{"id":110659,"date":"2025-03-17T17:02:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T01:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/03\/17\/another-firm-strips-diversity-from-website\/"},"modified":"2025-03-17T17:02:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T01:02:50","slug":"another-firm-strips-diversity-from-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/03\/17\/another-firm-strips-diversity-from-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Firm Strips \u2018Diversity\u2019 From Website"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Paul Weiss joins the ranks<\/a> of law firms explicitly targeted for retaliation from the Trump administration, most of Biglaw remains comfortable with the old adage that \u201ca quiet life is a happy life\u201d\u2026 or more accurately \u201csilence is complicity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some firms have taken this silence kick even further and started to \u201cobey in advance,\u201d by purging their business of references that could offend the new administration. K&L Gates\u00a0deleted diversity language from their website<\/a>\u00a0while DLA Piper (somewhat clumsily) removed every email signature block of pronouns<\/a>. It seems as though Proskauer has followed suit.<\/p>\n

A page on the website that previously listed and described the firm\u2019s Women\u2019s Alliance, Black Lawyers Affinity Group, Asian Lawyers Affinity Group, etc. is now just titled \u201cInclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not to get all typeface nerd, but the \u201cInclusion\u201d in fine print and seemingly off-center sends a not insignificant message about how much of a priority this is at the firm.<\/p>\n

\n

Our commitment to inclusion centers on fostering an environment where everyone has access to the tools, relationships, and opportunities to excel. The story of our founders demonstrates that the legal profession thrives when we welcome the best and brightest, regardless of background, and ensure that talent is met with opportunity. These beliefs strengthen our firm, our profession, and the broader legal system by creating an environment where everyone can contribute (and succeed) at their highest level. We focus on mentorship, sponsorship and community engagement because talent must be cultivated, not just recruited. Ultimately, we believe that being a firm focused on creating opportunities for inclusion among our lawyers strengthens the trust and connection we have with our clients and moves our firm and the legal industry forward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is the \u201cAll Lawyers Matter\u201d of firm statements. <\/p>\n

In addition to removing references to the firm\u2019s work with specific groups, past articles on the subject seem to have been disappeared like a Vegas magic act. This article from the Proskauer homepage as recently as mid-January (helpfully archived by the Wayback Machine)\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2026 has a URL that does NOT go to this article<\/a>, but redirects to the above generic Inclusion page. Quite a difference inauguration day makes!<\/p>\n

A search for the word \u201cdiversity\u201d on the Proskauer brings up multiple articles. For example:<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, guess which one of these articles still has a hyperlink? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long time since 2012, but if there were a Diversity Brochure more recent than the Mayan endtimes, one would hope it came up in the search. It also has no subject heading \u2014 which is why it just says \u201con 2012\u201d \u2014 so wherever it used to live has also disappeared. In conjunction with reworking the Inclusion page, it\u2019s a chilling moment for a lawyer, either at the firm or considering joining, to look up \u201cDiversity Brochure\u201d and find it\u2019s like an emergency exit that\u2019s just painted on. That\u2019s the whole problem\u2026 even if the firm were to say, \u201coh no, our policy is still the same\u201d when it\u2019s downplaying if not hiding its policy, then that is a statement itself.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see if the search function even brings up these zombie story entries by next week. Not exactly holding my breath.<\/p>\n

Earlier<\/strong>: Biglaw Firm Scrubs Pronouns From Attorney Signatures Without Telling Anyone<\/a>
Biglaw Firm Quietly Begins Purging Diversity Language From Website<\/a>
Law Schools Respond To The Executive Threatening To Cut Federal Funding Over DEI<\/a>
Trump Signs Executive Order Calling Out Top 50 Biglaw Firm, With Intent To Wage War Against Other \u2018Leading Law Firms\u2019 Over Their DEI Policies<\/a>
Covington Must Wait Behind Putin To See Classified Documents Like Everyone Else<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Headshot\"Joe Patrice<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. Feel free to\u00a0email<\/a> any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Another Firm Strips \u2018Diversity\u2019 From Website<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Paul Weiss joins the ranks<\/a> of law firms explicitly targeted for retaliation from the Trump administration, most of Biglaw remains comfortable with the old adage that \u201ca quiet life is a happy life\u201d\u2026 or more accurately \u201csilence is complicity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some firms have taken this silence kick even further and started to \u201cobey in advance,\u201d by purging their business of references that could offend the new administration. K&L Gates\u00a0deleted diversity language from their website<\/a>\u00a0while DLA Piper (somewhat clumsily) removed every email signature block of pronouns<\/a>. It seems as though Proskauer has followed suit.<\/p>\n

