Crowell & Moring Releases Annual Diversity & Inclusion Report

Fourth annual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report highlights racial justice initiatives, pro bono program, and more

Washington – May 7, 2021: Crowell & Moring has published its fourth annual “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report,” which highlights the firm’s initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and ensuring equity and opportunity firmwide. Building on its longstanding commitment to fostering a workplace that supports and develops employees of all backgrounds, the firm made significant progress in 2020.

“In the midst of multiple social, political, and public health challenges that arose last year, I am proud of the way the firm embraced adversity, renewed its commitment to supporting our community, and addressed the crippling impact of racism, discrimination, and bias through courageous conversations and solutions-focused programming,” said Don Smith, Chief Talent and Inclusion Officer.

The report features programs and initiatives completed in 2020 and previews some of the efforts underway this year. Coverage includes:

• Creation of the firm’s Racial Equity Task Force: Established and led bythe Management Board, other firm leaders, members of the firm’s African American Affinity Group, and the firm’s Chief Talent and Inclusion Officer, the task force aims to identify immediate actions and establish longer-term goals for ensuring that firm policies and practices are equitable and provide meaningful opportunities for our entire community.
• Diversity & Implicit Bias Dialogues: Over the course of six weeks, the firm hosted firmwide “Diversity & Implicit Bias Dialogues.” The objectives of the program were to (1) provide a safe forum for participants to explore the impact of their past, their perspectives, and their conscious and unconscious biases on their individual interactions and on the firm; (2) offer tools to engage in courageous, potentially uncomfortable conversations within and outside of our firm community; and (3) deliver effective action steps for allies and diverse professionals within our firm community to promote anti-racist and ally-driven behavior.
• Diversity Speaker Series Events: Distinguished speakers from a variety of cultures and backgrounds spoke at a series of events over the past year to raise awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion. Speaker selections often coincided with cultural heritage months, such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, and Native American Heritage Month.
• Diversity focused social justice pro bono efforts: The firm pledged to provide $1 million in pro bono legal services in 2021 to cases and causes that combat systemic racism in the United States. Firm lawyers also took onvoting rights issues surrounding the 2020 election in addition to other matters related to improving social justice.

In the report, Philip T. Inglima, chair of Crowell & Moring, stated: “The Crowell & Moring community believes that its mission and greatest success requires us to be genuinely diverse and meaningfully inclusive. We are determined to live out our values to the fullest extent possible, to act more than we speak, and to remain steadfast in finding new and innovative ways to bring about meaningful change for our community and the people we serve.”

Click here to read the report on crowell.com.