Recruitment and Retention

Fostering and supporting the professional development of diverse lawyers at each level is the Fisher Phillips way.

We’ve made great strides in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space in recent years, and we’re even more excited about what tomorrow holds. But we can’t move forward in the direction we want to go unless we continue to bring aboard attorneys and staff with diverse perspectives on a regular basis, and ensure we have created the kind of inclusive and equitable firm where they want to stay and grow into tomorrow’s leaders. And that’s the spirit behind our recruitment, retention, and leadership development efforts.

Recruiting

So how do we do it? We start by emphasizing diversity and inclusion in our recruiting programs. We sponsor and participate in activities for law students and young attorneys from diverse backgrounds across the country. We meet new members of our firm at diversity job fairs such as those hosted by chapters of the Black Law Students Association and Lavender Law. We regularly interview at law schools with large populations of diverse law students. We participate annually in the LCLD 1L Scholar summer program and take part in many similar programs through regional bar associations across the firm. But most importantly, our firm leaders and recruiters know that we can’t be the best version of our firm unless we are shaped by a diverse group of voices.

Retention

But our recruiting efforts would be hollow if we didn’t create an equitable and inclusive place for our attorneys and professional staff to come to work each day. We start by introducing our rising associates to our firm-wide mentoring program, pairing them with mentors and providing them with training programs to develop critical skills. We have established comprehensive training programs addressing both specialized legal skills and general competencies like client communications and business development, preparing associates to become partners and leaders of the firm. And we offer a sponsor program for our diverse attorneys, teaming them with an advocate who helps them navigate their career and rise to positions of leadership.

And our retention efforts aren’t just focused on our newest attorneys and staff. To create the fostering environment that will allow us all to do our best work, we engage all of our team in critical training programs that help shape our outlook on today’s world. We all participate in unconscious bias training and other programming – often inviting guest speakers to share their expertise with our team – to assist us in overcoming bias and helping us better understand critical issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Leadership Development

Our efforts have had tangible results. Our diverse attorneys have distinguished themselves as leaders in the profession, and we’re proud that many of our diverse attorneys serve in critical leadership roles internally and externally. Inside the firm, 44% of our firm leaders of offices, practice groups, and industry teams are diverse attorneys. Outside the firm, we champion the fact that many of our attorneys have taken on leadership roles in influential bar and community organizations that are advancing diversity and inclusion, including:

  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
  • Minority Corporate Counsel Association
  • Women, Influence & Power in Law
  • Center for Legal Inclusiveness
  • National Bar Association
  • National LGBT Bar Association
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
  • National Association of Women Lawyers
  • National Filipino American Lawyers Association
  • National Native American Bar Association
  • Hispanic National Bar Association
  • Corporate Counsel Women of Color
  • National Employment Law Council