A page on the website that previously listed and described the firm\u2019s Women\u2019s Alliance, Black Lawyers Affinity Group, Asian Lawyers Affinity Group, etc. is now just titled \u201cInclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not to get all typeface nerd, but the \u201cInclusion\u201d in fine print and seemingly off-center sends a not insignificant message about how much of a priority this is at the firm.<\/p>\n

\n

Our commitment to inclusion centers on fostering an environment where everyone has access to the tools, relationships, and opportunities to excel. The story of our founders demonstrates that the legal profession thrives when we welcome the best and brightest, regardless of background, and ensure that talent is met with opportunity. These beliefs strengthen our firm, our profession, and the broader legal system by creating an environment where everyone can contribute (and succeed) at their highest level. We focus on mentorship, sponsorship and community engagement because talent must be cultivated, not just recruited. Ultimately, we believe that being a firm focused on creating opportunities for inclusion among our lawyers strengthens the trust and connection we have with our clients and moves our firm and the legal industry forward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is the \u201cAll Lawyers Matter\u201d of firm statements. <\/p>\n

In addition to removing references to the firm\u2019s work with specific groups, past articles on the subject seem to have been disappeared like a Vegas magic act. This article from the Proskauer homepage as recently as mid-January (helpfully archived by the Wayback Machine)\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2026 has a URL that does NOT go to this article<\/a>, but redirects to the above generic Inclusion page. Quite a difference inauguration day makes!<\/p>\n

A search for the word \u201cdiversity\u201d on the Proskauer brings up multiple articles. For example:<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, guess which one of these articles still has a hyperlink? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long time since 2012, but if there were a Diversity Brochure more recent than the Mayan endtimes, one would hope it came up in the search. It also has no subject heading \u2014 which is why it just says \u201con 2012\u201d \u2014 so wherever it used to live has also disappeared. In conjunction with reworking the Inclusion page, it\u2019s a chilling moment for a lawyer, either at the firm or considering joining, to look up \u201cDiversity Brochure\u201d and find it\u2019s like an emergency exit that\u2019s just painted on. That\u2019s the whole problem\u2026 even if the firm were to say, \u201coh no, our policy is still the same\u201d when it\u2019s downplaying if not hiding its policy, then that is a statement itself.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see if the search function even brings up these zombie story entries by next week. Not exactly holding my breath.<\/p>\n

Earlier<\/strong>: Biglaw Firm Scrubs Pronouns From Attorney Signatures Without Telling Anyone<\/a>
Biglaw Firm Quietly Begins Purging Diversity Language From Website<\/a>
Law Schools Respond To The Executive Threatening To Cut Federal Funding Over DEI<\/a>
Trump Signs Executive Order Calling Out Top 50 Biglaw Firm, With Intent To Wage War Against Other \u2018Leading Law Firms\u2019 Over Their DEI Policies<\/a>
Covington Must Wait Behind Putin To See Classified Documents Like Everyone Else<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Headshot\"Joe Patrice<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. Feel free to\u00a0email<\/a> any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While Paul Weiss joins the ranks of law firms explicitly targeted for retaliation from the Trump administration, most of Biglaw remains comfortable with the old adage that \u201ca quiet life is a happy life\u201d\u2026 or more accurately \u201csilence is complicity.\u201d Some firms have taken this silence kick even further and started to \u201cobey in advance,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110659\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}