Firm Statement on Diversity & Inclusion
Over the past few years, we have watched as our country has grappled with the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and countless others. We are grieved by the impact this has had on our Black colleagues, the Black community, and this nation as a whole. As leaders in this firm, we have struggled to find adequate words to express how we are feeling, but we cannot remain silent.
As plaintiffs’ attorneys, we fight for access to justice every day; that must mean access to justice for EVERYONE. We ask defendants and jurors to value human life every day; that must mean EVERY human life. As a firm, Simmons Hanly Conroy holds diversity and inclusion as core operating values and is exploring ways in which we can utilize our resources and influence to affect meaningful, positive change and social reform.
On behalf of the firm’s management group and leadership, Simmons Hanly Conroy makes the following commitments to our community:
- Simmons Hanly Conroy donated $10,000 to ArchCity Defenders, a holistic legal advocacy organization that combats the criminalization of poverty and state violence, especially in communities of color. We will continue to make consistent contributions to this and similar organizations as they nobly commit their careers to addressing social injustices;
- Educational resources and tools have been made available to our employees, so we can all begin our journey to better our firm and communities;
- Simmons Hanly Conroy closes our offices on June 19th to recognize Juneteenth as a paid firm holiday as we stand in solidarity with our colleagues and community to commemorate this day of freedom and justice for those who were formerly and unjustly enslaved; and
- The firm has hired a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant to help guide the Diversity Committee and leadership on how to improve all aspects of the firm, including through diversity awareness and implicit bias training.
Simmons Hanly Conroy stands for our clients as well as social justice and equality. Please know that we hold ourselves accountable to taking meaningful steps to ameliorate social and racial inequities together as an organization and in partnership with our community.