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Lowenstein Sandler’s Commitment to Diversity
Diversity is natural to Lowenstein Sandler. In a time when there is a great deal of press about corporate diversity “initiatives,” we hope to modify the dialogue so that diversity is not viewed as simply an initiative, and to discuss ways in which it is, and should be, ingrained as part of the business culture.
Lowenstein Sandler’s Diversity Committee comprises members and associates, who as a Committee are charged with:
- Ensuring that the firm maintain its historic commitment to promoting diversity in the workplace;
- Evaluating the effectiveness of our existing diversity policies, recommending to senior management improvements in existing programs, and helping to develop new policies to further promote a diverse workplace;
- Coordinating the firm’s participation in organizations and events devoted to advancing issues that are important to attorneys with diverse backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities, women, and gays and lesbians.
Rationale for A Diverse Workplace
A law firm that appreciates a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and approaches is more likely to attract talented attorneys—and more likely to offer clients the most original, thoughtful, and effective solutions. MultiCultural Law Magazine regularly ranks Lowenstein Sandler among the “Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity and Women.”
We have implemented innovative, hands-on policies and programs to recruit, retain, and promote lawyers from diverse social, economic, cultural, and personal backgrounds. We reinforce our commitment at all levels, from senior management, throughout partnership ranks, within associate recruiting, training, and mentoring programs, and among staff. From campus recruiting to lateral outreach to skills-building workshops, our award-winning programs provide the enrichment and mentoring that build a pipeline of opportunity and career growth.
Historical Highlights
Historically, Lowenstein Sandler has been committed to maintaining and fostering diversity as an organic and natural element of our working environment. Examples of that commitment include the following:
- We were the first large law firm with its principal office in New Jersey to promote an African-American male to partner, in 1981.
- We were the first large New Jersey-based law firm to promote a Hispanic-American woman to partner, in 1986.
- We were the first large New Jersey-based law firm to appoint an African-American to Chair one of its major departments, our 110-attorney litigation department, in 2003.
- For nearly the past ten years, our firm has ranked first among large New Jersey-based law firms with the greatest number of minority partners.
Notwithstanding these accomplishments, we recognize that enhancing diversity requires an on-going commitment. We have continued to expand on the initiatives included in our Diversity Program. In recent years, the competition for highly qualified diverse attorneys has increased, especially for a firm like ours that must compete with the salaries and platforms offered by firms based in New York City. Lowenstein Sandler has met these challenges through initiatives that include the following:
- We have promoted a woman or minority attorney to partner in each of the last five years. One of the women worked part-time for more than three years prior to being promoted. She was considered in the ordinary course of our firm’s partnership track and continues to work part-time.
- We consistently recruit summer associate classes comprising significant percentages of minority and women law students.
We’ve integrated women and minority partners into several key leadership positions in firm management, such as the Board Of Directors, the Compensation Committee, the Admissions Committee, the Strategic Growth and Planning Committee, and Practice Group Leaders.
- We’ve facilitated part-time status for working mothers. Indeed, our firm’s decision to amend its by-laws to confirm that part-time attorneys are eligible for promotion to partner was reported as “aggressive and creative” by the New Jersey Law Journal. Currently, nearly 6.5% of the firm’s attorneys have reduced work schedules.
- We sponsor several community outreach efforts, including a mock trial program for inner city high school students, interview and resume skill building seminars for minority law students, and dinner programs for minority law students to discuss mentoring-related issues as well as keys to building a successful practice in a large firm environment.
In short, Lowenstein Sandler has invested the time and financial resources to put substance behind its stated commitment to diversity. Examples of that investment are demonstrated by our diversity program highlights.
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