Diversity: Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Parker Poe seeks to hire the most qualified professional staff without regard to background. As a result we have assembled a group of lawyers and professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds and political affiliations in all of our offices in South Carolina and North Carolina. Parker Poe's Director of Professional Development and Diversity works with the firm's Diversity Committee to promote and facilitate a working environment of inclusion, respect and opportunity for all employees through education, special initiatives, and hiring and retention practices.

Recruiting Efforts

For many years, Parker Poe has made concerted efforts to recruit and hire law students and attorneys of color. We have funded a $250,000 scholarship program for undergraduate students, who aspire to become attorneys, at Johnson C. Smith University, a HBCU (historically black college or university) located in Charlotte that is a member institution of the United Negro College Fund. Parker Poe also participates in the annual Southeastern Minority Job Fair in Atlanta, Georgia and the Southeastern Black Law Students Association job fair in Birmingham, Alabama. We actively recruit minority law students during interviews on-campus at numerous law schools. In Charlotte, almost 20% of Parker Poe's 2006 summer associate class were students of color.

In order to further diversify our attorney base, the firm also actively recruits lateral women partners, associates and law school students. To accommodate women who strive to continue working as an attorney as well as maintain their commitment to their families, the firm offers alternative work schedule options.

Leadership Activities

Our female attorneys are highly involved in leadership positions within the firm. In addition to leadership and service on numerous firm committees, one female partner recently returned to full-time litigation practice after serving ten years as a member of the firm's Management Committee, two female partners serve as Practice Group Leaders and another female partner serves in the role of employment counsel to the firm. Our women attorneys also hold a variety of community leadership roles including the President of the Wake County Bar Association and Immediate Past President of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women). In addition, seven of our female partners have been named as Best Lawyers in America.

Parker Poe attorneys are also involved in local bar efforts to promote diversity within the legal profession, including:

• Service on the North Carolina Asian Pacific American Bar Association (President)
• Service on the Mecklenburg County Bar's Special Committee on Diversity
• Sponsorship in the Increasing Diversity in the Legal Profession symposium for minority college students
• Participation in the Charlotte Diversity Clerkship program of first year law students
• Participation in the Lunch with a Lawyer program for minority middle school students

Contact Information
Kristi K. Walters
Director of Professional Development & Diversity
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP
Three Wachovia Center
401 South Tryon Street, Suite 3000
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
Phone: 704.335.9015
Fax: 704.335.9736
Email: kristiwalters@parkerpoe.com