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DIVERSITY |
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Spencer Fane recognizes that the diversity of people and ideas is vital to our culture, vital to our success as a profession, and vital to our ability to attract and retain the talented individuals we need to achieve our business goals. As attorneys, we understand better than most the importance and meaning of the words “equal opportunity.” And in furtherance of this understanding, we actively seek to recruit and retain qualified individuals with diverse characteristics and backgrounds. We participate in the St. Louis Diversity Job Fair and the Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair in Kansas City. We also promote equal opportunity at law schools as part of our on-campus recruiting. We actively encourage the referral of qualified minority candidates. We accommodate the needs of attorneys and staff with families to allow for part-time, modified schedules and mentoring. Spencer Fane employees are involved in community activities to promote diversity and help make our firm the “firm of choice” for all individuals.
Spencer Fane is an active member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Commitment to Diversity Initiative, as well as the Planning Committee for that initiative. The Committee meets bi-monthly to create and implement policies, plans and “best practices” for increasing diversity. The Committee organizes the Heartland Diversity Legal Job Fair, held in Kansas City each September since 2005. Spencer Fane attorneys and staff participate in the Planning Committee for the HDLJF and Spencer Fane is a Silver-level Sponsor of the event.
In addition to the HDLF, Spencer Fane is a Silver-level Sponsor of the St. Louis Diversity Job Fair. The purpose of this fair is to attract a diverse group of law students who will practice and become members of the metropolitan St. Louis legal community. The SLDJF was held for the first time in August, 2008 with over 200 students and 20 employers participating. This fair is for rising 2L and 3L law students from law schools throughout the country.
Internally, the Women In Business group actively seeks out and supports women in business through social events, seminars and other learning opportunities. Ours was the first such group in the region and many other firms have since created similar groups. Individually, our attorneys and staff participate in diverse community activities, including high school job programs, law school mentoring initiatives, bar association groups, and community outreach events. Spencer Fane sponsors many of these events and remains committed to improving diversity. |
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