We have taken a proactive stance regarding DE&I, which is is an increasingly significant part of our policies related to recruitment, compensation and benefits, professional development, and client relations. In addition, DE&I plays an important role in the selection of our community sponsorships, volunteer activities, and pro bono work.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are tenets of several of our firm’s core values:
- We are one team of professionals, respecting and helping one another as equals.
- We are responsible, involved members of the community – both individually and collectively.
- We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards and treat others with courtesy, respect and dignity.
To us, a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace is one in which all our employees are accepted, heard and valued. Further, it is one in which each team member’s unique perspectives and skills are combined to deliver the best, most creative solutions for our clients. We believe mindfulness and intentionality are key to nurturing such an environment, and that education is critical to success. Fittingly, MRC attorneys regularly participate in DE&I training each year, and firm leaders conduct DE&I roundtables with all employees in order to encourage engagement and open communication.
MRC shareholder Kathleen McCauley serves as MRC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion chair and leads our mission to fully integrate the DE&I initiative. Kate sends inspirational and informative email messages on every major U.S. holiday, often relaying tidbits that are not common knowledge. She also oversees the content of the firm’s quarterly diversity newsletter.
Like many firms, we are evolving. We pledge to regularly survey our progress, to measure results against benchmarks, to reflect on our efforts, to exercise accountability, and to evoke change where needed.