Diversity: Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

Godfrey & Kahn believes that our law firm, and the communities in which we live and work, must be committed to a professional and cultural environment of inclusion in which men and women having different backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and cultural and ethnic heritages can thrive. A diverse workforce makes us a better law firm, improving our analysis, our judgment and our ability to understand a wider variety of clients and client issues. As the business community becomes more diverse, and as our clients' businesses become increasingly global in nature, Godfrey & Kahn's attorneys not only have the technical sophistication to provide creative business solutions, but we also better understand the motivations and goals of the diverse constituencies that make up the local and global business community. Diversity enriches Godfrey & Kahn's atmosphere in many ways. Hence, we strive to foster a firmwide culture that values and promotes diversity so that all attorneys and staff are included, valued and positioned for success. Godfrey & Kahn recruits, promotes and retains attorneys and staff of diverse backgrounds that reflect the varied backgrounds of the clients and communities we serve. Some of the our diversity initiatives are described below.

Diversity committee

The firm's Diversity Committee is responsible for developing, monitoring and evaluating the firm's strategies and progress in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. The firm intentionally limited the size of the Diversity Committee to a small number of key individuals in order to keep it nimble and responsive to recruiting and market factors. Members of this committee also serve on the firm's Board of Directors, Management, Recruiting and Marketing Committees, guaranteeing that our diversity initiatives are reflected in the actions of the other committees of the firm and improving the firmwide implementation of the initiatives.

Diversity initiatives

Godfrey & Kahn has conducted on-site diversity training and is committed to recruiting and appointing women and minorities when the firm has a vacancy, promotional opportunity or need to expand the workforce. Highlights of some of the firm's other initiatives include:

• Godfrey & Kahn has established a fellowship at the University of Wisconsin Law School to provide a full threeyear scholarship to one student each year who enrolls as a participant in the Legal Education Opportunities (LEO) program, the umbrella group for law students of color at the University of Wisconsin. Fellowship recipients also receive mentoring from Godfrey & Kahn attorneys, as well as employment as a summer associate at any of the firm's offices in Wisconsin.

• Godfrey & Kahn has joined IDEAL, the Institute for Diversity Education & Leadership, a network of businesses engaged in diversity initiatives in the workplace and community. By encouraging progress on diversity challenges, the goal is to position Greater Milwaukee as a national model for inclusion practices and as a Region of Choice by diverse professionals.

• The firm is committed to supporting the professional careers of women and racial and ethnic minorities in order to help them succeed. To this end, Godfrey & Kahn is pleased to be a supporting sponsor of Wisconsin Women=Prosperity, a non-partisan economic initiative led by Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton to improve the economic status of women in Wisconsin. In addition to sponsorship support, the firm maintains attorney representation in WW=P.

• The firm participates on the State Bar of Wisconsin's Committee to Encourage Placement of Minority Lawyers, a collaboration of attorneys who recruit, review and recommend qualified minority lawyers to associate positions throughout Wisconsin. Godfrey & Kahn also participates in the committee's annual Minority Summer Clerkship Program that helps place minority law students in settings where they traditionally have been underrepresented.

• Godfrey & Kahn attorneys are active members of the State Bar of Wisconsin's Gender Equity Committee.

• The firm is also a regular contributing sponsor of the activities of the Legal Education Opportunities (LEO) organization. Each year the LEO Banquet celebrates the contributions of the UW Law School toward opening legal education to qualified students of all backgrounds and to diversifying the legal profession in Wisconsin, the nation and the world.

Community involvement

At Godfrey & Kahn, we are committed to the success of our clients, our firm and our communities. Attorneys and staff are engaged in their communities through involvement in numerous civic, charitable and religious organizations. Many attorneys serve the community through pro bono activity, membership on boards of directors, direct volunteer work, sponsorships and personal donations.