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 and Wall Street legal practice. Cleary Gottlieb is a participant in and long-time supporter of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), a program that provides students of color with legal internships and training prior to their first year of law school, and NYC Legal Outreach, a one-week program designed to give a select group of minority students an introduction to life as a lawyer, including negotiating mock contracts and litigating a case before a group of volunteer “judges.” In addition, we participate in the Northeast BLSA Job Fair, and our lawyers participate on numerous diversity panels at various law schools throughout the country.
Cleary Gottlieb has also partnered with Credit Suisse and Goldman, Sachs & Co. to provide summer associates of color the opportunity to participate in short-term internships. Summer associates selected for these programs will spend a portion of their summers working with lawyers in the legal and compliance departments at these investment firms.
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.