DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

Milbank is committed to managing our workforce in ways that are most conducive to recruiting, retaining and promoting diverse talent. In support of our policy of equal opportunity for all, we have instituted a range of initiatives that will enhance our personal and professional lives and contribute to the success of the Firm.

2008 Milbank Diversity Scholars Program
The new scholarship program is an example of the depth of the Firm's commitment to diversity. Each year, Milbank will select at least two Scholars who will receive a salaried summer associate position and a $50,000 scholarship. ($15,000 to be distributed during the students’ third year of law school, and payment of the additional $35,000 contingent upon receipt and acceptance of a Milbank permanent offer, to be paid upon the students’ joining the Firm.)

Diversity Committee
Milbank was one of the first major law firms to establish a Diversity Committee having done so in 1992. One of the committee’s first initiatives was to offer same sex health care benefits to our attorneys and administrative staff. (Indeed, we were the first New York law firm to do so.) The Diversity Committee, in conjunction with the Associate Liaison Group, examines a range of topics relevant to enabling all individuals to thrive and succeed at the Firm.

Mentoring
Our formal mentoring program provides associates in the first through fourth year classes with a relationship with partners and senior associates who can offer insight, thoughtful guidance and support needed to enhance their performance and career development. The Firm has established a chargeable-equivalent number to which all time spent participating in the mentoring program should be charged. We provide training on developing effective mentoring relationships, and our annual training program for mid-level associates includes a session on effective mentoring and supervisory skills.

Diversity Training
Since 2002, we have conducted diversity training workshops for our lawyers. These programs have included a Diversity Leadership Workshop for partners. First year associates receive training as part of their initial orientation program and an advanced program is part of the mid-level associates training program. We have also provided diversity training for our recruiting and legal personnel staff.

Affinity Groups
Milbank sponsors affinity groups where attorneys who share common backgrounds or identities can network and exchange ideas. We have formalized the following groups: aADAM (Associates of African American Descent at Milbank); APIN (Asian Pacific Islander Network); LaMano (Latino Attorney Mentoring and Networking Organization); Pride at Milbank (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Attorneys); and Women at Milbank.

ABA Back to Business Law Pilot Project
Milbank joined the ABA Back to Business Law Pilot Project's Advisory Board.  The Project provides periodic continuing legal education programs and informal networking opportunities for attorneys who temporarily leave the active practice of law (including women who leave for a period of months or years in order to care for children) but remain interested and engaged in business law issues.   

WAG (Women's Affinity Group)

What began as an informal effort by our women partners to create and maintain a supportive environment for women has gathered momentum over the years. Milbank enhances opportunities for women to succeed by:

• Sponsoring networking receptions and dinners;

• Developing and presenting training programs such as The Art of Effective Self-Promotion;

• Sponsoring associates attendance at conferences and forums of interest to women; and,

• Other events consistent with our commitment to the support and success of women.

Recruiting

Members of the Diversity Committee work closely with the Recruiting Committee to enhance our outreach and recruitment efforts to minority candidates, women and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. Some of our recent initiatives include:

• Expanding the list of law school campuses we visit in order to meet a broader range of candidates;

• Materially increasing the participation of minority attorneys in the recruitment process. For instance, this fall the firm sponsored its second Minority Attorneys Offer Dinner;

• Expanding the list of targeted job fairs we participate in, such as the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO), the first job fair hosted by the ABA and open to all ABA accredited law schools;

• Increasing our financial support of minority and LGBT student organizations;

• Instructing legal search firms to present a diverse slate of candidates for the Firm’s lateral openings;

• Increasing the number of New York City Bar Minority Fellows in our summer program;

• Participating in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender Law Association of Greater New York (LeGal) Annual Career Fair; and,

• Ensuring that our summer program calendar contains a selection of social events and seminars that appeal to a diverse cross-section of summer associates. We support citywide events such as the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF) Annual Summer Associate Reception and the African-American Attorneys in Downtown Firms – Los Angeles (AAADF) Summer Associate Dinner.

Child Birth/Child Care Leaves

We encourage our attorneys to take advantage of work-life balance policies that include child care leaves for new mothers and fathers. In addition, a transitional child care policy for primary caregivers returning to work has been adopted which enables associates to work an abbreviated schedule for up to two months immediately following child care leave.

Mother's Room
Milbank's NY and LA offices have dedicated Mother's Rooms for attorneys and staff. The rooms are available for mothers who plan to breastfeed after returning to work. Arrangements for mothers in DC are made on an individual basis.

Part-Time/Flex-Time Arrangements
Associates may establish a part-time or flex-time work arrangement for reasons relating to child or family care, or other special circumstances. In order to be more responsive to individual needs and to promote consistent implementation, the Firm appointed a partner coordinator for Part-Time Arrangements to act as an adviser and liaison for lawyers who are working or considering these arrangements. The Coordinator provides guidance and direction to balance the interests of the Firm and the individual. We currently have 3 partners and 16 associates with part-time/flex-time arrangements.

Conferences

Milbank partners have been speakers at diversity conferences and programs. Firm Chairman, Mel M. Immergut, has participated in a number of ways including:

Speaking at the Managing Partner and General Counsel Summit – Progress, Success and Achievement for Women in Law, May 2004

Moderating the Managing Partner and General Counsel Roundtable Discussion of the Business Case for Diversity, hosted by the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Minorities in the Profession, May 2004

Speaking as a panelist at the ABA Conference, Diversity in the Legal Profession: Opening the Pipeline, October 2003.

Hugh Robertson, a co-chair of the Firm’s Diversity Committee, has also taken a leadership role. He served as a panelist at the American Conference Institute’s Achieving, Managing and Maintaining Law Firm Diversity Conference, March 2006.