Ranked as one of the largest law firms in the nation, Akin Gump has maintained a longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusiveness at all levels.
The firm works to ensure the recruitment, retention and promotion of women and minorities by embracing a culture of inclusiveness and equal opportunity. When Robert Strauss began the practice of law, few firms welcomed individuals of his religious and ethnic background. That experience, coupled with the understanding that our success in the global market and the delivery of unsurpassed client service depend on the diversity of our workforce, prompted Akin Gump to pursue a leadership role in promoting diversity within law firms.
The following excerpt from our Partnership Admissions Policy summarizes Akin Gump’s commitment to diversity:
As historical barriers to achievement in the legal profession have continued to fall, the best and brightest lawyers in their fields, and the best and brightest young lawyers emerging from law schools, come from ever more diverse backgrounds. Our success in the global market, and our success in meeting internal objectives of excellence in mentoring, supervision and professional development, depends on ensuring that we achieve and maintain a critical mass of diversity in our partnership and in our associate population.
Akin Gump’s commitment to diversity is implemented through active participation by our minority and female partners in the firm’s leadership. The managing partner of the firm’s U.S. offices is a woman, as is the partner in charge of our Houston office. The partner in charge of the Washington office is African American. The Hiring Committees and Associates Committees across the firm also reflect the firm’s diversity, with numerous women and minority lawyers holding positions on each of these committees.
Akin Gump maintains a two-tiered Diversity Committee system, with both a firmwide committee and local office committees. The firmwide committee is chaired by Nancy Chung, an Asian partner from our New York office, and reflects the diversity of Akin Gump with minority, women, openly gay and non-minority attorney members working with the firm in this important area.
The purpose of the Diversity Committee is to empower our lawyers and other Akin Gump personnel to participate in, and initiate outreach to, clients, lateral candidates, law students and each other. The Committee also provides opportunities for our lawyers and personnel to proactively communicate questions, concerns and ideas to Akin Gump’s management, as well as to recommend additional ways to enhance diversity at the firm.
The firmwide Diversity Committee is composed of the following individuals—
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David Botter
Nancy Chung
Chip F. Cowell
Julie S. Dressing
Aleisha Gravit
Katherine M. Katchen
Karol A. Kepchar
Kim Koopersmith
Patrick C. Marshall |
R. Bruce McLean
Trey M. Muldrow III
Mary L. O'Connor
J. David Park
Anthony T. Pierce
Marissa J. Román
Rick Rosenblum
Maggie Sinnott
Valerie A. Slater |