Introduction
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of our core values and we are committed to providing a culture where lawyers and professional staff of all backgrounds, regardless of gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation or beliefs, develop and thrive.
We recognize that sameness is not a virtue and has persisted for too long in the legal industry. We strive to create an environment that reflects the diversity of our clients and the communities where we live and work, and we are committed to achieving greater diversity, inclusivity, and equity not just within McGrath North but for our community and the legal profession as a whole.
Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, one of our standing committees, leads these efforts. The committee is chaired by one of our partners and includes partners and associates from various practice groups across the firm, as well as staff members. The DEI Committee's mission is to provide actionable steps to assure that our firm is building an open and affirming culture and work environment that provides equal career opportunities for every member of its increasingly diverse team.
RECRUITING AND DEVELOPMENT
Recruiting, retaining and developing a diverse team of lawyers is a fundamental priority for McGrath North. Because of historical barriers, we know that this requires intentional, ongoing efforts.
To help build a larger pipeline of diverse law students, and to push our profession to do more to increase workplace opportunities, we have led with both our voice and our financial resources. McGrath North was one of the original firms to sign on to the Call to Action Initiative of the Nebraska State Bar Association publicly pledging to promote diversity hiring. For over 20 years, we have endowed two Creighton University School of Law scholarships, one of which is dedicated to support minority students. In addition, a number of our attorneys play leadership roles in high school mock programs which can help spark interest from all backgrounds in the legal profession.
In addition, our firm is one of the founding members of the Nebraska Legal Diversity Council formed in 2021. This nonprofit operates as a collaborative organization to help attract and retain diverse attorneys across Nebraska.
The firm also recognizes the importance and value of expanding our geographic recruiting beyond Nebraska to increase the pool of diverse candidates. In the last five years, our summer clerk program has included students and new associate hires from the University of Minnesota, University of Iowa, University of South Dakota, and University of Notre Dame, as well as the University of Nebraska and Creighton University.
The structure of our summer law clerk program presents a unique opportunity for diverse students to transition to associate positions following graduation. In both our 1st and 2nd year law clerk programs, students are introduced to real-world skills development which we believe materially enhances their preparation for a productive career. Our clerks are substantively involved in our work with clients which positions them for success as associates when they join our firm. Further, unlike many firms, our clerkship program is a key pipeline for McGrath North associate positions. We do not use it as a competitive, weeding-out process and instead nurture these relationships to maximize the likelihood clerks will choose McGrath North as the platform to build their careers. For example, in the last five years, all thirteen of the individuals who clerked for our firm for two years received and accepted associate offers, and 70% of these new associates are women. This underscores McGrath North’s strong history of hiring its law clerks as associates.
The firm is very aware that retention and development of associates is key to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive team. We invest heavily in the professional growth and development of our lawyers through our Talent Development Committee. The Committee is comprised of partners who hold leadership roles within the firm. Members of the Committee work closely with our attorneys to introduce them to all levels of firm practice, culture and people. The Committee also provides continuing legal education, training and valuable mentoring opportunities for our newer lawyers to support and accelerate their path to partnership. We do this because we understand that the success of our firm, and our ability to meet the needs of our clients now and in the future, depends upon the development and retention of highly talented attorneys at all stages of their careers.
All the efforts outlined above have resulted in increased diversity within the firm and we are striving to accomplish even more. In the last five years, over two thirds of all of our newly hired lawyers have been women, and have included representatives of the Latinx, African American and LGBTQ+ communities.
TARGETED INITIATIVES
Women of McGrath North
McGrath North is committed to providing a workplace where women thrive and our firm recognizes the importance of mentorship and affinity in the retention and development of female lawyers. To further support and facilitate this, McGrath North has established a women’s affinity group which meets monthly around shared interests, such as arts and culture, civic involvement, health and fitness, and business or practice development. These activities afford female associates immediate access to women partners and counsel both inside and outside of their practice group, thus giving them exposure to a wide variety of personalities and perspectives.
McGrath North’s Board of Directors and the firm’s Talent Development Committee have also worked to maximize the firm’s success in retaining women lawyers, promoting women associates to partnership and promoting women partners to positions of authority and leadership within the firm.
Supporting Remote and Flexible Work Life
McGrath North wants all of our professionals to have rewarding careers that help us fulfill our commitments to our clients without sacrificing our personal lives. We also recognize that our firm benefits from having diverse and well-rounded lawyers who excel in the practice of law, as well as in other aspects of their lives. As a result, our firm is committed to supporting our professionals through the changing times in their lives. We do not believe in a “one size fits all” approach to work arrangements, which is why we offer a variety of resources to help our lawyers better manage their personal and professional obligations. These include the following initiatives:
- The firm has made significant investments in technology to enhance our capability to work remotely without compromising data security. This allows us to be responsive to our clients yet support flexible work opportunities.
- The firm has adopted a flexible work policy that allows our professionals to maintain a full-time schedule in more than just an 8-5 day.
- The firm has generous leave policies that allow our professionals to focus on their parental and family responsibilities.
EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
The firm has made and will continue to make a material investment of its time and resources to help all of our people better understand the challenges and benefits surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in our profession and workplace. This commitment is unanimously supported by the managing board of directors, and almost 90% of all the firm’s lawyers and employees have participated in this ongoing initiative.
With the leadership of nationally renowned experts Joe Gerstandt, Kathleen Nalty, and Nebraska LGBTQ+ leader and lawyer Joni Watke, we have conducted regular, training sessions to help all of us be better equipped to see and overcome the disruptors and barriers to building and maintaining a work environment that benefits all of our lawyers equally. In addition, the Union of Contemporary Art (which champions justice and building an inclusive community) presented to our firm on racial injustice and its impact on the City of Omaha over the last 80 years.
We drive all of this to a person-to-person level within our firm, including in part through one-on-one discussions between lawyers and staff who may not regularly interact and additional all attorney and staff training. We continually strive to increase awareness of the value of diversity and inclusion, and its positive impact on how we work together and serve our clients on a day-to-day basis.
McGrath North is not done, will never be done, and is fully committed to pushing everyone within the firm to become their best version of inclusive, equity-driven team members.
PARTNERSHIPS
McGrath North is actively involved in promoting and supporting many important community organizations that serve a broad range of goals and purposes. We have partnered with over 50 civic and charitable organizations in order to advance the diverse interests and needs of members of our community. Some of our closest alliances include:
McGrath North's partnership activities go beyond financial assistance. Members of the firm are involved with LeadDIVERSITY advocates, which is a program of Inclusive Communities intended to build a network of leaders to help provide solutions for enhancing diversity and inclusion in Nebraska. Others have served on the Board of Directors of Heartland Pride which promotes and celebrates LGBTQ+ communities, and we have been the first and only law firm to sponsor the annual Heartland Pride Festival since its inception in 2018. In addition, "Outreach 365" is a philanthropy committee at McGrath North that was established in recognition of our responsibility to contribute time, skills and other resources for improvement of the quality of life in our community. The committee leads staff in pro bono volunteer efforts that foster staff involvement and enable us to enhance and maintain needed human services.
Through all our targeted actions, we are working to make a lasting difference in our community.
