Barnes & Thornburg has signed onto Diversity Lab’s newly announced Disability Inclusion Commitment, pledging to “increase inclusion and equitable access to opportunities for disabled individuals in the legal profession.”
The firm is among 90 leading law firms in the U.S., UK and Canada to collaborate with Diversity Lab on the effort. The commitment includes 10 actions that bolster disability inclusivity.
To launch its commitment in 2024, Barnes & Thornburg will work to remove digital barriers and to create opportunities for everyone in the firm to discuss their ideas and perspectives on inclusive actions and language related to disabilities.
In addition, the firm will participate in quarterly Diversity Lab webinars on topics such as understanding disability language, definitions, and self-identification; removing barriers to accessibility; establishing employee resource groups; and supporting neurodiversity.
“Barnes & Thornburg is engaged and ready to start on these two commitment actions as part of the Disability Inclusion campaign in 2024,” said Dawn R. Rosemond, firm diversity partner. “We know that ability status is one area of DEI that seems to garner less attention than other areas and we are here to help change that narrative.”
Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. It leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking, and technology to further develop and test new ideas and research, measure the results, and share the lessons learned.
With more than 800 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, South Florida, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.