Pro bono legal work

Diversity, equity & inclusion

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© 2024 Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Strength
through difference
Strength through difference
Kirkland embraces diversity, equity and inclusion, both within our own organization and throughout the legal profession. Our Firmwide culture gathers strength from our differences and promotes belonging, allowing us to better serve our clients. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee consists of professional networks related to gender, LGBTQ+, ability, military status, and racial and ethnic diversity, among other groups, ensuring our programs and policies address the needs of all colleagues. We promote justice and equity in law by contributing our skills on a variety of pro bono efforts and supporting organizations that advance DEI.

What we stand for

We embrace the varied perspectives and backgrounds of our attorneys and staff and encourage each of them to bring their whole self to work. We condemn hate and stand in solidarity with communities that experience discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic background, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation and/or religious beliefs. We believe in leveraging the talent on our teams to help create a more equitable society and strive to promote a Firmwide environment of belonging that allows every voice to be heard. To realize our goals, we pledge to:

The Voices of Our People

At Kirkland, we’ve embraced the concept of “strength through difference.” We believe that the varied backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, skills and work styles of our colleagues allow us to operate at the pinnacle of our field. We encourage our attorneys to bring their authentic selves to work, knowing that when we really get to know each other — not only as professionals, but also as humans — there’s no limit to what we can do.
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“It is because of my parents’ love, hard work and many sacrifices that I am able to enjoy a career and life as a partner at Kirkland that I never could have imagined as a child.”

Taj Clayton, partner, Dallas
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02 / 04

“If you have the patience and the ability to wait a bit, just keep at it. All it takes is one person to believe in you.”

Shayla Harlev, partner, Boston
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03 / 04

“I feel privileged to pass on the lessons that shaped me as a person and lawyer. I’m extremely grateful for those who came before me, as well as the next generation who will continue the good work.”

Paul Tanaka, partner, Bay Area
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“As I’ve gotten more senior in my law career, I’ve always been aware of what others can bring to the table. I try to mentor women and diverse individuals, even if they’re not in my practice area.”

Shagufa Hossain, partner, Washington, D.C.
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57

Women's Professional Network programs in 2023

145
+

DEI-related programs in 2023

$
13
M+

granted to 460+ 2L Diversity Fellows since 2004

45
+

1L Diversity Scholars in 2024

100%

score on Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index every year since 2008

13
years

consecutively named to Seramount’s Best Law Firms for Women & Diversity list

Strategic partnerships

Inclusivity training

Tapping into elite talent

Enriching the legal pipeline

Better access for all

Strategic Partnerships

We continue to advance DEI objectives alongside our clients and communities through various partnerships with DEI-committed organizations.

  • Client Partnerships: Our attorneys consistently seek opportunities for collaboration with clients that are driving change and striving for more inclusive environments that celebrate difference.

  • Kirkland sponsors 20 leading national and local diverse bar associations. These associations foster community and provide professional and business development opportunities. In 2022, Kirkland became title sponsor of Corporate Counsel Women of Color, the nation’s largest organization for corporate in-house women attorneys of color, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), which seeks to advance the API community within the legal profession.

  • Ascend Leadership: As a significant sponsor of Ascend, a network of professionals and executives committed to advancing workplace equity for Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals, we engage with the organization’s leaders, members and clients to support their mission.

  • Organization and Schools: We have donated more than $1.6 million annually to organizations and school groups focused on advancing DEI.

Inclusivity training

Kirkland is committed to providing training to our personnel, especially for our leaders, on the importance of inclusivity for collective success. We’re proud to partner with distinguished external advisors offering valuable insight on how leaders can create a workplace culture of belonging and authenticity, recognize implicit bias, and find deeper meaning in their career.

Tapping into elite talent

For nearly a decade, Kirkland has proudly hosted an annual Diversity Scholars Conference (DSC), an event that strengthens our recruiting pipeline and helps us continue building an inclusive culture. Each year, the DSC welcomes around 50 promising 1L students for two days of professional development and relationship-building sessions with Kirkland attorneys, esteemed alumni and valued clients. Presented in a Kirkland-style TED Talk format, these sessions cover topics such as how to carve out a unique career path, insights into Big Law, working in-house, how to champion DEI and more. All students in good standing in their first year at an ABA-accredited law school are eligible to apply.

Enriching the legal pipeline

Leveraging resources and knowledge from our industry-leading internal attorney training programs, Kirkland partnered with client AbbVie in 2023 to launch an annual legal academies initiative for students at Southern University Law Center, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Each January, first-year law students receive instruction on trial basics from Kirkland litigators or the basics of an M&A deal from Kirkland corporate attorneys, with the experiences culminating in either a mock trial or mock deal negotiation.

Better access for all

Kirkland’s Access Professional Network brings together attorneys who are dedicated to advancing inclusion for people with disabilities and organizing programming related to accessibility, disability employment and general disability awareness.

In addition to the Access Professional Network, Kirkland partners with CAI’s Neurodiverse Solutions (formerly known as Autism2Work), a program that brings neurodivergent individuals into the workforce, and dedicates pro bono hours and experience to cases impacting people with disabilities.

More DEI stories

Building a career at Kirkland

Attorneys from across our offices share their experiences working at Kirkland, including our inclusive culture and opportunities to connect.

Strengthening the API community

Leaders of Kirkland’s Asian and Pacific Islander Professional Network share their goals for increasing mentorship opportunities for the next generation.

Supporting the Pride community

Kirkland’s Pride Professional Network brings together attorneys from across offices to share community and professional development opportunities.

Advancing attorneys of color

Kirkland promotes inclusivity among people of color through our Black Professional Network and sponsorship of Corporate Counsel Women of Color.

Pro bono legal workDiversity, equity & inclusionWellbeingSustainability
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© 2024 KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
Originally published on September 19, 2024.