February 22, 2022

law firms disability inclusion

I have seen first-hand how law firms, when they internalize what it means to be inclusive, can benefit from Talent that otherwise would not be available to them.

A shining example is Reed Smith, who has been championing the inclusion of people with disabilities for quite a while. This effort is not an adjacent initiative, discussed in a dark corner by disabled professionals. I feel inclusion has become part of the firm ethos. Everyone cares. I recently was honoured to co-keynote with Bjarne Tellmann, General Counsel of GSK Consumer Healthcare, a Disability Summit organized by LEADRS (Looking for Excellence and Advancement of persons with Disabilities at Reed Smith). This summit had participation from the senior-most leaders of the firm.

Further, Reed Smith supports the Open Letter co-authored with Bjarne asking General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officers to commit to concrete action on a disability inclusion agenda. Some of the most prominent global senior leaders are signatories.

The attached article talks about the lack of progress in Big Law. But law firms like Reed Smith make a difference in the disability inclusion calculus. Perhaps we shouldn’t be disheartened and raise the Reed Smiths of the world as shining examples to continue to encourage action.