I am a black woman.
I am an Asian man.
I am gay.
I am Muslim.
I am a white man.
I am Latina.
I am a single parent.
I have a disability.
We are Ballard Spahr.
We are attorneys who believe that our clients are best served when the solutions we offer spring from varied viewpoints and perspectives. To that end, we have created an environment that welcomes and includes all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation, and indeed values, respects, and helps all succeed.
We do not stop there. Our commitment to diversity reaches well beyond our firm. Through our support of organizations that advance diversity in the legal profession, and our landmark Constitution High School Pipeline Project, we cultivate the skills and aspirations of future generations of attorneys so that their clients might also enjoy the benefits of diverse representation. We do all this to provide relevant, in-tune, and effective counsel and because it is the right thing for our clients and our society.
Our Policy
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to an employee's or a candidate's race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, national origin, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. Our policy covers recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, demotion, layoff, termination, work environment, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
We partner with diverse suppliers and vendors, including women- and minority-owned law firms and businesses ranging from recruiting firms to catering services.
Focus on Women
- We exceed the National Association of Law Placement average for percentage of female partners, female associates, and minority partners.
- We are among the top 20 percent of "Top 100 Law Firms for Women" according to MultiCultural Law.
- We were among the Top 20 (No. 11) law firms with the highest percentage of women equity partners in the July/August 2009 issue of Diversity & The Bar magazine. This result is based on data from 277 major law firms appearing in the 2009 edition of the Vault/MCCA Guide to Law Firm Diversity Programs.
- Two of our 12 offices are managed by female partners, one of whom is African American. Eleven of our practices are led by women, and 10 of our 13 administrative directors are women as well as are nine of our 12 office administrators.
Consider the following key facts about the firm's support of its women attorneys:
- Compared to the national average, we have a higher representation of women attorneys. In fact, 22 percent of our partners, all of whom are equity partners, are women. This rate is higher than the national average of 16 percent.
- Ballard Spahr has a history of promoting non-partner women attorneys to partner level at a rate that is well above the national average. From 1996 to today, 33 percent of our female attorneys were invited to our partnership, versus the national average of 24 percent.
- Ballard Spahr's numbers are significantly above the national average for women who serve as associates and of counsel. From 2004 to 2005, 56 percent of attorneys holding these positions at Ballard Spahr were women, compared to the national average of 48 percent.
- The national average of women attorneys represented on a law firm's most senior governance committee is 15 percent. Ballard Spahr exceeds this average: Women attorneys make up 20 percent of Elected Board members and 18 percent of Expanded Board members.