Inclusiveness

Sherman & Howard L.L.C. recognizes that diversity is critical to the success of the firm and our clients. We are mindful that a multiplicity of characteristics and skills enhances any organization, and that recruiting, retaining and promoting a diverse group of professionals whose talents are drawn from a broad cross-section of backgrounds enhances our capacity for offering the highest quality legal services to our clients. As a firm, we recognize that our ability to function at the very highest level of our profession, and to continue to exceed the needs of our diverse range of clients, is enhanced by building a team of lawyers and staff who bring us the benefits of a broad range of socioeconomic, racial, gender, ethnic, religious, and personal backgrounds.

Recent recognitions include:

October  2011 - Jordan Fox, head of the Sherman & Howard Inclusiveness Council, appointed to the Board of Directors of the Center for Legal Inclusiveness

September 2011 - Sherman & Howard L.L.C. named "Medium-Sized Company of the Year" by the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce.

June 2011 - Sherman & Howard awarded the Gold Certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum for its integration of women into top leadership positions within the firm.

October 2009 - The Firm was named Qwest Law Department's Spirit of Diversity Partner, recognizing our demonstrated commitment to improving diversity within our Firm and legal community.

Sherman & Howard's Inclusiveness Council, developed in 2008, is comprised of lawyers and other firm professionals who work to ensure that inclusiveness is a core value throughout the firm. The term "inclusiveness" expresses this idea in a way that can also be used to describe efforts to increase diversity in the workplace. Thus, Sherman & Howard seeks to develop and maintain a partnership and workplace that is inclusive for all lawyers and staff, including people regardless of their race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national or ethnic origin.

These initiatives include:

Recruiting

Sherman & Howard is a charter signatory in The Colorado Pledge to Diversity Legal Group, which emphasizes the importance of increasing the number of racially and ethnically diverse attorneys recruited, hired and promoted by law firms in Colorado.

In the past, Sherman & Howard has participated in the 1L Summer Clerkship Program, a fundamental program of the Colorado Pledge to Diversity. This program introduces diverse first year law students to large law firms and in-house corporate legal departments with the goal of increasing their participation in summer clerkship programs and, ultimately, their post graduate recruitment into these organizations. Since the Program began in 2001, the Firm has hired 11 diverse first year students through the Program and has invited eight of those students to return for their 2L summer and the opportunity to earn an Associate position at the firm following graduation.

Retention

Sherman & Howard offers attorneys two formal, professional mentoring programs during their first 10 years of practice. These programs are designed to provide guidance to new attorneys and reduce attrition rates during the formative years of an attorney's career. Mentoring is conducted at both the departmental and firm level.

The Firm also encourages and supports attorney involvement in minority bar associations, and a number of attorneys take advantage of this by using their allotted practice development funds to pay association dues. Our attorneys are active in organizations including the Sam Cary Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Colorado Women's Bar and the Hispanic National Bar Association. Vance Knapp, a Member in the Labor & Employment Law Department, is a Past President of the Sam Cary Bar Association and takes an active role in that organization.


Promotion

Sherman & Howard is proud to have many diverse attorneys involved in management at both the firm and department levels. Minority and women attorneys serve in roles including the Chief Executive,  Chairperson of the Firm, Department Managers and Hiring Partner.

Oversight

The Sherman & Howard Inclusiveness Council, composed of both attorneys and staff, is responsible for ensuring that the goal of a greater representation of diverse professionals is consistently reflected in the Firm's recruiting, retention and training efforts.

Inclusiveness Council Attorney Members