Our Diversity Statement of Mission

Baker Botts is committed to fostering diversity. Diversity adds valuable perspectives, experience and talents that allow us to be more creative, effective and ultimately successful in the practice of law and service to our clients. Although we don't apply quotas or differing standards to different groups, we do embrace diversity as an important consideration in our efforts to hire, retain and promote the best and the brightest lawyers and staff.

Baker Botts does not tolerate discrimination in any form, whether on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, or any another category protected by state or federal law. The firm commits itself to increasing diversity in significant ways, consistent with the overall objectives of the firm, simply because it is the right thing to do.

Firm Demographics

As of June 30, 2007, minorities comprised 11 percent of our lawyers firmwide, 14 percent of our associates and counsel, and 7 percent of our partners—compared to a national average of 5 percent minority partners, as reported by the National Association of Law Placement in 2006. Women comprised 31 percent of our lawyers firmwide, 41 percent of our associates and counsel, and 16 percent of our partners. Our 2006 summer class included 42 percent women and 27 percent racial/ethnic minorities.

As of June 30, 2007, our staff included 35 percent minorities and 77 percent women. Minorities represented 25 percent of all paralegals and paralegal clerks, while women made up 72 percent of that group.

Diversity Leadership

Baker Botts has made it a priority to encourage active participation by women and minorities in significant numbers in all aspects of the firm's governance, policy development and administration, including membership on the Executive Committee, Compensation Committee and other vital firm committees. Managing Partner Walt Smith serves as an active internal and external champion for diversity by providing visible and vocal support for the firm's diversity efforts, as well as personally mentoring many women and minority lawyers. In addition, he has communicated the importance of diversity to partners and department chairs by requiring partners to address diversity considerations in their annual self-evaluation, and requiring practice groups to address diversity in their strategic plans.

Within the ranks of management, two of our female partners are members of the Executive Committee. The firmwide Environmental department is chaired by Pamela Giblin, one of our female partners, and female partner Marley Lott heads the firmwide Real Estate section of the Global Projects department. Jim Cannon, an African American partner, is the partner in charge of our Austin office. On a local office level, many of our female and minority partners hold a number of prominent leadership positions within the firm's various practice groups.

Although we are proud of our successes, we are always striving to do more to ensure that we not only have a diverse legal team, but also that our progress in racial, gender and cultural diversity is continually reflected at the highest levels of leadership within the firm.

Diversity Counsel

In November 2006, Baker Botts hired Sylvia James as the full-time, firmwide Diversity Counsel. As Diversity Counsel, Ms. James works with the Diversity Committee to develop and implement the firm's diversity initiatives. She strategizes and advises with respect to diversity activities; monitors the firm's status and trends in recruitment, development and retention of minority and women employees; serves as a liaison with external organizations dedicated to fostering diversity in the legal profession; advises on internal and external communications relating to diversity; and manages our Supplier Diversity Program.

Diversity Training

An important component of Baker Botts' Diversity Strategic Action Plan has been to conduct mandatory diversity and inclusion training for all lawyers and senior staff. In 2005, the firm retained a nationally recognized diversity trainer to conduct training sessions for all lawyers and senior professional staff in our domestic offices. Through discussions, videos and case studies, the training encouraged everyone to take a hard look at how gender and race/ethnicity attitudes affect the work environment, and helped to sensitize and educate the participants on how to avoid damaging assumptions and misconceptions. Over 95 percent of the firm's lawyers participated in the firmwide diversity training.

In 2006, Baker Botts engaged a diversity consultant who conducted additional specialized diversity training for Hiring Committee members and key on-campus interviewers to help them identify and recruit a diverse pool of candidates. In the first quarter of 2007, the firm's Diversity Counsel conducted mandatory diversity training for all staff in our domestic offices. Refresher training will be conducted regularly to make sure all new lawyers and staff receive training.

Recruiting

Baker Botts seeks to recruit new and lateral lawyers with strong legal skills and diverse backgrounds. To assist in identifying minority law students, the firm consistently participates in local and regional minority job fairs and other minority recruiting events, and funds and participates in law school events sponsored by minority student organizations and journals. Additionally, the firm recruits at predominately minority law schools, such as Howard University and Texas Southern University, and at the Lavender Law Career Fair, the annual conference of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association and the National Lesbian and Gay Law Foundation.

Baker Botts is a sponsor of the Lloyd M. Johnson Jr. Scholarship Program of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). Named for MCCA's former Executive Director, the program hopes to prime the diversity pipeline by helping law students meet financial needs, such as the payment of tuition, book expenses and fees, in addition to exposing them to a group of leaders in the profession who can help to mentor and guide their early entry into the profession. Applicants to the program must have been accepted to an accredited U.S. law school, and must have demonstrated leadership and an interest in and commitment to diversity. Baker Botts initially made a three-year financial commitment of $30,000, but recently expanded its commitment by agreeing to sponsor another student for an additional three-year term.

Our domestic offices conduct and sponsor numerous programs targeted towards minority law students in their local markets. For example, in 2006 our Washington, D.C., office conducted a resume-writing and review workshop for Georgetown Law Center BLSA students, and our New York office sponsored programs for the BLSA students at New York University. In February 2007, the Dallas office hosted minority law students from Southern Methodist University for panel discussions on law firm practice. We will continue our efforts to expand our prominent role and develop relationships with leading minority and women student organizations during the 2007-2008 academic year.

