As a firm, we place a premium on the unique perspectives of individuals from a range of backgrounds, beliefs and life experiences. We believe this tradition helps to keep the firm an open and exciting place to work. Recognizing our commitment in this area, American Lawyer Media’s Minority Law Journal named us the most diverse firm among the 250 largest and highest-grossing U.S. firms – an accomplishment in which we take great pride.
By prioritizing diversity and inclusion issues, we promote an environment where women and men of different races, national origins, religions and sexual orientations can practice law in a collegial and effective manner.
Our active Committee on Diversity Issues, made up of partners and associates, has three areas of focus: recruitment of law students and lawyers of diverse backgrounds, professional development of diverse lawyers, and promotion of an open and ongoing dialogue on a wide range of diversity issues.
It is our view that diversity begins with recruitment. As a result, the Diversity Committee takes an active role in our on-campus and in-office recruiting efforts. These efforts include not only traditional interview and follow-up activities, but also panel discussions, lunches and other events with minority first-year law students to introduce them to Cleary Gottlieb. In 2008, Cleary Gottlieb became an inaugural participant in Washington, DC in the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity’s Corporate Law program that will give incoming law students an opportunity to experience a corporate law firm before they enter their first year of law school. As part of the program, we hosted a panel discussion and reception for all interns in the Washington, DC program. In addition, we participate in several other outreach efforts including the Mid-Atlantic Black Law Students Association job fair, the Harvard Black Law Students Association job fair and Spring Conference, the Washington Area Legal Recruitment Administrators Association (WALRAA) Diversity 8-Minute Networking Event and Reception, the WALRAA Annual Summer Associate Diversity Reception, the George Washington University 1L Lambda Law Networking Reception and the DC Road Show. We also conduct information sessions for 1Ls preparing for the recruiting process.
Cleary Gottlieb supports a number of events throughout the year sponsored by various organizations that promote and celebrate diversity. We encourage our lawyers to attend and actively participate in these events. Some of the recent events include the DC Women’s Antitrust Network Panel Discussion, the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia Diversity Summit and the DC Minority Attorney Networking Series.
The Diversity Committee coordinates with the Associates Committee to address mentoring, training and work assignment issues as they affect lawyers in different minority groups. We sponsor periodic lunches and firm-wide panel discussions about diversity in the workplace, and occasionally invite outside speakers to discuss gender, race and professional development.
For more information on diversity at the firm, please click here.