Diversity Action Plan

McKool Smith is committed to recruiting, retaining, and promoting a diverse community of lawyers and legal professionals, as outlined in the firm’s Diversity Policy. To honor this commitment, the firm has devised a Diversity Action Plan featuring strategies to help meet these goals. McKool Smith’s Director of Business Development & Marketing will oversee the plan’s implementation, which includes the following action items:

Establish, Monitor, and Enforce the Firm’s Diversity Policy

• The firm’s leadership has developed a Diversity Policy reflecting the firm’s core values and stating its commitment to creating and maintaining an inclusive, open, and respectful culture comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds. The firm’s Human Resources Department will monitor and enforce this policy. 

Promote the Firm’s Commitment to Diversity 

• Internal Communication:
  • The firm will communicate its diversity commitment internally by announcing its Diversity Policy to all employees, and including a copy of the policy in the Employee Policy Manual.

• External Communication:
  • The firm will communicate its diversity commitment externally by including its Diversity Policy on the firm’s website, and in recruiting materials and client communications.

 Increase Diversity Within the Firm and Promote Diverse Staffing of Client Matters 

• The firm is committed to increasing diversity at all levels. In staffing client matters, the firm attempts to maximize the value of client services through a number of considerations. One important consideration is to assemble a diverse team of lawyers, and consistent with the multiple considerations that are unique to each matter, to actively look to staff our client matters with a diverse team of lawyers. Client relationship principals will oversee and closely monitor such staffing to ensure this policy is in effect.

Enhance our Diversity Recruiting Efforts 

• Law School Recruiting:
  • The firm is committed to seeking the best law school graduates in the country and recruits at the nation’s leading law schools. As part of its recruiting efforts, the firm will seek to identify and recruit diverse candidates, including minorities, women, and other underrepresented groups. These recruiting efforts will include participating in minority job fairs, diversity-related law school events, and various regional events to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to join the firm.  

• Lateral Recruiting:
  • When working with search consultants and scouting for lateral talent, the firm will reiterate its commitment to diversity and its desire to recruit diverse candidates, including minorities, women, and other underrepresented groups.

Expand Relationships with Organizations for Minorities, Women, and Other Underrepresented Groups

• The firm will identify and support organizations for minorities, women, and other underrepresented groups, including bar associations, and professional and community organizations. The firm will also seek opportunities to collaborate with these organizations to strengthen our diversity efforts.

Monitor and Measure our Results

• The firm’s Diversity Action Plan will be reviewed annually by the firm’s leadership, including the Managing Principal, among others, to review and discuss results from the prior year, and ensure that the firm is developing and implementing effective strategies to meet its diversity goals.