Diversity

Alston & Bird’s diversity policy is set forth in the Alston & Bird Strategic Plan, a document stating the purpose, goals and values of the firm.  The beginning of the Alston & Bird Plan states that “the preservation of the firm’s core values requires constant proactive attention” and that particular attention should be paid to six specific areas, one of which is “diversity/meritocracy.”  The discussion under this heading is as follows:

We believe that a diverse law firm is critical to providing the quality of legal services our clients expect, to preserving our core values and to nurturing our rich culture.  Thus, the firm takes its commitment to diversity seriously.

Elsewhere in the Alston & Bird Plan, there is a discussion of various factors that we envision being future benchmarks of our having created a great global practice.  One of these benchmarks is:

A truly diverse working team that materially embraces the principles of collegiality, teamwork, individual satisfaction, professional development and fairness, both in spirit and in practice.

Finally, in another section of the Alston & Bird Plan, there is a discussion of five, three-year objectives focused on strengthening our foundation.  One of these five objectives is as follows:

Improve and Grow a Diverse Legal Team.  Our people are our most important asset.  To achieve our vision of a firm practicing at the highest levels, we cannot let our people fall behind.  We must further enhance the professional growth and development of our lawyers and staff at all levels and insist on the highest quality of practice.  In addition, we must fulfill our commitment to diversity.  We must recognize that the best people come in different packages and embrace, encourage and support those differences.

Diversity Goals

Our diversity efforts can be categorized in four specific areas: (i) ensuring representation; (ii) understanding differences; (iii) managing workforce diversity and accessing top talent, in particular women and people of color; and (iv) focusing on strategic diversity management that optimizes our internal and external diversity opportunities.  We have worked especially hard over the last four years to determine and develop specific goals within these areas with assistance from Dr. Roosevelt Thomas, one of the nation's leading authorities on diversity.  Some of our specific firmwide goals, which we update annually, include:

• Increasing our emphasis on and resources toward hiring and retaining top talent, and in particular women and people of color
• Ensuring that minority groups, including women, people of color and members of the GLBT community, sustain a level of success as partners
• Providing appropriate mentoring to all minority lawyers to ensure their continued success at the firm and in their legal careers
• Recognizing, celebrating and educating our lawyers and employees regarding cultural differences
• Broadening our efforts in communicating the firm's diversity initiatives and accomplishments to add a voice to the call for diversity within the profession

Support and Leadership

Alston & Bird also supports diversity by lending financial support, participating as presenters at events focused on promoting diversity, and being members of minority-related organizations.  In 2005-2007, our involvement included:

• Alston & Bird partner Lawrie Demorest is immediate past co-chair of the national board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign
• Diversity Partner John Latham is chair of the board of trustees of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, a nonprofit diversity think tank
• Alston & Bird partner Jeff Swart is president of the Stonewall Bar Association
• As a direct result of participation in NAPABA, Alston & Bird partner Kevin Lyn took on the role of establishing a NAPABA membership structure for North Carolina and is assisting Tennessee in forming a similar organization
• Membership in the American Institute for Managing Diversity, in which Alston & Bird played an instrumental role in establishing 20 years ago
• Membership in and sponsorship of an ABA Minority Counsel Program
• Participation in the annual meeting of the ABA Commission on Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
• Membership in the Atlanta Legal Diversity Consortium, where our chief human resources officer presented as a panelist at the Fourth Annual Symposium 

Notable Achievements

• Alston & Bird’s workplace environment has been praised as one of the most open and receptive in the United States, not only among law firms, but also among all businesses.  In 2007, we earned a score of a perfect 100 on The Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index for the second year in a row. 
• 2008 marks the ninth consecutive year Alston & Bird has been included on FORTUNE’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.”  We are the only firm to be recognized for this period of time, four years of which included a top 10 ranking.  While winning the award is significant, we also have used it as a tool to keep us on the leading edge of building and maintaining an open and positive work environment. 
• Alston & Bird was named to Working Mother magazine’s 50 Best Law Firms for Women list, published in the August/September 2007 issue. The list, presented by Working Mother magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, recognizes 50 law firms for their commitment to the retention and advancement of women. 
• Alston & Bird was awarded the 2007 Corporate Community Ally Award by the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.  Judges considered the nominees' accomplishments, activities in the GLBT community and what separates the nominees from their peers and competitors.  
• Minority and women partners continue to serve in leadership roles within Alston & Bird as members of the Partners’ Committee, practice groups leaders, client team leaders and committee chairs, including nine key practices led by women or minority partners.

Diversity Demographics 

Alston & Bird	2003	2008	Increase
Female Attorneys	213	257	+21%
Female Partners	44	60	+36%
Minority Attorneys	59	106	+80%
Minority Partners	12	18	+50%
Total Partners	255	311	+22%
Total Attorneys	651	779	+20%

Apr 21, 2008	Alston & Bird Named One of Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity
Jan 30, 2008	Linda Sims Receives 2007 Diversity Leadership Award
Jan 21, 2008	Alston & Bird Ranked on FORTUNE Best Companies to Work For List for 9th Consecutive Year
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