The firm recognizes the unique needs that individuals often face and maintains a balanced hours policy that applies to partners and non-partners alike to best position our lawyers for success. This unique program allows lawyers to tailor their work arrangements to their individual and practice group needs, providing often needed flexibility while supporting our goal of providing exceptional service to our clients. Many of our lawyers maintain balanced hours schedules and work arrangements that reduce their billable hours target and adjust their work expectations.
Crowell is very special. No other firm treats inclusion efforts with such seriousness and in such a positive way.
—David Stepp, Partner
Without accountability, there is no change. Our programs and initiatives provide the structure for that accountability, while supporting transparency and open communication.
The difference is, it’s genuine. They’re not checking a box. They actually want to be in our corner.
Counsel
Chris Garcia Dedicated Programs
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
The mission of Crowell & Moring’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, composed of lawyers and professional staff from a variety of Crowell offices, is to help build and retain a community of legal professionals that reflects and fosters the firm’s commitment to excellence, client service through teamwork, innovation, and inclusion. In collaboration with firm leadership, the Committee develops and coordinates diversity and inclusion efforts and facilitates community-building firm-wide.
- Sponsorship Program
Recognizing the crucial role sponsorship plays in the growth and development of lawyers, Crowell & Moring was one of the first law firms to create a formal sponsorship program, ensuring that every lawyer has access to the advocacy, support and opportunities necessary for their success. Sponsorship involves the use, influence, relationship capital and/or position to create opportunities for another, intervening on their behalf, or advocating to enhance their career development and advancement. The firm’s annual Sponsorship Program targets high performing lawyers from a broad range of backgrounds, practice areas, and geographic locations and provides meaningful networking and professional development opportunities. Through this program, we aim to: 1) further develop our strong pipeline of talent; 2) enhance the visibility of our best talent within the firm leadership ranks; 3) promote access to critical relationships across the firm; 4) accelerate key development opportunities; and 5) encourage a greater sponsorship culture at the firm.
- Allyship Training
Addressing bias and building empathy requires collective effort and is only the first step. We host annual programs and trainings focused on the concept and action of allyship, introducing the topic to our firm community and inviting intimate and courageous conversations to enable us to better understand the impact and immense responsibility that each of us has to make our firm a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our lawyers and professional staff. This allows us to better serve our own communities and, ultimately, our clients.
Social mobility, ensuring access to economic opportunities and providing the ability to progress through society, is central to any effort to promote inclusive communities. Focusing on social mobility is central to our efforts to diversify the places in which we live and work. Our London office leads Crowell’s efforts to make an impact in this area. Lawyers and professional staff work to support the organization, , through their Inspiring the Future program which connects schools with volunteers from the world of work, giving children and young people insights into careers and inspiring them to be ambitious.
- Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI)
Our Women’s Leadership Initiative, or WLI, hosts and moderates discussions with thought leaders and experts on the topics of allyship and the advancement of women in the workplace, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic intersectional experiences. Other takeaways have included practical strategies for interrupting the status quo, eliminating toxicity in the workplace, the history of feminism through the lens of race and the role that we can all play in the pursuit of an inclusive world free from discrimination
- Accessibility
We are committed to challenging attitudes on, and increasing our understanding of, disability and removing barriers for disabled people at our firm. Through these efforts, we work to ensure that people of all abilities have opportunities to reach their full potential. For example, in 2018, the firm became a signatory of the “ABA Pledge for Change: Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession,” affirming our commitment to disability inclusion, and committing to encouraging others in the legal industry to be accountable to these values. We also signed onto Diversity Lab’s Disability Inclusion Commitments to build on our disability inclusion efforts. Both commitments have involved our annual conversations with clients and our community on the importance of disability awareness, self-education, and empathy toward others. In addition, our London office has received Disability Confident Committed accreditation from the UK government, and the firm prides itself on inclusive recruitment and support of our employees with disabilities.
- Crowell Caregiver Network
Balancing professional and caregiving responsibilities takes support and intentionality, and Crowell colleagues are ready to help. Open to both lawyers and professional staff, CCN provides resources, support and a safe discussion forum for lawyers and professional staff who are navigating the challenges of balancing their professional lives and caregiving responsibilities. The focus of the network encompasses parenting as well as challenges associated with caring for aging and/or ill parents, persons with disabilities, special needs adults and children and other loved ones.
- Professional Staff Inclusion Training and Support
Our DEI training initiative spans the entire Crowell community, including programming on inclusive leadership, intersections between business development and our commitment to inclusion and belonging, community conversations and allyship dialogues, and mental health practices for our professional staff. This focus allows us to ensure we are building culturally responsive teams across the firm, and that all feel supported.
- Pledges and Commitments
We have made several public commitments consistent with our values. Amidst the rise in anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism, Crowell signed onto the ADL’s Workplace Pledge to Fight Antisemitism. We also seek to support our Jewish employees through the establishment of our Jewish Affinity Group, educational and awareness-building programs on anti-Semitism and Jewish history and culture, ensuring accessible religious accommodations, and speaking out against anti-Semitism. We also joined the Alliance for Inclusion and Justice, a community of law firms that facilitates educational opportunities and pro bono assistance with the vision of fostering an inclusive legal profession that incorporates and respects the views and contributions of Arab and Muslim legal professionals. We whole-heartedly support these values and seek to be active in achieving both organization’s goals to combat hate and discrimination.
- Anti-Discrimination Trainings
Each year, the firm hosts two anti-discrimination trainings, one on effective feedback, and one on effective interviewing. We also hosted in 2024 a series of Anti-Discrimination trainings in the wake of rising acts of anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism, along with other forms of hate that our community members face based on their race, gender, and sexual orientation. These conversations are relevant and important reminders for us all to seek continuous improvement and education to become better allies.
Talent Development Approach
Utilization Meetings
Recognizing and supporting the individual talents and development needs of our lawyers is important. Identifying issues directly and immediately at the practice group level creates meaningful and impactful change. In addition to regular review by each practice group, members of our professional development team meet quarterly with each practice group leader and staffing partner to review and discuss the utilization levels and nature of assignments of individual attorneys.
Through this support, we seek to address and avoid the challenges and missteps that our lawyers often encounter.
This is not a sink-or-swim environment. You get real, sustained support from the beginning.
Partner
Emily Kuwahara Mentoring and Promoting Pipelines of Talent
Crowell offers programs to promote sponsorship and mentorship to not only provide support, but also to afford the necessary access to advocacy that all lawyers need to advance in their careers.
Sponsorship on the Journey to Success
The path to success is never the same for all. While some may provide guidance through traditional mentor programs, Crowell & Moring goes further. Building on our history and culture of sponsorship, we have developed a unique Sponsorship Program that matches high-performing lawyers with partner sponsors to help them grow and develop into the leaders they aspire to become. The program includes workshops, and internal networking opportunities.
- Maximizing Development Through Mentorship
Every new associate is assigned a partner mentor and peer mentor to ensure they receive the integration assistance, training, guidance and work assignments necessary to be successful. The Mentor Program helps lawyers build meaningful bonds, access important information, accelerate their progress, and receive meaningful development opportunities.
- Talent and Inclusion Partners
In an effort to further embed talent development best practices into our practice group business and firm life, Crowell established the role of Talent & Inclusion Partners. Each practice group has at least one partner in this role, dedicated to overseeing their respective practice group’s recruitment, development, utilization and retention of our talent. and. They are also responsible for ensuring that all of our lawyers have the opportunity to earn sponsorship and participate in development opportunities.
