Do Something Hard

The Inclusion Blueprint, a collaborative project between Diversity Lab and ChIPs, provides a first-of-its-kind tool to measure inclusion actions that law firms can and should employ—at both the leadership and practice group levels—to ensure that historically underrepresented lawyers have fair and equal access to quality work, influential sponsors and clients, and other opportunities.

In 2021, Diversity Lab and ChIPs encouraged Inclusion Blueprint participants to commit to implementing at least one “Do Something Hard” action over the next year and to report the progress of these actions. The following firms and practices groups have committed to take meaningful actions and measure the outcomes. We applaud these firms and practice groups for committing to these meaningful DEI actions.

To learn more about the Inclusion Blueprint, click here.

2021 “Do Something Hard” Commitments — Law Firm Leadership

50 Hours of Billable Credit for DEI Contributions

The firm will (a) provide 50 hours of “billable credit” to lawyers for meaningful contributions to diversity and inclusion at the firm and in the profession (e.g., taking a leadership role in firm D&I efforts, leading affinity or inclusion groups, taking a leadership role in diverse bar or other trade organizations, sponsoring and mentoring diverse lawyers [whether formally or informally], partnering with clients on D&I efforts, etc.); (b) track and measure whether those hours are being spent equally across demographic populations; and (c) make changes to remedy unequal distribution across demographic populations.

Allen & Overy
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Baker Botts
Baker McKenzie
Brooks Kushman
Cooley
Davis Wright Tremaine
Dechert
Dorsey & Whitney
Dykema Gossett
Fox Rothschild
Goodwin Procter
Jenner & Block
Nixon Peabody
Ogletree Deakins
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Perkins Coie
Reed Smith
Shaw Keller
Sheppard Mullin
Sidley Austin
WilmerHale
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Compensation Linked to DEI

The firm will link compensation of practice group leaders and/or partners to diversity and inclusion by materially impacting compensation for those lawyers who do and don’t successfully achieve three goals, including (a) staffing the majority of their client pitches and matter teams with at least 50% diverse lawyers; (b) equally sharing origination credit with the diverse partners on the pitch teams; and (c) retaining their diverse lawyers at the same rate as their non-diverse lawyers.

Baker Botts

Pay and Origination Credit Equity Gap Analyses for Partners

The firm will conduct a “pay” and “origination credit” equity gap analysis for all partners that measures compensation and business development/expansion credit gaps across demographic populations after controlling for title, seniority, and performance metrics and will develop a plan to fix any inequities that are revealed by the analysis.

Brooks Kushman
Eversheds Sutherland (US)
Reed Smith
Seyfarth Shaw

2021 “Do Something Hard” Commitments — Law Firm Practice Areas

Matter Credit for New & Expanded Work

For at least 50% of new matters, cases, or relationships, the practice group leader will ensure that at least one diverse partner serves in a lead role and receives equitable “credit” for originating or expanding the work or relationship.

IP AND SECURITY

Nixon Peabody
- Intellectual Property Group
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
- Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch
- IP Litigation
Shaw Keller
- IP Litigation
WilmerHale
- Intellectual Property & Intellectual Property Litigation

CORPORATE/COMMERCIAL/FINANCE

Nixon Peabody
- Project Finance & Public Finance Group
Reed Smith
- Global Corporate Group
- Capital Markets
- Emerging Growth & Venture Capital Group
- Mergers & Acquisitions Group

LITIGATION

Morrison & Foerster
- Employment & Labor
Nixon Peabody
- Labor & Employment
Reed Smith
- Global Labor & Employment

REGULATORY

Nixon Peabody
- Health Care
Wiley
- Telecomm, Media & Technology

Client Team Diversity & Direct Access

The partners in the group will staff each new relationship with teams that consist of at least 50% diverse lawyers (associates and/or partners) who have direct access to and regular interactions with clients.

IP AND SECURITY

Goodwin Procter
- IP Litigation
Quarles & Brady
- Intellectual Property
Stris & Maher
- IP Litigation

Litigation

Cooley
- Antitrust & Competition
Cozen O’Connor
- Labor & Employment
Dykema Gossett
- Product Liability & Class Action Litigation
Jenner & Block
- Investigations, Compliance & Defense
Morrison & Foerster
- Employment & Labor
Reed Smith
- Global Labor & Employment

Ally Action Pledge

The majority of partners in the practice group sign and agree to the “Ally Action Pledge,” which asks partners to advocate for and champion at least one diverse associate or junior partner by (a) actively managing their workloads to ensure they receive career-enhancing and skill-building work that will help them advance; (b) introducing them to at least 3 partners who will help them expand their client relationships and/or work opportunities; and (c) introducing them to at least 3 client contacts who will support their efforts to gain career-enhancing work, and/or business generation and credit.

IP AND SECURITY

Baker Botts
- Intellectual Property
Baker McKenzie
- North America Intellectual Property & Technology
BakerHostetler
- Intellectual Property
Brooks Kushman
- Intellectual Property
Cooley
- Cyber/Data/Privacy
- IP Litigation
Dechert
- Global Finance
Fox Rothschild
- Intellectual Property
McDermott Will & Emery
- Intellectual Property
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
- Intellectual Property
Morrison & Foerster
- Intellectual Property – Litigation
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
- Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation
- Intellectual Property
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch
- IP Litigation
Reed Smith
- Intellectual Property
Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner
- IP Practice
Taft Stettinius & Hollister
- Intellectual Property Practice
WilmerHale
- Intellectual Property & Intellectual Property Litigation

Corporate/Commercial/Finance

Cooley
- Business Litigation
Eversheds Sutherland (US)
- Real Estate Practice
Reed Smith
- Global Corporate Group
- Capital Markets
- Emerging Growth & Venture Capital
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Financial Industry – Restructuring & Insolvency
- Financial Industry – Finance

Litigation

Cooley
- Antitrust & Competition
Morrison & Foerster
- Employment & Labor
Reed Smith
- Global Labor & Employment
WilmerHale
- Securities Litigation & Enforcement; Investigations & Criminal Litigation

Regulatory

Reed Smith
- Global Regulatory Enforcement

About Do Something Hard:

Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, many law firms issued statements confirming their commitment to racial equality and ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly in the workplace and beyond. Real change requires actions that are meaningful and sustained long-term. The actions above, when put in place by practice group leaders and supported by all partners, signal that they are serious about and committed to making their own group’s systems more equitable. “Do Something Hard” challenges firm leadership and practice groups to take meaningful actions and measure the outcomes.

To learn more about “Do Something Hard,” see the September 2021 press release here.

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