Diversity

Diversity is a core value at Vorys.  Our commitment to diversity has created an atmosphere in which our people thrive and are encouraged to use their different talents, perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences to serve our clients.  Likewise, we believe that through our commitment to diversity, we better serve the communities in which we live and work.

Leaders in Diversity

Vorys has been a leader in diversity for decades.  We were among the first law firms in Ohio to hire women and African-American attorneys, and we have continued this commitment through the years, recruiting and promoting lawyers of all backgrounds, and thus becoming a firm of both historic “firsts” and continuing distinction.  To name only a few examples, Vorys lawyers include:

• The first African-American president of the Columbus Bar Association.
• The first African-American woman elected to the Columbus Bar Association’s Board of Governors.
• The first woman in Ohio elected as a fellow to the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers.
• A founding member and current officer of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Central Ohio.
• One of the National Law Journal’s 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America for 2007.
• The first woman president of the Columbus Bar Association.
• A former president of the Ohio Human Rights Bar Association, a statewide gay and lesbian bar association.
• A former chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession.
• The 2007-2008 President of the American Bankruptcy Institute, who is one of our African-American partners.

In addition, two of our former African-American partners are now federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Our firm governance also reflects our commitment to diversity.  The firm’s Diversity Committee brings together partners and associates to develop and implement strategies for attracting, retaining, and promoting a diverse team of professionals and staff, and to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies.  Our Presiding Partner, Russell Gertmenian, serves as a member of the Diversity Committee.  The Diversity Committee works with our firm’s leadership to encourage open dialogue on diversity issues and to maintain an environment in which diversity of all types can flourish.

Additionally, one-third of our practice groups are chaired by women.  Women and minorities also are well represented on the firm’s committees, including the Management Committee and the committees responsible for hiring and evaluating associates.

Recruiting Diverse Talent

We are committed to recruiting the best and the brightest from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.  We make a special effort to identify and interview diverse candidates at all law schools at which we recruit.  Members of the Hiring Committee attend minority job fairs and participate in events to meet talented and diverse law students, judicial clerks, and lateral candidates.  These include events sponsored by the Black Law Students Association and the career fair at the annual Lavender Law Conference, sponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association.  Our lawyers also regularly visit school campuses, build relationships with student associations, and meet with law students in informal settings to discuss legal careers.

Vorys is proud to be a demonstrated leader in recruiting diverse talent into the legal profession.  More than 20 years ago, a partner in our firm co-founded the nationally recognized Minority Clerkship Program sponsored by the Columbus Bar Association.  Vorys has also established the George Corey Scholarship program in memory of our beloved partner, George Corey, whose immense legal talent, professionalism, and warmth left an indelible mark on the Ohio legal community, and who was passionate about recruiting the best and the brightest from diverse backgrounds and experiences.  The program awards up to three scholarships each year to first-year minority law students. 

Retaining Our Diverse Talent

Recruiting talented lawyers is only the first step.  We are also dedicated to developing, retaining, and promoting our attorneys.  In addition to a firm culture of collegiality and mutual respect, we have created mentoring and professional development programs to ensure that our lawyers receive every opportunity to achieve personal growth and professional success. 

Some of these efforts include:

• Mentoring program.  Every associate is paired with a partner mentor.  They meet formally and informally to develop a personalized approach to the associate’s training, development, and evaluation.  In addition, informal mentoring relationships and an “open door” atmosphere are hallmarks of the Vorys work environment.
• Training and Continuing Legal Education.  In all our practice groups, associates work directly with partners and receive training through hands-on experience and feedback on their work product.  Some of our larger practice groups also have regular professional development and training programs designed to assist associates in developing specific skills.  Our firm pays for Continuing Legal Education programs (CLEs), and we encourage our associates to work with their mentors to identify programs that address areas of interest and relevance to their particular practices.
• Associate Relations Committee.  The Associate Relations Committee is made up of partners and associates. It provides a forum for addressing associate issues and fostering open communications and strong relationships between associates and partners.  In addition, we are proud of our firm culture, which encourages daily, one-on-one contact between senior lawyers and associates. 
• Bar Associations and Community Groups.  Vorys provides substantial financial support to bar associations and other groups focused on women, minority, and LGBT issues.  Our lawyers also actively participate and assume leadership roles in these organizations.  In addition, one of our African-American partners was the driving force behind the Columbus Bar Association’s Managing Partners Diversity Initiative, which brought together the managing partners of all the major law firms in Columbus to work together to improve the hiring, retention, and advancement of minority lawyers.  Now in its fifth year, this successful program has served as a model for other bar associations across the country.

Balancing Work and Family Life

We strive to support our lawyers not only in their professional development, but also in their efforts to balance the demands of their jobs with their outside interests and responsibilities.

Vorys makes available alternative work schedules to meet the individual needs of our lawyers.  We also provide various family-friendly employment benefits, including parental leave, a pre-tax childcare benefit, and domestic partner benefits, including health insurance and long-term care.  

While recognizing that the practice of law is demanding, requiring both time and commitment, we also understand that our attorneys have serious obligations as parents, partners, and family members.  We strive to support our attorneys in their lives outside the law firm and to maintain a firm culture that assists our lawyers in having a satisfying balance in work and personal life.