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http://us.mpmagazine.com Case study: Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP 15 T his August, the business law Case study: Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP section of the American Differentiation Bar Association hosted a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program entitled ‘Successful through diversity Strategies to Achieve Diversity in Your Organization.’ It was a two-hour, substantive-credit course being offered by one of the most prestigious sections The role of marketing in promoting diversity at international firm of the American Bar Association. Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP. When Carl Cooper was appointed the first chief diversity officer (CDO) By Jeffrey J. Berardi and Carl G. Cooper at a major law firm in February 2003, diversity was not a credited CLE course anywhere in the US, and it was generally presented as a noon-time lunch speech over chicken and chocolate mousse. Today, diversity is a hot topic. to externally promote diversity for workplace that creates opportunities More law firms are coming to the differentiation purposes should for diverse groups of people. Although realization that it is simply not enough naturally follow the internal creation it sounds like a simple plan, the effort to talk about having a diverse workforce. and development of a sustainable of cultivating and nurturing a disparate Instead, they must proactively develop diversity program. set of individuals within a firm requires a structured program that enables a dedicated effort on the behalf of the appropriate measurement of data Creating a rationale the entire management team. Rarely and metrics associated with diversity First, we should consider the rationale does diversity statistics. It is a well-known fact for starting a diversity program at your that large corporate firms have not firm. Today, most firms recognize traditionally been a repository for the importance of minorities, women, or people who maintaining a maintain alternative lifestyles. In order to break down the barriers of the traditional law-firm environment, it is necessary for firms to create programs intended to embrace and retain diversity in all of its variations. Our firm, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP (K&LNG), began its diversity drive in 1998, to accomplish numerous firm-wide objectives. Within this article, we provide an overview of the rationale for embarking on a diversity program, a discussion of the strategic development of K&LNG’s initiative, and an analysis of the various marketing strategies that were employed to ensure the ongoing success of the program. It is important to note that in our view, any marketing campaign

16 Case study: Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP http://us.mpmagazine.com within an organization occur in an or other issues. Next, diversity creates was going to be fully integrated into organic manner, and the firm’s good broader opportunity in terms of the every aspect of the firm’s culture. intentions regarding its promotion will workforce, staff turnover is reduced, This resulted in the creation and often be insufficient to fulfill long-term and the result is that you are left launch of K&LNG’s diversity initiative, goals. Thus, actually creating a diversity with a richer pool of resources to beginning with the creation of the plan for measurement and tracking choose from. A diversity program also country’s first CDO position. The purposes is a mandatory step for any increases the self-image of the firm role was intended not only to operate at the management level internally, but also to act as a change agent for the entire legal profession. More law firms are coming to the realization that it is K&LNG felt that it was imperative simply not enough to talk about having a diverse workforce. to create a focused program to ensure Instead, they must proactively develop a structured that we were taking the necessary steps to foster a work environment program that enables the appropriate measurement of that acquires, promotes and maintains data and metrics associated with diversity statistics. diversity across the firm. The primary objectives of the K&LNG diversity initiative were threefold. First, we firm that really wants to follow-through from an internal standpoint, improves sought to expand recruiting activities on its defined goals to attract and grow motivation of staff, and enables the to bolster the number of minorities, a more heterogeneous organization. public to see your firm in a different, women, and gay and lesbian lawyers. Furthermore, in addition to the and better, light. For all of these Second, we developed a firm-wide social responsibilities to consider for reasons and more, a diversity program mentoring program, which included implementing a diversity program, we makes good economic sense. gender and race-specific innovations to should also think about the increasing enhance retention of these two groups. number of clients who demand that Getting started Third, we sought to promote K&LNG this is a priority at the firms they select. In 1998, K&LNG hired a consulting among minority constituencies, as well It is clear that our clients have their firm, Springborg & Associates, to as promoting awareness of our diversity own diversity issues that they face in come in and do both a diversity audit initiatives to the entire community. their internal organizational structures, and a training program for the firm. It In any firm, the first two objectives and often these clients also have a recommended several steps we should need to be promoted using a top-down high level of expectation that their take to enhance our workforce and management approach. Without a clear primary law firms share their diversity increase our commitment to diversity. directive from the managing partner, values. From a marketing standpoint, For the next five years, the firm noting the importance of the diversity we find more and more request-for- nurtured and developed its efforts to initiative, it will be difficult to justify the proposals (RFPs) that specifically ask for background regarding our firm’s diversity efforts. In fact, clients are From a marketing standpoint, we find more and more beginning to request statistics or figures request-for-proposals that specifically ask for background relating to our program, which confirms the idea that simply having a program regarding our firm’s diversity efforts. In fact, clients are is not enough. Those firms that do not beginning to request statistics or figures relating to our comply with clients’ expectations may program, which confirms the idea that simply having a find themselves sitting on the sidelines, rather than competing directly with program is not enough. other firms for business. There are other economic factors that make having a diverse workforce more attractive to firms. For example, the point where, in early 2003, chairman necessary investment of time, resources a firm that consists of a diverse group and managing partner Peter Kalis, and money that a well-planned program of people may be less likely to find along with the management committee, requires. The CDO is secondary voice itself involved in litigation alleging determined that rather than having of the diversity initiative to the outside, discrimination based on gender, race, another standalone program, diversity as well as internal, community. Peter