Diversity at Bodman

Our mission is to become a more diverse law firm with a culture of inclusion that values the differences and perspectives of all firm members and creates a culture that will provide a strategic advantage to the growth and development of the firm.

Bodman is committed to diversity in the workplace at all levels, from staff positions through the partnership ranks. We believe that diversity promotes a rich environment that produces the progressive and creative thinking essential to providing the best legal services.

Our diversity commitment means equal opportunity for attorneys and staff members without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation. It also means fostering a collegial and respectful working environment in which each person is encouraged and assisted in reaching his or her fullest potential.

This commitment to diversity guides Bodman’s efforts to recruit, retain and advance the best and brightest law school graduates, lateral partners and associates. While we strive continually to enhance our workplace diversity to reflect the communities around us, we are proud of the progress we have made – more than a third of our attorneys are women, minorities, or openly gay. Detailed demographic information is available in our NALP listing at www.nalpdirectory.com.

Bodman’s commitment to diversity can be measured in decades. Over the years, that commitment to diversity has resulted in many programs and policies that are designed to promote inclusiveness and equal opportunity both within the Firm and within the legal profession as a whole. Examples of Bodman’s activities to promote diversity include the following:

Bodman Scholarship

Since 1971, Bodman has awarded a scholarship each year to an outstanding minority student entering his or her second year of law school at Wayne State University. To date, the Firm has made 38 such awards.

Participation in Wolverine Bar Program

Bodman participates in the Wolverine Bar Association (WBA) summer internship program. The WBA is a Detroit-based predominately African-American association founded in the 1930s. Bodman has extended offers of full-time employment to five minority candidates, and hired four, after their participation in the summer program.

In addition, a Bodman attorney, with the full support of the firm, currently serves as president-elect of the WBA’s Board of Directors.

Diversity Development

To further our mission, our Diversity Committee has focused on internal growth, using a variety of educational programs, speakers, and facilitators. We have presented programs dealing with, among other things, gender differences, insider/outsider culture, and the business case for diversity.

Developing a sense of community allows us to appreciate the differences and perspectives of all firm members. One of our efforts in this regard is a series of monthly profiles of various attorneys, which helps us to maintain personal connections, despite our size.

We also value our participation in the culture of our community. We use our internal communications to raise awareness of local and national multi-cultural events. Our attorneys participate together as a Bodman group in local races and community activities.

New attorneys participate in firm-conducted formal diversity training sessions. It is our hope that we can develop a culture that allows us to work together for the growth and development of the firm.

Promoting Women

Bodman has actively promoted women to management positions. Two women partners co-chair our largest practice group and a woman partner sits on our six-member Office of the Executive. In addition, a majority of our administrative directors and managers are women.

Reduced Hours Policy

Subject to the needs of the firm, opportunities exist for attorneys to work reduced hours, to help them balance family or personal needs with the pursuit of a full and rewarding legal career. Requests for reduced hours are evaluated on a case by case basis by an advisory committee, composed of partners who have successfully worked a reduced schedule, which we established to help implement successful arrangements.

Bodman has both partners and associates currently working under reduced hours arrangements. Some associates working under reduced hours arrangements have become partners while continuing their reduced hours arrangements. We review and reward persons working under reduced hours arrangements using the same criteria which are applied when evaluating any other Bodman attorney.

Strategic Alliance with Kilpatrick & Associates

As part of our commitment to promote diversity within the legal profession, Bodman has formed a strategic alliance with Kilpatrick & Associates, a corporate law firm with special expertise in bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. Kilpatrick & Associates is a NAMWOLF member and qualifies as a minority-owned firm under Michigan Minority Business Development Council guidelines.

The alliance allows Kilpatrick & Associates to offer significantly expanded services to its corporate clients while maintaining its culture as a minority-owned firm. It also exposes the Kilpatrick firm’s younger attorneys to experienced practitioners in new areas of legal expertise so that they will be able to handle sophisticated matters more quickly than their peers at competing law firms.