Cozen & O'Connor issued the following announcement on Jan. 31.
Cozen O'Connor has been selected by Profiles in Diversity Journal® to receive its 11th Annual Diversity Leader Award. The award is given to organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to expanding and improving diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace and beyond. Cozen O'Connor was among 24 organizations in various industries honored. Among those organizations honored include Denny’s Restaurants, Walmart, Inc., and HP Inc.
Cozen O'Connor and Chief Diversity Office Lynnette Espy-Williams will be recognized in the journal’s upcoming issue (winter 2018–2019). The honor goes to organizations and diversity leaders, who view their entire enterprise and mission through the lens of diversity. Cozen O'Connor was honored for demonstrating a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace, and has developed comprehensive strategies that permeate all levels, departments, and divisions.
Cozen O’Connor is dedicated to employing a diverse complement of attorneys and staff, and to fostering greater inclusion in the legal profession. The firm understands the organizational effectiveness that comes from welcoming and valuing difference within the firm, and knows that assembling a team with a rich diversity of perspectives and experience is necessary to providing the highest quality legal service. Cozen O'Connor is committed to recruiting professionals with diverse backgrounds and talents, maximize the unique potential of each employee, and build a more inclusive profession. To pursue this important mission, Cozen O’Connor has adopted a multilayered approach. The efforts are led by a chief diversity officer, a management-level position, and held by a member of the firm’s partnership. The chief diversity officer leads the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which was first established in the late 1990s and includes attorneys from various practice areas and offices, as well as staff from the recruiting, marketing, and professional development departments.
The firm operates resource groups tailored to promote the success and inclusion of five self-identifying constituencies: Asian Attorney Resource Group, Black Attorney Resource Group, LGBTQ Attorney Resource Group, Hispanic/Latino Attorney Resource Group, and Disabled and/or Veteran Attorney Resource Group. Cozen O’Connor takes equally seriously its commitment to the advancement of women in the legal profession, and the Diversity & Inclusion team works in close partnership with the firm’s independent, award-winning Women’s Initiative.
Original source can be found here.