Alston & Bird has once again earned a top rating of 100 percent in the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), an annual survey by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that measures commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workplace equality.
The survey marks the 12th consecutive year that the firm has achieved a perfect CEI score and earned the distinction as one of the best places to work for LGBT equality.
It also marks the first time since the survey began in 2002 that the Human Rights Campaign Foundation required top-scoring companies to have a global nondiscrimination policy or code of conduct that specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender, thereby raising the bar for earning a perfect score.
This year’s survey included 156 law firms, which were measured on 40 specific policies and practices. To earn a perfect score, firms must meet a series of LGBT commitment benchmarks, including having fully inclusive nondiscrimination policies. Additional criteria include providing parity in benefits to spouses and partners and transgender-inclusive coverage and having internal guidelines prohibiting philanthropic giving to organizations that discriminate against LGBT people.
Alston & Bird is an acknowledged leader in law firm diversity and inclusion. Other recent distinctions earned by the firm include:
- Selection to FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” list for 2015 – making Alston & Bird the first and only law firm to earn this distinction for 16 consecutive years.
- Ranking 17th among the country’s “Best Law Firms for Diversity” in the 2016 Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms, in addition to ranking 23rd for LGBT.
- Recipient of the “2014 Dell Legal Diversity Award,” presented annually to a law firm that represents Dell in the United States and best exemplifies Dell’s dedication to diversity and inclusion.
A copy of the 2016 CEI can be found on the organization’s website.