Vinson & Elkins Pledges Commitment to Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s Leaders at the Front Initiative

LCLD is an organization of more than 400 law firm and corporate leaders taking concrete steps to make the legal profession more diverse, equitable and inclusive. The Leaders at the Front initiative is designed to address the systemic barriers diverse lawyers face, and to build on what works to create sustainable “next practices” for diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) in the legal profession by asking members to make personal commitments to DE&I and implement organizational changes that are specific, meaningful and measurable.

“We are incredibly proud of our continued efforts around DE&I and to join fellow leaders in the commitment to advancing these initiatives at the highest level for underrepresented attorneys and business professionals,” said Fullenweider. “The business case for DE&I is stronger than ever, and our commitment from the top to create action and results for the long term at the firm is core to our vision and strategy.”

“The commitment of the firm to outline concrete steps to advance the retention and promotion of diverse lawyers fosters an inclusive environment where everyone knows they belong,” said Conrad Bolston, Counsel at Vinson & Elkins and LCLD Fellow. “The legal industry is committed to accelerating its commitment to DE&I because it not only inspires great ideas for clients, but it can make any environment a better place to work.”

Vinson & Elkins’ Diversity Executive Committee continues to further align the firm’s business objectives with its mission to build on the inclusive culture of the firm and legal industry. Recent initiatives have included:

• Becoming the exclusive Founding Sponsor of The University of Texas School of Law’s Pipeline Program through a $1 million commitment over five years to support aspiring lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds, beginning at the high school level through law school.
• Achieving Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification which measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30% women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, client opportunities and senior lateral positions.
• Recognized among only 28 U.S.-based law firms in Bloomberg Law’s inaugural Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Framework, a listing of law firms that meet or exceed an established threshold of DE&I.
• Selecting Bolston as its Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellow and senior associates Desi Baca and Yong Eoh as its LCLD Pathfinders for the organization’s 2022 programs focused on leadership and relationship building.
• Partnering with Diversity Lab to revitalize the OnRamp Fellowship.