Diversity and Inclusion at Ulmer
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Diversity and Inclusion at Ulmer Contents 3 Introduction 4 A note from our Managing Partner 5 Meet the leaders of our Diversity & Inclusion Committee 6 Our commitment to action 10 Attorney features 14 UB WILL 16 Helping diverse students 17 Military and veterans’ spotlight 18 Going further 19 Our commitment to you 2 Our business begins with You. A diverse and inclusive team enriches the work environment for everyone and is a catalyst for the type of creative solutions we deliver to our clients with each opportunity. Recruiting, advancing, and creating a supportive environment for people of all races, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and backgrounds is important to us. 3 You, our clients Our Managing Partner Scott Kadish “When we say, ‘our business begins with you,’ we mean In addition to helping better serve our clients, diversity it. You are incredibly important to us, and we believe our in the workplace makes for a balanced, more rewarding commitment to diversity and inclusion enhances our ability professional environment. Exposure to new ideas or ways to serve you, our clients, and makes our firm a better place of thinking encourages growth, and a diverse workplace to work for our attorneys and staff. creates an environment where our attorneys and staff can truly reach their potential. Our clients rely on us to find solutions to complex issues. Celebrating our differences and cultivating a diverse Diversity is a cornerstone value at Ulmer. I hope the people workforce maximizes our ability to find those solutions. A and information highlighted in this brochure provide you diverse workforce leads to a diversity of approaches, ideas, with a clear picture of our ongoing dedication to diversity opinions, and thoughts. Embracing different perspectives and inclusion.” helps us see issues from every angle and enables our attorneys to engineer creative, impactful solutions tailored specifically to the needs of each client. “ Exposure to new ideas or ways of thinking encourages growth, and a diverse workplace creates an environment where our attorneys and staff can truly reach their potential.” 4 You, “We also believe true diversity and inclusion our should extend beyond the community walls of our firm. That’s why we work with diverse vendors and engage in community outreach through a network of diverse organizations.” Our Diversity & Inclusion Committee Ulmer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is spearheaded appointed as the firm’s first Chief Diversity Officer to provide by its respected Diversity & Inclusion Committee, chaired by added momentum to the firm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. Partner Inajo Davis Chappell, and the firm’s Chief Diversity “At Ulmer, diversity and inclusion are more than buzzwords. Officer Timothy J. Downing. Both Inajo and Tim are champions Through our Diversity & Inclusion Committee and with the of diversity and inclusion. Inajo was named one of the “Most support of attorneys and staff at every level of the firm, Influential Black Lawyers in America” by Savoy Magazine, and diversity and inclusion are tangible, measurable components was recognized as a “Woman Worth Watching” by Profiles of our daily life. in Diversity Journal. Tim serves as one of three members of the Cuyahoga County Human Rights Commission, and was It starts with the recruitment, retention, and advancement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds. We think critically about the challenges that are unique to our diverse attorneys, and we take pride in addressing those challenges by providing resources, guidance, and opportunities for growth. Our Diversity & Inclusion Committee exists so that our diverse attorneys have a stable platform to pursue careers they love while being confidently and comfortably themselves. We also believe true diversity and inclusion should extend beyond the walls of our firm. That’s why we work with diverse vendors and engage in community outreach through a network of diverse organizations. We buy in at all levels of the firm, and it really shows in how our people engage with the community through volunteering, boards, and other activities. This brochure is just a snapshot of our overall commitment to diversity and inclusion, but it is an important snapshot. We hope the stories we share here and the attorneys we highlight show what diversity means at Ulmer.” TIMOTHY DOWNING CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER INAJO DAVIS CHAPPELL PARTNER 5 Our commitment to action Joshua Gunter The Plain Dealer Putting diversity and inclusion into action • Hosted a Diversity Champions Panel Discussion at the firm’s Columbus office with local female in-house attorneys Here are a few ways we put our commitment into action. to discuss how we can ensure D&I plays a role in our • Ulmer’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee partners with business on an everyday basis. William