"Diversity is not only important for firm culture, but essential to building an international firm able to develop community and business relationships in a global economy."
— Patrick Oxford, Chairman
Bracewell & Giuliani is committed to the recruitment, retention, development and promotion of attorneys and staff from a broad range of backgrounds. More than a principle, a policy or a well-crafted statement, this commitment is an attitude in practice.
We recognize that creativity, cooperation and mutual respect are the natural result of an environment in which individual contributions are valued. In turn, the creation of a dynamic work environment that is inclusive and rewarding for all personnel enables us to produce the innovative, real-world solutions that are essential to meeting the needs of our clients.
Attorney and Staff Initiatives
Our commitment to diversity is demonstrated in the firm’s many efforts to recruit and support the professional development of qualified law school graduates, experienced attorneys and other professionals. To more accurately reflect our clients and our communities, we have placed special emphasis on minority and women’s initiatives.
Minority Initiatives
We partner with a number of organizations to help support educational opportunities for minority law students. These include national efforts such as the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall Fund, and local initiatives such as the Houston Bar Association’s Minority Clerkship Program.
The firm also works closely with a range of legal and business groups that support the professional development of individual attorneys. These include the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, the Hispanic Bar Association, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Bar Association/Monterrey Lawyer Exchange Committee, the Mexican American Bar Association and the Texas Commission on Human Rights.
As legal and industry leaders, many of the firm’s minority attorneys hold prestigious appointments in government agencies and professional, civic and charitable associations. For example, among the firm’s attorneys is a member of the Federal Advisory Committee of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chairman of the Board of the Teachers Retirement Systems of Texas, the Director of the State Bar of Texas, and a member of the Texas Minority Counsel Program.
Women’s Initiatives
At Bracewell & Giuliani, women are involved in every facet of the firm's leadership, serving as Section Heads, Committee Chairs and members of the Management Committee. To support women in their legal careers and management activities, we have instituted the Women in the Law Recruiting Committee and a Women Lawyers Program.
We also have implemented a path to partnership that allows for flexible work hours while supporting the professional activities needed for attaining partnership. This program has been effective at retaining female lawyers and helping balance the responsibilities of family, legal practice, partnership and top management positions within the firm.
Community Initiatives
At Bracewell & Giuliani, our commitment to diversity does not stop at the office door. We believe that we have an opportunity -- and a responsibility -- to promote diversity in the communities where we practice law.
A shining example of our firm and individual commitments to diversity is senior partner Kelly Frels, who served as the firm’s managing partner from 1995 to 2001. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Frels was the lead attorney for the Houston Independent School District in its successful transition from a segregated to a fully integrated system in the 1970s and 1980s. He later served as Chair of the State Bar of Texas (2004 - 2005), where he championed a number of programs aimed at improving diversity in the field of law. He continues to demonstrate the firm's commitment to diversity through his activities on the Greater Houston Partnership's CEO Diversity Roundtable.
Recognition
We are grateful for, and proud of, the recognition we have received for our diversity initiatives. These honors not only reward past activities, they build momentum for future efforts to make Bracewell & Giuliani one of the best places to work in the country.
- The firm ranks second among the largest Texas-based law firms in percentage of minority attorneys. (Texas Lawyer, October, 2004).
- Bracewell & Giuliani was rated the top firm in Houston for hiring minority attorneys, according to the 2003 Minority Law Journal’s “Diversity Scorecard,” which examined the nation’s 250 largest firms.
- In a report from the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin and the Austin Black Lawyers Association, Bracewell’s Austin office rated better than all but two of the 26 firms surveyed. The office’s percentage of minority lawyers was 50 percent higher than the city-wide average.
- Our efforts to retain women in the private practice of law were recognized in a recent National Law Journal survey of women lawyers at the nation's largest firms. Bracewell & Giuliani ranked second in the nation overall as the most women-friendly in attitude and policies.
