Diversity and Inclusion at Kelley Drye
We sponsor external organizations providing leadership training and professional networking opportunities for our attorneys. We also learn from our clients and other leaders in academia and corporations as we invite thought leaders to share their perspectives and experiences with the firm. Kelley Drye’s summer internships contribute to this goal by welcoming high school and college students to the firm and hopefully sparking an interest that evolves to a career in the legal profession.
Skilled and inclusive leaders are key to a diverse and inclusive firm. Kelley Drye looks to develop and employ our attorneys’ leadership skills within the Firm. Women and diverse attorneys participate on numerous firm committees and hold a variety of leadership positions, including as Firm Managing Partner. Providing attorneys with opportunities to develop leadership skills is a key component of our approach. Kelley Drye is an active member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) and participates in its Fellows, Pathfinder and Scholars programs, which provide highly structured training and development opportunities designed to build the next generation of law Firm leaders. Attorneys are invited to apply for these opportunities, and the Firm provides financial support.
Increasing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession requires a commitment to continuous learning. Our Diversity Speaker Series has invited thought leaders in the minority in-house counsel and broader legal community to discuss legal and business topics with our lawyers. Past speakers include the president of the National Bar Association, the president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the General Counsel of Xerox, Welch’s and MetLife as well as thought leaders in academia and major corporations.
Increasing diversity in the profession also depends on growing the pipeline. We participate in a number of pipeline initiatives, including supporting students as they begin law school and placing 1L year students in our Summer Associate Program. We also encourage college and high school students from diverse backgrounds to pursue their interest in a career in law through sponsorships of programs such as:
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 1L Scholar Program
Kelley Drye hires law students in its summer associate program following the student’s first year of law school.
Law Preview Diversity Scholars Program
Kelley Drye provides sponsorships for incoming first-year law students to participate in a law school prep course.
Harlem YMCA Black Achievers in Industry (BAI) Program
Undergraduate students are offered an internship placement at Kelley Drye during the summer months.
Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program
The Cristo Rey national network of schools makes a college preparatory education affordable for economically disadvantaged students through a unique work-study program. Kelley Drye sponsors students in our New York and Chicago offices.
Thurgood Marshall Summer Legal Internship Program
Kelley Drye provides New York high school students summer internships with the Firm.
Inner City Scholarship Fund Job Opportunities Program
Kelley Drye has provided summer internships to New York high school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
We’re open to arrangements with clients of all types. Some examples include:
- Secondment of associates within clients’ legal departments where they can develop their legal and business skills, strengthen relationships with in-house lawyers and business people and improve our client service. Not limited to senior lawyers, we have even had summer associates split their time between Kelley Drye and our clients.
- Identifying pro bono projects where we can work with clients on a diversity-related issue, and committing our lawyers to work with our clients on pro bono or community projects important to them.
- Nominating clients for diversity awards to recognize and honor their commitment to diversity.
The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery in 2020 and the ensuing unrest that occurred around the country left us feeling waves of anger, frustration, and sadness. Believing that the Kelley Drye community’s many talents could be leveraged to foster change, the Firm established the Task Force on Racial Equality to increase awareness of racism and anti-racism efforts and leverage the talent and energy of the Kelley Drye community to assist in the fight for racial justice.
The Task Force took definitive action over the course of six months, and set in motion several initiatives that are being carried forth through the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion and Pro Bono Committees.
Kelley Drye believes in supporting organizations supporting a diverse and inclusive legal profession. We have supported or sponsored the following organizations, among others:
- Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth
- Crittenton Services of Greater Washington
- Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation
- Hispanic Bar Association of DC
- LGBT Bar of New York
- Muslim Bar Association of New York
- SMYAL
- South Asian Bar Association North America
Kelley Drye is pleased to report tangible success in our endeavors.
- As of 2022, Kelley Drye has been recognized for ten consecutive years as a “Top Law Firm for Diversity” based on the American Lawyer (ALM) annual Diversity Scorecard.
- In 2022, Kelley Drye also received, for the sixth consecutive year, a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and was designated as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. The CEI measures corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality and inclusivity.
- Kelley Drye also was recognized by LCLD as a 2022 Top Performer and 2022 Compass Award recipient, awards reserved for most active Member Corporations and Law Firms and Members that submit a Leader’s Pledge, personally attend the Annual Meeting or a Leadership Summit, participate in the Fellows and Pathfinder programs, and participate in at least one pipeline program (Mentoring or 1L Scholars).