Diversity Committee
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. recognizes that the individual professionals we employ – our attorneys and support staff – are our primary assets. Without skilled human resources, the legal advice and courtroom advocacy we provide to our clients is diminished. The current legal environment demands that the composition of our workforce reflect the changing racial and ethnic dynamics of the entities and persons with whom we interact. These entities and persons include various state and federal court systems, corporate legal departments, individual plaintiffs and defendants, and the public at large. Consequently, recruiting, retaining and promoting talented attorneys and support staff of color are among the highest priorities of our law firm.
For a number of years our firm has diligently worked to enhance diversity. In 1999, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. established a formal Diversity Committee. Today the 13 member Committee is Chaired by B. Todd Jones, a partner in the complex business litigation and white collar criminal defense practice in our Minneapolis office. The Diversity Committee members are made up of partners and associates from all offices including Marla Butler, Marta Chou, Eric S. Jackson, Elizabeth Le, Richard M. Martinez, Munir R. Meghjee, Steven Schumeister and Becky Thorson as well as E. Marie Broussard, Diversity & Pro Bono Manager, Laurice Lewis, paralegal and the Director of Human Resources, Diane Frick.
The formation of this committee was the result of the Executive Board's recognition of the need for a structural mechanism to address the myriad issues facing attorneys of color. Our experiences have led us to identify four priority arenas with respect to our diversity initiative: leadership, systems support, recruitment and retention. Our overall goal continues to be the institutionalization of diversity as part of the firm culture.
Related Links