In addition to recruiting entry-level lawyers, we are committed to hiring diverse lateral candidates. To assist in accelerating diversity through strategic lateral hiring, the firm has engaged two experienced recruiters who specialize in identifying such candidates. These efforts have led to the addition of minority partners and associates. We have also asked all recruiters to provide us with diverse slates of candidates for the firm's lateral openings.

Retention and Development

Baker Botts devotes substantial time and resources to the training and development of all its lawyers, including women and minorities. The firm provides numerous training programs each year that address both specialized legal skills and general skills such as public speaking, client communications, marketing and business principles—all core skills for preparing associates to fulfill roles as partners and leaders. The firm's Professional Development Manager is responsible for implementing professional development programs for all lawyers, and for reviewing associate mentoring, assignment and evaluation programs to ensure that all of our associates reach their full potential.

Domestic Partner Benefits

Life-styles and family situations can differ greatly. Baker Botts strives to provide an inclusive work environment for all of our lawyers and staff. It is in support of that inclusive environment that the firm offers domestic partner benefits, which we believe help us value, respect and give equal and fair treatment to all employees regardless of sexual orientation.

Special Needs Employees

In July 2004, we began an initiative to hire employees with special needs—individuals who with training could contribute to the productivity of the firm in spite of their varying challenges. We consider law firms to be particularly well suited for a number of reasons: we offer a relatively safe, quiet and professional working environment; we have a highly educated, caring and sophisticated work force; and we have work that needs to be done which, with mentoring and training, can be done by individuals with special needs. Our efforts in this regard provide us with a unique way to add to the diversity of our work force, and at the same time give something back to the communities in which we work and live. These employees are hired to work in various capacities in such areas as Human Resources, Conference Services, and Library and Mailroom Services. Currently, nine special needs employees work at Baker Botts. In addition to our program in the domestic offices, the London office sponsors an ongoing program with the Hillside Clubhouse whereby we hire individuals for six-month periods who have overcome mental health challenges.

In 2006, Baker Botts was recognized by Fairfax County, Virginia, and the State Education Department of New York for our outstanding contributions toward enhancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. In October 2006, designated as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the firm received the Employer of the Year Award presented by the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board, as well as the National Disability Employer Recognition Regional Award presented by the New York State Educational Department Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals With Disabilities. The firm's leadership in this area was also featured in an article in The Washington Post in October 2006.

Baker Botts, with Managing Partner Walt Smith as the catalyst, is helping to educate other law firms regarding the benefits of special needs employees. In our Washington office, Director of Administration Kathy Giordano, Human Resources Manager Nancy Leap and partner Pat Berry met with members of the Washington Association of Legal Administrators to discuss issues relating to hiring special needs employees. Feedback from those in attendance was very positive, with several of the administrators committing to encourage their own firms to explore implementing a special needs program similar to the one currently in place at Baker Botts. Additional meetings with other members of the Washington legal community will be scheduled to move this initiative forward.

Supplier Diversity

Baker Botts understands that providing excellent service to its clients extends beyond providing high-quality legal counsel, which is why Baker Botts was one of the first law firms in the country to create a Supplier Diversity Program as a component of its overall diversity initiative. The Supplier Diversity Program provides women- and minority-owned businesses (W/MBEs) equal access to procurement and strategic sourcing opportunities at the firm. We also conduct education sessions to assist our suppliers in the certification process, and have actively participated in workshops to gain visibility in the minority- and women-owned business community. In 2006, Baker Botts spent approximately $13.5 million with M/WBEs. Please click on the "supplier diversity" link from the "About Baker Botts" tab on the home page for additional information on our supplier diversity program and to register as a diverse supplier.

Community

Baker Botts regularly sponsors and participates in a number of diversity initiatives in the community, both independently and in conjunction with our clients. Many of our lawyers are members of, and serve in leadership positions in, local and national organizations that help promote diversity in the legal profession, including the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, American Bar Association, Association of Women Lawyers, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas, Hispanic Bar Association of Austin, Korean-American Lawyers Association of Greater New York, National Bar Association and J.L. Turner Legal Association. We encourage our lawyers to participate in minority professional association activities, and we pay membership dues and conference fees for those interested in becoming involved in various organizations. The firm also sponsors the D.C. and New York Minority Attorney Networking Series, which provide networking opportunities for minority lawyers.

Recognition

Our diversity efforts are beginning to be publicly recognized. In addition to the recognition we received for our program for special needs employees, in 2006 we were honored as one of the Top 25 Firms for Hispanics by MultiCultural Law Magazine. In 2005, 2007, and 2008, MultiCultural Law Magazine named Baker Botts one of the Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity, and in 2008 its sister publication, Women 3.0, named the firm one of the Top 100 Law Firms for Women. In 2007, we were also named one of the Top 50 Law Firms for Partners. We are proud of our achievements but understand that diversity is a journey, not a destination. We remain committed to enhancing diversity throughout our firm and in the legal community.