Our Diversity Statement of Mission

At Baker Botts we know that having a diverse staff is extremely valuable. We have seen time and again that it adds perspectives, experience and talents that allow us to be more creative, effective and ultimately successful in everything we do. Although we don't apply quotas or specific standards to different groups, we do see diversity as highly important 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 2008, 15% of our lawyers, 20% of our associates, 11% of our counsel, and 8% of our partners are minorities. By comparison, in 2007 the National Association of Law Placement reported a national average of 5.4% minority partners. Women comprise 33% of our lawyers, 43% of our associates, 38% of our counsel, and 15% of our partners. Our staff is comprised of 36% minorities and 76% women. Minorities represent 33% of our paralegals and paralegal clerks, while women make up 70% of that group.

Diversity Leadership

Baker Botts actively encourages women and minority participation in all aspects of the firm's governance, policy development and administration, including membership on the Executive Committee and Compensation Committee. Managing Partner Walt Smith champions our efforts by providing visible and vocal support for the firm's diversity endeavors, as well as personally mentoring many women and minority lawyers. He also requires partners and department chairs to address diversity in their annual self-evaluation, and practice groups to address it in their strategic plans.

Our 11-member Executive Committee includes two female partners, Marley Lott and Jennifer Smith, and an African-American Partner, Casey Cooper. Maria Boyce is the Partner-in-Charge of the Houston office.  Our Environmental Department is chaired by Pamela Giblin, African-American Dennis Duffy heads our Labor and Employment Section, and Marley Lott heads our Real Estate Section.  Many female and minority partners are leaders in various local office practice groups, including African-American Joe Caldwell who heads the Washington Litigation Section, and Hispanic partner John Anaipakos who heads the Houston litigation section. Of our five Hiring Partners, two are women and two are minorities.

We are proud of these successes, yet we always strive to do more to promote a diverse legal team and ensure that our progress in diversity is continually reflected at the highest levels of our leadership.

Recruiting

Baker Botts seeks to recruit excellent lawyers with diverse backgrounds. We consistently participate in minority recruiting events, such as the Sunbelt Minority Job Fair, the Vault/MCCA Job Fairs, and the Mid-Atlantic Black Law Students Association Job Fairs. We fund and participate in law school events sponsored by minority student organizations and journals. We also recruit at minority law schools, such as Howard University and Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law, as well as at the Lavender Law Career Fair, the annual conference of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association and 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). The program helps law students fund their educations and exposes them to leaders who can mentor and guide their entry into the profession. Program applicants must have been accepted to an accredited U.S. law school, and must have demonstrated leadership and a commitment to diversity. Baker Botts began with a three-year contribution of $30,000, and has since agreed to sponsor another student for a three-year term.

Baker Botts also helps students on a personal level. We perform mock interviews, critique resumes, and conduct panel discussions to help women and minority law students navigate the recruitment process and evolve into successful lawyers. These efforts have raised our visibility and increased our number of diverse hires. Baker Botts is also committed to diversity in its lateral hiring. Our recruiters must provide diverse slates of candidates for openings, and we have engaged two recruiters who specialize in identifying minority candidates, which has led to the addition of outstanding partners and associates.

Professional Development

Baker Botts devotes substantial time and resources to training and developing all of its lawyers, to prepare them in becoming partners and leaders. The firm provides numerous programs that address both specialized legal skills and general skills such as public speaking, client communications, marketing and business principles.

Diversity Counsel

In 2006 Baker Botts hired Sylvia James as full-time Diversity Counsel to work with the Diversity Committee in developing and implementing diversity initiatives. She strategizes and advises on diversity activities, monitors the firm's status and trends in minority recruitment, development and retention, serves as a liaison with organizations focused on diversity in the legal profession, advises on internal and external communications relating to diversity, and manages our Supplier Diversity Program.

Diversity Training

Baker Botts has adopted a Diversity Strategic Action Plan, which requires diversity and inclusion training for all lawyers and senior staff in our U.S. offices. Conducted by a nationally recognized diversity trainer, the sessions take a hard look at how gender and race/ethnicity attitudes affect the work environment, and help to sensitize and educate participants on how to avoid damaging assumptions and misconceptions. In 2007 our Diversity Counsel conducted mandatory diversity training for all staff in our U.S. offices, which will be repeated regularly for new hires. The firm also engaged a national diversity consultant to train our Hiring Committee members and campus interviewers in identifying and recruiting diverse candidates.

