Inclusion in
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practice Responsible business Tell us about responsible business at Reed Smith?
Through our diversity equity and inclusion programmes we focus on promoting social inclusion for young people. We work with various charities and non-profit organisations to provide young people from primary schools, secondary schools, sixth forms, colleges, universities, career changers and those from alternative routes of education, the opportunities to gain a better insight into the vast and exciting careers within our firm. Our volunteers are able to share their career and educational experiences with the young people they meet, at the same time showing the diversity of our workforce.
Being a responsible business is vitally important in making us a better law firm and a better place to work. I manage all of all our community volunteering outreach projects, diversity equity and inclusion programmes and our London office fundraising activities. Through our outreach projects we focus on combating social exclusion among some of the vulnerable communities. We are currently partnered with two charities to support people suffering from homelessness and housing difficulties, an adult carers centre and a Mind centre, supporting people recovering from or who have experienced mental health issues.
Diversity, equity & inclusion
DE&I is part of the very fabric of our firm. We try our best to promote and embrace diversity in every aspect, including race, gender, sexual identity, religion, background, age, or where they were born. Everyone matters here. Our business is only as good as our people and through our DE&I efforts, we encourage stronger performance, collaboration, teamwork, and innovation in all we do. As leaders in driving the progress of dDE&I, we have a unique approach to DE&I. Our DE&I efforts are intertwined with our culture and are open to the whole firm : unlike traditional diversity programs, ours is focused on inclusion. We want everyone to be included, at every level. Our inclusive culture also makes commercial sense. By focusing on how all our diverse individuals can feel included and comfortable being their true selves, we increase their engagement, opportunities, and involvement. We boost their chances of promotion and compensation. And this supports our recruitment of the best people – from all kinds of backgrounds and with all kinds of experience – who brings us the best results.
Our internal networks Multicultural Network (MCN) – promotes cultural diversity within the firm, with a focus on attracting, recruiting, and promoting BAME individuals. LEADRS (Looking for Excellence and Advancement of Persons with Disabilities at Reed Smith) supports and enhances the professional and personal development of those with all types of disabilities, both mental and physical. It helps us show that jobs for people with disabilities are both available and achievable at the top of the legal profession. PRISM (Pride, Respect and Inclusion Simply Matter) champions inclusion for LGBT+ individuals, and acts as a forum for socializing, mentoring, and networking in our firm and the wider LGBT+ community. WINRS (Women’s network) is a growing global community dedicated to enhancing our workplace to more effectively develop, reward, engage, and attract women in the legal profession. A great example of this is the new mentoring scheme we have launched this year. The scheme has been organized by our MCN network and seeks to provide invaluable developmental support to participants, open to both our fee earning and support staff.
What about fundraising efforts?
We are proud to support many different charities with fundraising activities. With the assistance of our sports and social committee we fundraise throughout the year for six different charities. We also take part in our four London based initiatives: the London Legal Walk, Prince’s Trust Palace to Palace cycle ride, the Children’s Christmas Shoebox collection and the Tour de Law cycle challenge. These events are great ways to team-build across the firm, as well as raise awareness and much needed funds for the charities.
Carole Mehigan Responsible Business Manager EMEA
32 Reed Smith Next generation law
Next generation law Reed Smith 33
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