Foley is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion because we are striving to be the best place to work — for everyone. This commitment stems from knowing that our ability to help clients achieve their business goals starts with our people. In light of this, our imperative is to recruit, develop, and promote top talent from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. To do this, we take an approach to talent development and recruitment that includes identifying, acknowledging, and working to eliminate bias in processes and systems that would otherwise make it more difficult for us to hire and retain the most talented individuals. We know that creating an equitable and inclusive workplace is not only the right thing to do for our people, but that it also drives the very best client service. Foley is for all.
Foley’s Affinity Groups
Open to all, our firm-wide affinity groups focus on professional development, community and bar association involvement, recruitment and retention, as well as awareness and advocacy within their respective communities. Below please find a list of the leadership of Foley’s national affinity groups along with links to their individual appearances on The Path & The Practice podcast.
Inclusive Recruiting
Career Fairs: We invite applicants from law schools across the country and also participate in the following career fairs:
- Bay Area Diversity Career Fair
- Cook County Bar Association Minority Law Student Job Fair
- Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair
- Southeastern Law School Consortium
- Summer Associate Hub Job Fair
Supporting a New Generation: We actively participate in a number of pipeline programs that promote careers in the legal profession, including:
- Lawyers in the Classroom, a mock trial program for Chicago inner-city elementary students
- Street Law, a nonprofit that teaches high school students in underprivileged communities about law, democracy, and human rights.
- Mentors to the students at Legal Prep Charter Academy, the only legal-themed high school in Illinois. Our Chicago office is a funding sponsor of the Legal Prep Charter Academy.
Foley Fellowship: This fellowship is open to all second-year law students whose background and/or experiences would contribute to the diversity of perspectives at Foley. Second-year law students selected for this program receive a total of $50,000, which is paid in two installments: $20,000 following successful completion of our Summer Associate Program as a 2L and $30,000 paid within 30 days of joining the firm as an associate.
Supporting DEI in the Legal Profession
We support a broad range of outside organizations dedicated to diversity, equity, & inclusion in the legal profession. Here’s a list of some of the many organizations that we are proud to support:
- Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
- Corporate Counsel Women of Color
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund
- Bay Area Latino Lawyers Fund
- LAGBAC Foundation Lawyers for Diversity
- National LGBT Bar Association
- National Bar Association
- California Minority Counsel Program
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- South Asian Bar Association of North America
- Charting Your Own Course
Awards and Accolades
Supporting Community
Effective July 7, 2021 Foley and Boys & Girls Clubs of America launched a national partnership to support BGCA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, rooted in its commitment to promoting safe, positive and inclusive environments for all. Foley is the first law firm to partner with the BGCA on a national scale. This national partnership builds on and continues the work that Foley and BGCA have been doing regionally together for the last few years. Together as national partners, Foley and BGCA will elevate the powerful message of DEI and activate the potential of kids, Clubs and communities to build more inclusive and equitable futures. For more on the partnership, click here.
The Path & The Practice Podcast
The Path & The Practice, an innovative podcast produced by Foley & Lardner LLP, has acquired more than 25,000 downloads since its launch in July 2020. The podcast explores the professional origin stories of Foley attorneys. Each episode features Alexis Robertson, Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, in a one-on one conversation with a new attorney exploring their unique background, path to law school, path to Foley, and individual perspective on the practice of law. You can subscribe and listen to the podcast on all major podcast platforms and access it on our Foley Career Perspectives Blog. Or scroll down for a full list in the Insights section of this page.
For More on Foley DEI
Alexis P. Robertson
Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
arobertson@foley.com