Commitment to Diversity

Providing an environment that welcomes and nurtures cultural diversity is fundamental to our core values. We strive to attract and retain the most talented individuals and provide an environment of acceptance through both guidance and education. The firm's diversity committee, whose membership is made up of both lawyers and staff, strives to interpret and administer our goals and to provide advice and recommendations in order to retain and improve our diverse workplace. Jackson Walker is proud of the diversity we've achieved in our firm. As a result of our targeted efforts:

• In both 2010 and 2011, 60 percent of the firm's new partners were women.
• Since 2008, almost 50 percent of the firm's newly elected partners have been either women or members of ethnic minorities.

Recruiting

Reflecting our ongoing commitment to diversity, Jackson Walker sponsors and participates in a variety of activities designed to enhance opportunities for women and minorities in the legal profession. A few examples of programs Jackson Walker has supported in recent years include:

• Scholarships
  • The Renaissance Cultural Center Scholarship Fund
  • National Black Law Students Association Student Leadership Scholarships
  • Bar None, supporting the Sarah T. Hughes diversity scholarships
• Diversity Recruiting Events
  • Dallas Consortium on Minority Hiring
  • Sunbelt Minority Hiring Conference

For a complete list of upcoming on-campus recruiting events, click here.

Student Organization and Event Sponsorships

• ABA Forum's First Amendment and Media Law Diversity Moot Court Competition
• Chicano/Hispanic Law Students' Association (CHLSA)
• National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA)
• Asian Law Students Association (ALSA)
• National Association of Law Students with Disabilities (NALSWD)
• University of Texas Thurgood Marshall Legal Society
• University of Texas Women's Law Caucus
• University of Houston Black Law Students Association

Retention

Historically, law firms have been less than successful in retaining women and minority attorneys. Jackson Walker has confronted this challenge with the following three approaches: mentoring, strengthening, and promoting. Our efforts include:

• Establishment of jw², an initiative dedicated to the attraction, retention, and promotion of women professionals. Through its programs, jw² creates opportunities for women attorneys to build strong networks to sustain a successful and satisfying legal career, while supporting women in their efforts to make an impact in the community.
• Actively encouraging women and minority attorneys to pursue business development opportunities and leadership roles within the firm.
• Strengthening relationships between associates and senior attorneys through mentoring and networking opportunities.
• An Alternative Work Schedule Policy that allows attorneys to balance personal and family responsibilities with the needs of the firm, while at the same time maintaining the opportunity for professional growth, experience, and career advancement. In each of the past two years, women were elected to partnership while on alternative work schedules.

Click here to read more about Jackson Walker's commitment to diversity.

Click here to read about jw² (Jackson Walker Women)