Overview
(June 7, 2022, Washington, DC) — Steptoe is pleased to announce it has been named one of the top 40 law firms on The American Lawyer’s Diversity Scorecard. Among all US law firms evaluated, Steptoe ranked 37th on the Scorecard.
The latest ranking is a significant jump from the previous year – up more than 80 spots – and comes on the heels of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at Steptoe designed to build on the firm’s long-standing commitment to the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse attorneys.
Recently, the firm has invested in individual and group coaching programs for lawyers ranging from summer associates to partners, expanded associate and counsel mentoring programs like Steptoe LEAD, expanded partnerships with lawyer pipeline programs like the Federal Communications Bar Association, the creation and launch of the Steptoe Pre-Law Fellowship program, and the 2021 launch of the Steptoe Racial Justice Fund – which has already provided grants to 40+ organizations in the US. Additionally, the firm started its CAMENA (Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa) Lawyers Affinity Group, joining the ranks of its Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Lawyers Affinity Group, Black Lawyers Affinity Group, Latin American Lawyers Affinity Group, Pride, and Women’s Forum. Steptoe has also increased DEI programs for the firm as a whole and for its affinity groups. The firm’s leadership is itself diverse. The firm’s Executive Committee and Compensation Committee are led by women; half of the firm’s practice groups and half of its offices are led by women; and six of the eight leaders of the firm’s business services departments are diverse.
"The new hires and initiatives reflect our commitment to recruiting, developing, and retaining first-rate diverse talent. DEI benefits our clients, our people, and our communities as a whole," Steptoe Chair Gwen Renigar said. “We look forward to building on the momentum spurred by this recognition in the year to come.”
The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard assesses racial and ethnic diversity for US law firms across three distinct categories: firm leadership, equity partners, and other attorneys. This year, the publication updated its methodology to reflect the need for firms to become truly diverse, rather than concentrate its DEI efforts on any one group.
"This is an exceptional accomplishment," said Shauna Bryce, Steptoe’s chief legal talent officer and chief diversity officer. "Though work remains to be done, this ranking reflects the firm’s broader aim of promoting a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.”
Read more about the ranking here.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.