Diversity at Farella Braun + Martel

At Farella Braun + Martel, we are committed to enhancing diversity at our firm and in the legal profession at large.  By building a workforce comprised of varied backgrounds in a workplace that appreciates individual differences, we are able to better serve our clients, our profession, and our community.  We value diversity, both as an ethical ideal and as a business imperative.

At Farella Braun + Martel, diversity is not merely discussed in the abstract.  It is an integral part of our firm, reinforced by action and initiative.  The firm has established programs not only to promote diversity within our ranks, but to reach out to clients and the community to increase diversity in the legal profession, and promote the advancement of attorneys from underrepresented backgrounds.

Our recruiting, mentoring and professional development programs reinforce our practice of welcoming, supporting and promoting the interests of women, families and people of any race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.  We encourage communication and awareness regarding diversity-related issues throughout the firm, and strive to foster an environment where everyone has equal access to opportunities for personal and professional growth.  We recognize that our clients similarly value diversity and we work to ensure that the staffing of matters reflects these shared values.

In 2001, Farella Braun + Martel established the Diversity Committee to lead efforts to advance diversity interests at our firm and in the legal profession.  Comprised of partners, associates and staff, the Diversity Committee and its subcommittees serve as the mainspring of our commitment to promote and facilitate diversity programs, influencing many aspects of the firm’s administrative and operational decisions.  In 2004, we created the administrative position of “Diversity Coordinator,” (changed to “Diversity Manager” in 2007) whose specific job responsibilities are to further the Diversity Committee's initiatives and the firm’s diversity goals.   

We have put our ideals into practice through:

• Annual firm-wide diversity awareness workshops for all attorneys, conducted by nationally recognized specialists
• Mentoring and professional development programs for our associates and partners
• Initiatives to increase diversity awareness within the firm through firm-wide roundtable discussions, special panels, and other events
• An outreach program directed at diverse communities within law schools and the legal profession
• Funding the firm's annual scholarship program for diverse first-year law students in the Bay Area
• Participation in the Bar Association of San Francisco Law Academy and Boalt Center for Youth Development through Law, through which high school students from inner-city high schools intern at the firm during the summer
• 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
• Participation in the California Minority Counsel Program and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association
• Participation in local and regional minority job fairs
• Funding local law school events sponsored by minority organizations and journals
• Supporting, funding, and participating in local and national organizations addressing diversity issues

We are proud of our Diversity Scholarship Program, which has provided scholarships annually for the past seven years to first-year law students of color and/or students from underrepresented backgrounds. In 2008, five Bay Area law students received a total of $25,000 in scholarships through this program.

We are also pleased to announce the successful completion of our inaugural Pipeline Summer Internship Program.  In 2007, our Diversity Pipeline Subcommittee developed a program to introduce high-school students from inner-city high schools and underrepresented communities to the practice of law and provide them with practical skills and strategies to assist them in the pursuit of higher education.  In addition to the substantive curriculum on various practice areas and college application workshops, the program provided an opportunity for attorneys and staff members to mentor our interns, and we will continue to develop these relationships after the interns return to school this fall.

We match our commitment to diversity with our commitment to pro bono activities by involvement in cases advancing concerns and values of people from diverse communities and backgrounds. 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, and this commitment continues unabated today.

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

Ruth Ann Castro, Diversity Committee Co-Chair
rcastro@fbm.com
(415) 954-4489

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.