T. Rolack, Sr. of Diversity Best Practices, an • Sponsored the 20th Anniversary Benefit of Facing History organization dedicated to promoting organizational diversity and Ourselves, a nonprofit educational organization that and developing innovative solutions for culture change. engages students to examine racism, prejudice, and With William’s assistance, the Committee is refining its antisemitism. strategic plan to bolster the firm’s D&I efforts and continue promoting D&I in all aspects of firm life. As part of this • Welcomed longtime Ulmer client Robert P. Madison, Ohio’s strategy, the firm held an interactive session where our first African-American licensed architect, to a D&I meeting attorneys came together to conduct a SWOT analysis of where the firm celebrated his illustrious career by reading our existing D&I efforts and to discuss opportunities for excerpts from his memoir. moving our strategic plan forward. • Hosted former Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones at the firm’s Cincinnati office to share his story of why he founded the BowTie Cause, a nonprofit that designs signature bow ties for the fundraising efforts of numerous organizations across the country. • Sponsored the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s Diversity Symposium and led a panel that focused on the challenges and issues faced by transgender and gender nonconforming individuals in the workplace. • Together with the Cuyahoga County Public Library, hosted a special film screening and panel discussion of acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland’s PBS documentary “Marcos DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE STRATEGIC PLAN MEETING Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” which examines the U.S. immigration system and the human cost of deportation. 6 Beyond recruiting, retaining, and advancing women and minority lawyers, Ulmer is committed to establishing and supporting charities, events, and sponsorships that serve as a platform for diverse people and ideas. • Invited Equality Ohio, a state-wide LGBTQ civil rights organization, to give a special presentation to all offices on how to be an LGBTQ ally and promote inclusivity in the workplace. • Annual sponsor of the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio’s annual Walk, Rock & Run event. Funds raised during the event support the Diversity Center’s School & Youth Programming initiatives. • Hosted an insightful seminar that examined transgender issues in the workplace, and that featured the personal story of guest speaker Beck Bailey of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, who shared his experience as an out transgender man to increase awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by transgender individuals before, during, and after their transitions. ULMER SUPPORTS THE DIVERSITY CENTER OF NORTHEAST OHIO WALK, ROCK & RUN • Annual sponsor of the Human Rights Campaign Gala and Silent Auction in Cleveland. More than 700 influential • Annual sponsor of the Greater Cincinnati YWCA Racial community members gather at this annual gala to celebrate Justice Breakfast, which promotes the YWCA’s mission progress toward equality for the LGBTQ community. to eliminate racism and create a safe space where participants can confront racism. • Each year, Ulmer underwrites National Public Radio’s coverage of Black History Month in February. • Sponsored the film “Witness Theater” at the Cleveland International Film Festival, which examined a program at a New York City high school where eight Holocaust survivors and 16 students collaborated in telling stories about and preserving memories of the Holocaust. • Sponsored the 2014 National Gay Games in Cleveland. The Gay Games are an international sporting and cultural event held every four years that invite participation from all athletes regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender identity, sex, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political beliefs, athletic or artistic ability, age, physical challenge, or health status. IMMIGRATION FILM SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION 7 Our diversity TRANSGENDER ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE SEMINAR SPEAKERS programs We host a wide variety of educational programs and events designed to promote and PANEL ON EFFORTS TO INCREASE PROTECTIONS FOR TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS celebrate diversity and inclusion in all its forms. Our dedication to providing informative diversity programming underscores our ULMER INVITES EQUALITY OHIO TO GIVE SPECIAL TRAINING SESSION commitment to supporting and enhancing our culture of inclusion. CINCINNATI BOWTIE CAUSE RECEPTION 8 COLUMBUS DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS COLUMBUS DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS PANEL SPEAKERS ROBERT P. MADISON (CENTER) ROBERT P. MADISON APPRECIATION EVENT 9 Ulmer’s biggest strength is our people. We empower our women and minority lawyers as