Kutak Rock presents its 2020 Inclusiveness, Diversity and Engagement Annual Report featuring the firm’s long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion, core values that can be traced back to our founders’ desire to improve equity in the legal profession.
The Annual Report highlights the results of the firm’s National Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee’s (NIDC) second completed three-year strategic plan that included the necessary changes made to recruiting and hiring, strengthening our systems to ensure equity in promotion and leadership, and bolstering the efforts of the firm’s affinity groups and educational programming. The NIDC has doubled down on inclusiveness, equity, anti-bias and anti-racism work in its new strategic plan.
The work completed by Kutak Rock and the NIDC has positioned the firm well to integrate our strategy with opportunities presented by the current environment to further intensify our efforts and better our outcomes. The firm has remained focused on strategic planning, even as we’ve pivoted to address the events of the past many months with numerous activities attended by almost every person in the firm.
Inside the Annual Report, you'll find information on our activities with Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (ILLP), American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA), Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), and Human Rights Campaign (HRC), among others.
Highlights include:
- NIDC co-chairs Winnie Hawkins and Stuart Hindmarsh article, “Creating Inclusive Legal Industry Workplaces in COVID-19,” published in ABA’s Law Practice arguing that the work of creating inclusive workplaces in the legal industry is more critical now during the pandemic
- Over 125 people, including 75% of firm leaders, participated in an eight-week dialogue group based on “The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias” by Dolly Chugh
- Over 125 attorneys, staff members and clients participated in webinar about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, GA to wrap up Pride Month
- 300+ people attended the firm’s first “Women and the Right to Vote” educational series
- Named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” in the U.S. by Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
- Labeled a “Ceiling Smasher” by Law360
- Gold-level recertification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF)
- Certified and Certified PLUS by Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule
- 500+ participants in Inclusiveness, Diversity & Engagement-related trainings
- The firm’s new Mindfulness Affinity Group was created to address mental and physical health
- Multiple virtual speaking opportunities and published articles related to inclusion and diversity
We celebrate our founding commitment to diverse teams, mutual respect, fairness, and generosity, while acknowledging that there is always more work to be done. Please take a moment to browse the annual report and celebrate with us as we continue our inclusiveness, diversity, and engagement focus.