Affinity Group Summit Sets Path for Reaching Significant Diversity & Inclusion Goals

At Winston & Strawn, greater diversity and inclusion is a strategic business goal, and Firm Chairman Tom Fitzgerald is an active champion of initiatives aimed at increasing the recruitment, advancement, and promotion of women, LGBTQ+ attorneys, and attorneys of color.

Winston’s Diversity & Inclusion leaders recently gathered for their annual Affinity Group Summit. Joined by Director of Diversity & Inclusion Sylvia James and Director of Coaching and Well-Being Diane Costigan, the groups reviewed progress on key action items and set their strategic direction for the coming year.

These efforts by our affinity groups and other diversity and inclusion initiatives have a positive impact toward reaching the firm’s significant diversity goals.

The firm has had significant success with our diversity hiring efforts. Forty-one percent of the participants in Winston’s 2019 summer associate class were racial/ethnic minorities or LGBTQ law students – a 14 percent increase over 2018 – and we are on track to reach 50 percent for 2020 through our Diverse 1L Scholars Program and other recruitment initiatives.

We are proud to share that our firm also has consistently earned important external recognitions for reaching meaningful diversity goals with regard to lateral hiring of women, LGBTQ+, and attorneys of color and to women in leadership positions and committees.

For the second year in a row, Winston has been honored with Mansfield Certification Plus designation for:

• Affirmatively considering women, racial/ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ lawyers for at least 30 percent of the candidate pool for lateral hires
• Reaching at least 30 percent women and minority lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees.

With women comprising 28 percent of the firm’s Executive Committee members, 33 percent of Office Managing Partners, and 25 percent of Compensation Committee members (including its two co-chairs), Winston also has earned the coveted Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for two years in a row. 

In addition, Winston has earned a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index and been named a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign for 12 years running.

These significant strides are made possible by the exceptional leadership of our affinity groups.

Visit our Diversity & Inclusion page for more information about our programs and initiatives.