Jay Selanders, chair of Kutak Rock LLP, has joined the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s (LCLD) Leaders at the Front initiative, designed to create enduring organizational change within law firms and companies.

As an LCLD member, Mr. Selanders and Kutak Rock created a pledge detailing specific actions—both personal and organizational—to take in order to advance diverse lawyers within the firm.

“Being inclusive and engaged are integral parts of our firm’s values. There is always more work to be done,” said Mr. Selanders, “but we are proud of our ongoing efforts and value our participation in LCLD.”

View his full pledge on the LCLD Leaders at the Front website. In part it reads:

PERSONAL COMMITMENT:

• Discuss, at least quarterly, specific actions expected of Firm leadership to advance the Firm’s inclusiveness and diversity goals; keep diversity top-of-mind in Firm processes, including recruiting, interviewing, succession planning, evaluations, and assigning work (among others).
• Actively participate in anti-bias/anti-racism, inclusiveness, diversity, equity, equal opportunity, and engagement training opportunities.
• Actively and intentionally implement best practices in managing meetings to provide opportunities for voice and authenticity on the part of everyone in the room.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENTS:

• Maintain inclusiveness and diversity data tracking systems, including development of a diverse pool of candidates for open positions, and rely on the Inclusiveness and Diversity and Career Support Committees to determine additional tracking necessary to achieve the Firm’s strategic goals related to inclusiveness and diversity.
• Sustain the Firm’s focus on retention and movement to equity partnership; support activities that develop an inclusive work environment.
• Be critical of Firm systems; assume barriers to equity and equal opportunity exist and embrace the need for constant change to improve the Firm’s systems and structures.
• Promote the Firm’s Large Legal Anti-Bias, Anti-Racism (LLABAR) seminars for Firm members and in partnership with Firm clients.

The full pledge is also available here.

As chair of Kutak Rock, Mr. Selanders leads Kutak Rock’s 14-person Executive Committee and oversees the firm’s overall management, governance and representation. He guides and implements the firm’s strategic plan with a continued focus on the Firm’s values of client service, inclusiveness and diversity, innovation, and integrity and on growth and opportunities to serve clients’ needs.