Communications

Engaging the entire firm in our diversity efforts requires regular communications. In 2006 we published our first annual Diversity Report to highlight initiatives and achievements, and we provided a copy to every Baker Botts lawyer, staff member and summer associate. Our 2007 report was similarly distributed and also made available to select clients and prospects, as well as posted on our website and intranet.

In 2006 we published our first diversity brochure. We use our intranet to update lawyers and staff on programs, events, initiatives, and participation opportunities. We also post a monthly diversity calendar and recognize cultural heritage months, including Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Gay Pride Month.

To further foster an inclusive workplace and provide a valuable skill, we offer Spanish lessons in our U.S. offices, instructing approximately 300 lawyers and staff so far.

Domestic Partner Benefits

Lifestyles and family situations differ greatly. We value and respect all employees regardless of sexual orientation and strive to give equal and fair treatment by offering domestic partner benefits.

Special Needs Employees

In 2004 we began an initiative to hire individuals with special needs – those who with training can contribute to the firm in spite of their challenges. Our firm is well suited for this, with a relatively safe, quiet and professional working environment and a highly educated, caring and sophisticated staff. Our efforts allow us to uniquely diversify of our workforce while giving back to our communities. Ten special needs employees currently work at Baker Botts in Human Resources, Conference Services, and Library and Mailroom Services. Plus, our London office sponsors an ongoing program with the Hillside Clubhouse, hiring 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 to 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 from the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board, as well as the National Disability Employer Recognition Regional Award from 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 October 2006 Washington Post article. In 2007 Managing Partner Walt Smith accepted the Dream Maker Award from Riverview School of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for the firm's outstanding contributions to enhancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Under Mr. Smith's active leadership and through activities spearheaded by our Dallas and Washington offices, Baker Botts is helping to educate other law and professional firms on the benefits of hiring individuals with special needs.

Supplier Diversity

Baker Botts was one of the first law firms to create a supplier diversity program, which provides women- and minority-owned businesses (W/MBEs) equal access to procurement and sourcing opportunities at the firm. We conduct sessions to educate our suppliers in the certification process, and participate in workshops to gain visibility with M/WBEs. We launched our program in 2005.   In 2006 we doubled our goal, and then exceeded it by spending $13.5 million with W/MBEs, largely due to two large projects. Not expecting a similarly large project in 2007, we set a goal of $4 million, which we far surpassed by spending $9 million. We continue to set aggressive goals and expect that 10% of our annual spend will be with W/MBEs by 2010.

Additionally, we require that our prime contractors commit to subcontracting with W/MBEs. One recent example is our multi-million dollar contract for renovations to our New York office that requires the contractor to subcontract 24% of the work to W/MBEs.

Find out more about our Supplier Diversity program and how to register.

Community Partnership

Every year Baker Botts donates millions of dollars to charitable organizations and our lawyers and staff donate countless hours of their time. This is an important part of our diversity story, as many of these organizations serve minorities and many of our volunteers are from minority groups themselves.

Notable examples are partner Gavin Villareal who is Vice President of Volunteer Legal Services of Texas, an Austin organization that helps poor and minority clients obtain pro bono legal services, and Partner Patricia Stanton who serves as Chairman of the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. We have long standing relationships with many remarkable organizations, such as AIDS Services of Austin, Amigos de las Americas, Dress for Success Houston, and Genesis Women's Shelter, to name a few.

Baker Botts also supports organizations that promote diversity in the legal profession. Many of our lawyers are members and leaders within local and national groups such as 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 association participation and pay our lawyers' membership dues and conference fees. The firm also sponsors the D.C. and New York Minority Attorney Networking Series and is a founding member of the Houston Diversity Council.

Recognition

In 2006 and 2008 Baker Botts was named among the Top 25 Firms for Hispanics by MultiCultural Law Magazine. The magazine placed us in the Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity in 2005, 2007 and 2008, and its sister publication, Women 3.0, named us one of the Top 100 Law Firms for Women in 2008. Minority Law Journal also ranked Baker Botts among the top 100 law firms for diversity in 2008. We are proud of our achievements but we believe that diversity is a journey, not a destination. We remain steadfast in our commitment to always do more and always do better.