Dickstein Shapiro is committed to creating a work environment in which all employees enjoy equal opportunities in their employment relationship with the Firm. The Firm has established its Diversity Committee which is comprised of attorneys (including partners) and staff. The Diversity Committee is responsible for the development and implementation of programs and policies designed to increase and enhance diversity throughout the Firm through recruiting, retention, and advancement. The Firm works hard to cultivate and sustain an inclusive workplace culture that fosters diversity of thought. Dickstein Shapiro also created the full-time position of Diversity/Pro Bono Counsel to focus on the Firm's expanding initiatives in these areas.
The Firm's diversity efforts have been recognized most recently in Multicultural Law magazine's "2006 Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity," and in Vault's Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms, 2007 Edition, which ranked Dickstein Shapiro in "The Best 20 Law Firms for Diversity" related to minorities, women, and gays and lesbians. The Firm also was recognized by client E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company as a law firm that has distinguished itself as one of the best among the select network of DuPont Primary Law Firms and Service Providers. The 2004 "Meeting the Challenge" award recognized Dickstein Shapiro for its sustained contributions to the DuPont Legal Model, and in particular for its outstanding commitment to diversity in the legal profession. In addition, three of Dickstein Shapiro's minority partners were featured in Black Enterprise magazine's list of 100 "Top Black Lawyers," published in November 2003.
Dickstein Shapiro was honored with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association's 2006 Thomas L. Sager Award for its efforts to enhance and celebrate diversity. The MCCA said that the Firm "believes it is their responsibility to actively drive the diversity agenda in the business and legal communities, with an eye toward continuous improvement." Dickstein Shapiro was also described by the MCCA as "a law firm that is a living commitment to diversity in a way that all of us can learn from.
Enhancing diversity at all levels is part of the Firm's current Strategic Plan. One way the Firm strives to achieve this goal is through example and education. Since 2003, the Firm has implemented an ongoing series of diversity speaker presentations, which involve high-profile leaders in the community coming to the Firm to speak to everyone in the Firm about diversity-related issues. Speakers have included:
- Dr. Benjamin Hooks, former Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP);
- Debra Lee, President and Chief Operating Officer of Black Entertainment Television (BET);
- The Honorable Kurt L. Schmoke, Dean of Howard University School of Law and former Mayor of Baltimore;
- Hilary Rosen, a speaker on gay rights and the former chairman and chief executive officer of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA);
- Congressman Barney Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress;
- Sarita Brown, President of Excelencia in Education and former Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (Clinton); and
- A'Lelia Bundles, Author of the best-selling biography about her great-great-grandmother, titled On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker.
- José Bahamonde-Gonzalez, Associate Dean of the University of Maryland Law School; Vice President of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), and chair of the NALP Leadership/Membership Diversity Taskforce; and
- Alberto Gonzalez-Pita, Executive Vice-President and General Counsel of Tyson Foods.
Dickstein Shapiro recruits minority candidates aggressively. The Firm sponsors and participates in a number of minority recruiting activities and conferences, including participation in the BLSA Mid-Atlantic Job Fair, the Lavender Law Fair, and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association's annual conferences and diversity dinners. In addition, Dickstein Shapiro supports the Scholarship Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation through donations that provide scholarships for talented minority lawyers who are interested in intellectual property law. We are pleased to announce that we have recently established a Diversity Scholarship for second-year law students. The Dickstein Shapiro Diversity Scholarship is part of the firm's ongoing efforts to increase diversity in the legal profession and support the next generation of diverse attorneys. Beginning in 2007, the Firm will offer up to three scholarships each year, in the amount of $15,000 each, to students who have excelled academically, professionally, and personally.
In the past decade, several organizations have acknowledged Dickstein Shapiro as a law firm that has adopted best practices with regard to women. Both of the Firm's office managing partners (New York and Los Angeles) are women, as are the Firm's Deputy General Counsel, Diversity/Pro Bono Counsel, and all of the Firm's Chief Officers. The Firm's leadership and women partners have been active in advancing issues of importance in the legal industry by writing and speaking frequently on relevant topics, in addition to organizing and participating in networking events through which they develop strong relationships with other women professionals. Robin Cohen, New York office Managing Partner, and Linda Kornfeld, Los Angeles office Managing Partner, have recently written an article, "Women Leaders and the Bottom Line," Bloomberg Corporate Law Journal (Winter 2006), which addresses the opportunities and competitive advantages available to businesses that support women leaders.
Catalyst, a nonprofit research organization, and the publications titled Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report and Compensation & Benefits for Law Offices, have identified the Firm as having programs that address issues affecting women lawyers' advancement. Dickstein Shapiro also was presented with the President's Award to recognize the Firm's strong record of support for the advancement of women in law at the 2002 Annual National Association of Women Lawyers' Installation and Awards Luncheon in Washington, DC.
Dickstein Shapiro is dedicated to its Core Values of excellence, loyalty, initiative, integrity, and respect (amplified to emphasize the importance of respect for its clients, attorneys, and staff, and belief in an environment that offers equal opportunity for all). These values, along with specific commitments to diversity and quality of life, are fundamental components of the strong relationships Dickstein Shapiro forges with its clients and employees.
