Bringing the Diversity of the Outside World Inside Kramer Levin
OUR VALUES
At Kramer Levin, we realize that exposure to varied perspectives, experiences and backgrounds enhances our work environment and creates a culture of acceptance, collegiality and professional growth. We have always prided ourselves on the
individuality and
uniqueness of our lawyers. We remain committed to fostering and maintaining an environment in which diversity can flourish.
Kramer Levin's mission statement is to take
proactive measures to build and promote mutually beneficial relationships and to operate the Firm in an inclusive, ethical and culturally sensitive manner which represents the range of human differences. Diversity, as defined by the Firm, is an inclusive concept and encompasses, without limitation, race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, nationality, age, disability and marital and parental status.
Read more about our commitment to diversity.
Our efforts to create a diverse workforce have brought us recognition as a leading law firm:
- Kramer Levin was one of only two New York based law firms selected by Yale Law Women Top 10 Family-Friendly Firms in 2008.
- Multicultural Law Magazine has consistently selected Kramer Levin as one of the Top 100 Law Firms for Women and Diversity in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Read more about our Women's Initiative efforts.
- Vault Top 100 Law Firms ranked Kramer Levin #19 in diversity for women and #13 in diversity for gays/lesbians in 2008.
- Kramer Levin was recognized as one of the 50 Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother/Flex-Time Lawyers in 2007.
- In the 2009 Corporate Equality Index and Best Places to Work survey, Kramer Levin received a top rating of 100. This is the second straight year Kramer Levin has been recognized with this distinction. Read more about our firm's commitment to LGBT equality and our leading role in pro bono LGBT civil rights litigation.
In addition, a number of factors demonstrate the Firm’s diversity commitment and success, including:
- Our Diversity & Women's Committees meet monthly to ensure continued progress on issues and inclusion principles.
- Our attorneys participate in mandatory annual diversity training.
- Our Firm is a signatory to the New York City Bar’s Goals for Minority Recruitment Hiring and Retention.
- Our Firm supports a number of legal organizations aimed at increasing diversity, including AALDEF, AABANY, Asian American Law Fund, LeGal, Lambda Legal and the New York City Bar.
Through a variety of events, the Firm engages with students, attorneys and clients to help foster diverse and equitable workplaces. Examples include:
- Heritage Month celebrations including events for African American History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, LGBT Pride Month, National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month and National American Indian Heritage Month.
- Legal Outreach: The Firm was the first to make a contribution to help launch Legal Outreach Inc.’s new College to Law School Pipeline Diversity Program. The initiative is aimed at helping minority college students prepare for law school. Over the years, the Firm has provided summer internships for Legal Outreach students, and numerous Kramer Levin associates have worked as mentors, debate coaches and judges for Legal Outreach programs. Also, for several years, the Firm has endowed four annual scholarships for graduates of the organization’s College Bound program.
- Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): Our Firm hires a minority college graduate to work as a legal assistant prior to beginning his or her first year of law school.
- The Firm sponsors a minority law student mock interview program.
- The Firm participates in minority law student job fairs such as Northeast BLSA Job Fair and Harvard’s Minority Job Fair.
- The Firm sponsors minority law student association events.
- The Firm sponsors women’s networking events and panel discussions. Previous events have included a BRAG! Workshop with a client, work-life balance presentations and guest speaker luncheons.
- The Firm supports a part-time/flex-time policy that permits attorneys (male or female) to work alternative schedules.
OUR DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
The Firm’s diversity efforts are encouraged and supported by the Diversity Committee. The Committee, Chaired by
Christopher Auguste and comprised of partners, associates and senior administrative staff, is committed to the
recruitment of law students and lawyers of diverse backgrounds,
professional development of lawyers in minority groups and promotion of an
open and ongoing dialogue on a wide range of diversity issues. We believe that by prioritizing diversity issues, we will continue to promote an environment where women and men of varied races, ages, national origins, religions and sexual orientation can practice law in an effective manner.
OUR WOMEN'S INITIATIVES COMMITTEE
Kramer Levin’s Women’s Initiative Committee is comprised of both women and men partners. The Committee, Chaired by
Jennifer Rochon , meets regularly to address issues of importance to women at the Firm, improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women attorneys, and increase the representation of women in leadership positions. This committee works together with the firm’s Women’s Initiative Advisory Committee, comprised of women and men associates and special counsel from various departments.
DIVERSITY AND PRO BONO Kramer Levin is proud of the scope of its public service commitments. We actively participate in the communities in which we live and serve. Our pro bono efforts often dovetail with our commitment to diversity by focusing on the needs of under-served groups and communities:
Women
The LGBT Community
Lawyers at Kramer Levin undertake pro bono matters that connect them to communities around the world. Serving the needs of individuals and groups with limited access to legal services gives our lawyers a more complete picture of the world, beyond the realm of corporate law, and encourages a diversity of viewpoints and experiences.
Empowering low income and minority communities:
Supporting arts, culture, health, and education in diverse communities:
- Health & Social Services. Kramer Levin supports Listen, Inc., a national youth development network; Northside Center for Child Development, which provides mental health services to more than 1,800 at risk children and their families in the East and Central Harlem communities; and the Korean Family Counseling and Research Center, which provides a variety of social services to members of the Flushing community. http://www.kramerlevin.com/about/probono/2007report/socialservices/
- Education & Technical Assistance. Kramer Levin provides general corporate representation for the Wadleigh Scholars Program, which prepares low income and minority students for admission to boarding schools, and our attorneys actively mentor diverse youth through the Harlem-based Legal Outreach program. http://www.kramerlevin.com/about/probono/2007report/assistance/
- The Clinton Foundation. In 2007, Kramer Levin launched an exciting new pro bono relationship with the William J. Clinton Foundation, which supports a broad range of health, education, and economic initiatives in diverse communities around the globe. http://www.kramerlevin.com/about/probono/2007report/clintonfoundation/
- Arts & Culture. Kramer Levin supports Harlem Needle Arts and Ifetayo Cultural Arts among many other diverse cultural organizations. http://www.kramerlevin.com/about/probono/2007report/artsandculture/