Our Commitment
For more than fifty years, Bose McKinney & Evans LLP has been a leader in the legal profession and business community. As part of our firm’s leadership for the next fifty years and beyond, we recognize that the firm must reflect the diversity of the individuals and entities it serves in order to be able to provide dynamic and effective legal counsel to the global business community.
To that end, we affirm our commitment to diversity in all areas of our firm’s operations, recruiting and support programs. The firm believes that the success of this commitment requires the involvement of all partners, associates, administrators and staff members. Our intent is to reach beyond our firm and genuinely impact the legal profession, our clients and our community through leadership by example.
The firm intends to encourage and promote the treatment of each person with dignity and respect, and to value the perspectives and experiences which a diverse workplace can contribute to the firm, its clients and the communities which it serves. Diversity is an inclusive concept, and encompasses differences in race, age, religion, sex, disability, national origin, sexual orientation and in any other personal characteristics protected by law.
Diversity Committee Members
Bryan Babb, Partner, Chair of Recruiting Policies and Practices Sub-Committee
Vicki Bruce Hansen, Chief Operations Officer
Jeffrey Gaither, Managing Partner
Kari Kostecka, Marketing Manager
Lisa McKinney, Partner, Committee Chair
Sam Odle, Senior Policy Advisory, Bose Public Affairs Group LLC
Sandra Perry, Partner
Chad Walker, Partner, Chair of Internal Awareness, Policies and Practices Sub-Committee
Jennifer Walker, Chief Marketing Officer
Bose McKinney & Evans Roadmap to Diversity
Bose McKinney & Evans LLP commits to a diverse workplace by implementing the following Roadmap to Diversity:
- Raising awareness of the firm’s Diversity Policy within the Firm
- Emphasizing each individual’s personal responsibility regarding the firm’s Diversity Policy
- Continuing to enforce firm employment policies which have an impact on diversity, including anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, fairly and consistently
- Establishing and maintaining recruiting policies that ensure that the firm is attracting the widest possible pool of high quality individuals with diverse backgrounds
- Participating in and supporting activities and organizations, both within and outside the firm, that demonstrate the firm’s commitment to diversity
- Seeking guidance and input from minority and women’s business groups on ways the firm can better serve the needs of their respective constituencies and business communities
Firm Operation
Bose McKinney & Evans LLP seeks to implement the Roadmap to Diversity by taking the following actions in firm operations:
- Creating and maintaining a standing Diversity Committee that will chart the firm’s progress towards implementing the Roadmap to Diversity, evaluate the firm’s goals in the area of diversity, and periodically suggest updates to the firm’s Diversity Policy. The committee will be chaired by a partner whose background provides the necessary perspective to enable the firm to maintain a successful and meaningful diversity policy. Because the Diversity Policy represents a significant leadership commitment of the firm, the managing partner will have a standing seat on the committee. Because the attraction and retention of lawyers with diverse backgrounds is a critical component of the firm’s Diversity Policy, the chairs of the Recruiting and Associates Committees will also be members. The committee’s membership reflects the diversity of the firm, and includes associates as well as partners, a representative from the Human Resources Department, a representative from the Marketing Department and a representative from Bose Public Affairs Group.
- Ensuring that the firm is equipped to handle issues related to a diverse workplace.
- Committing to being a leader in community activities that reflect the firm’s commitment to diversity with a particular emphasis on those activities that enhance the business environment of the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana
- Demonstrating a “top down” commitment to the firm’s Diversity Policy
- Conducting reviews of the work of the Diversity Committee by the Executive Committee, and reporting to the partners on a regular basis
Recruiting
Bose McKinney & Evans LLP seeks to attract and retain top talent by recruiting from the broadest possible pool of high quality individuals, while maintaining the firm’s character and positive work environment. The firm will achieve these goals through the following efforts:
- Supporting the activities of organizations of minority and women law students, such as women’s legal forums, and Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Native American law student associations at law schools located within Indiana
- Supporting the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO)
- Participating in regional minority job fairs, such as the Cook County Bar Association Minority Law Student Job Fair and NBLSA Midwest Minority Job Fair
- Increasing awareness of employment opportunities at law schools with traditionally large minority populations
- Listing staff openings in publications that are likely to attract diverse applicants
Support
Bose McKinney & Evans LLP recognizes that a meaningful network of support is essential to retaining top talent regardless of background. In addition to the current programs of membership and professional development, the Diversity Committee and the firm focus on the following strategies:
- Ensuring that responsible partners and mentors work effectively with newer lawyers to train them to be excellent lawyers and to integrate them into the firm
- Encouraging informal support systems for new lawyers within the firm, including effective mentoring of associates with diverse backgrounds
- Ensuring that the firm addresses head on issues that may negatively affect our goal of retaining top talent
