavirus Fallout

(May 5, 2020) – Seyfarth and a coalition of organizations committed to promoting inclusion and diversity in the legal profession have launched a first-of-its-kind nationwide collaborative initiative to proactively combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on inclusion and diversity in the profession.

The initiative, called The Belonging Project, will be a virtual hub for industry organizations, law firms, diverse law students, diverse attorneys and their allies to focus on advancing inclusion and diversity during the pandemic and beyond. A number of organizations have already joined Seyfarth in this effort, including Diversity Lab, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s ACC Foundation, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, National LGBT Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC), and California Minority Counsel Program.

The Belonging Project will offer a comprehensive suite of professional development resources for use by diverse attorneys and law students, including virtual one-on-one coaching and webinars focused on a range of topics. The founding organizations invite additional non-profits, law firms, and corporate legal departments that share their mission to join the program. To learn more about The Belonging Project, please visit here.

According to data from the National Association of Law Placement, the percentage of Black attorneys at law firms in the United States took a full decade to recover after falling after the Great Recession. In 2019, Black attorneys accounted for 4.76% of all associates, the highest level since reaching 4.66% in 2009. The potential impact from the COVID-19 pandemic again threatens the progress towards a more inclusive and diverse legal industry. By working collaboratively across industry organizations and law firms, The Belonging Project creates a new network of professional and personal support to proactively grow and protect diverse legal talent.

QUOTES:

• Kori S. Carew, Esq., Seyfarth’s chief inclusion and diversity officer and leader of The Belonging Project initiative:
  “As a profession, we must double-down on our efforts during this challenging time. We cannot allow this current crisis to set back our progress on inclusion and diversity. With The Belonging Project, like-minded organizations are taking tangible action to help prevent that from happening.”
• Laura Maechtlen, co-chair of Seyfarth's National Diversity & Inclusion Action Team:
  “We created The Belonging Project as a proactive step to address some of the systemic issues that limit the career advancement of diverse attorneys. We need to support them and, as importantly, nurture those in the pipeline so we can continue to make progress. We are extremely proud to work in collaboration with our clients and community partners in this shared mission.”
• Jennifer Chen, director of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s ACC Foundation:
  “We are proud to be a part of this initiative, as it closely aligns with our own mission to support diversity & inclusion in the legal profession.”
• D’Arcy Kemnitz, Esq., executive director of the National LGBT Bar Association:
  “The LGBT Bar is thrilled to help build and spread the word about this important online resource for underrepresented legal communities during this time of global crisis. The LGBT community of lawyers, law students, and judges considers itself a family and we are hopeful that this resource will help protect the very most vulnerable.”
• Priya Purandare, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA):
  “NAPABA is proud to join Seyfarth and our partner organizations on this collaborative initiative. As a profession, we are acutely aware that attorneys and law students from diverse communities have been traditionally underrepresented in the law and face unique challenges. The current pandemic has resurfaced systemic issues diverse communities face in our society and professional life. As the voice for the Asian Pacific American legal profession, NAPABA continues to provide critical resources and advocate for our community in the face of adversity. We are strengthened in our resolve as we stand together.”
• Robert White, executive director of California Minority Counsel Program:
  “Now more than ever, the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) is deeply committed to creating community for attorneys of color and other underrepresented groups. By joining The Belonging Project, CMCP can extend its California network, educational resources, and business and professional development opportunities to lawyers across the country.”

A recognized industry leader in law firm inclusion and diversity, Seyfarth has instituted several award-winning programs designed to cultivate and retain underrepresented groups. Notably, the firm launched its “Rooney Rule” initiative in 2016 which, inspired by the NFL, has helped improve the hiring of diverse candidates across the firm.

About Seyfarth
With more than 900 lawyers across 16 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation and transactional legal services to clients worldwide.

Contact:
Martin Grego, Senior Public Relations Manager, (312) 460-6659, mgrego@seyfarth.com