Diversity at Farella Braun + Martel

One of Farella Braun + Martel’s core values is Success Through Teamwork, Diversity and Respect.  We are able to better serve our clients, our profession and our community by building a workforce comprised of attorneys and staff with varied backgrounds in a workplace that appreciates individual differences.  We implement this core value through our commitment to diversity at our firm and in the legal profession at large. 

Diversity is not merely discussed in the abstract; it is an integral part of our firm, reinforced by action and initiative.  Farella established its Diversity Committee in 2001, and in 2004 created the position of “Diversity Manager” to further develop and implement the Committee’s initiatives.  The triad of the Diversity Committee, its subcommittees and the Diversity Manager focus on three main areas:  (1) Recruitment, Retention and Advancement; (2) the Diversity Pipeline; and (3) Community Service.

Recruitment, Retention and Advancement

The Diversity Committee facilitates communication and awareness of diversity-related issues and  nurtures an environment where everyone has equal access to opportunities for personal and professional growth, client development and firm leadership. Our Diversity Committee works closely with other committees, departments and firm leaders to ensure that our recruitment, mentorship and professional development programs reinforce our practice of welcoming, supporting, promoting and retaining minority, women, LGBT and attorneys with disabilities. Examples of our efforts to diversify our workplace and the legal profession include:

• Annual firmwide attorney diversity awareness workshops conducted by nationally recognized specialists
• Firmwide roundtable discussions, special panels, and other events to engage and educate attorneys and staff members on various diversity-related subjects
• A diversity component in mentoring and professional development programs for associates and partners
• Family-friendly policies, such as paid childcare leave and part-time working policies that allow parents to work a reduced hours schedule
• Generous benefits policies that apply equally to spouses, same-sex or opposite-sex domestic partners and dependent children
• Adoption of the Bar Association of San Francisco's Goals and Timetables for Minority Hiring, and the goals of its "No Glass Ceiling" Task Force
• Programs sponsored for professionals outside of the firm. In October 2007, we co-hosted with the Bar Association of San Francisco a Diversity Conference that brought members of the local legal community, educators and law students together to discuss solutions for increasing diversity in the legal profession

The Diversity Pipeline

Farella Braun + Martel recognizes the need to develop the pipeline of minorities and underrepresented groups entering the legal profession.  Our Pipeline Program Subcommittee, comprised of attorneys and staff members, has developed outreach programs directed at diverse communities within law schools as well as programs to give elementary high school and undergraduate students a better understanding of the practice of law and to encourage them to consider a career in the legal profession.  Examples of our efforts to build the pipeline of diverse legal professionals include:

• Diversity Pipeline Internship Program, which introduces students from inner-city high schools and underrepresented communities to the practice of law and provides them with practical skills and strategies to assist them in the pursuit of higher education
• Annual Diversity Scholarship Program, which provides financial aid to local first-year law students who are diverse and/or from underrepresented backgrounds 
• Participation in the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Law Academy, School-to-College and Destination Law School Programs, as well as Berkeley Law’s Center for Youth Development through Law

Community Service

At Farella Braun + Martel, our commitment to diversity extends beyond our workplace.  We encourage our attorneys to take active roles in promoting the diversification of the legal profession at large, whether through leadership positions in professional associations that celebrate diversity or participation in programs that serve our greater community.  Equally important is our commitment to pro bono activities through which we provide assistance to diverse groups of people.  Farella Braun + Martel’s dedication to community service dates back to the founding partners, each of whom led by example and are well known for their extensive contributions to the community. This commitment continues unabated today.   Examples of our community service programs include:

• Sponsorship, participation and leadership in local and national organizations that address diversity issues and serve underrepresented communities
• Staffing the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Legal Services Clinic
• Volunteering with the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Food from the Bar Campaign and Head Start Holiday Program
• Participation in the Rebuilding Together Program, which provides assistance with home-improvement and maintenance projects to elderly, low-income, disabled or otherwise deserving individuals

For additional information regarding Farella Braun + Martel’s commitment to diversity, please contact:

Steven Vettel, Diversity Committee Co-Chair
svettel@fbm.com
(415) 954-4902

Arjun Agarwal, Diversity Committee Co-Chair
aagarwal@fbm.com
(415) 954-4440

Jennifer Peneyra, Recruiting and Diversity Manager
jpeneyra@fbm.com
(415) 954-4749

Farella Braun + Martel LLP is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified employees or applicants for each position without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran's status, disability or any factor prohibited by federal, state or local law.