We actively seek out diverse legal talents, not only at the schools where we interview on campus, but also through national and regional minority job fairs such as the DuPont Minority Job Fair, the Southeastern Minority Job Fair, and the Southern Region of the National Black Law Students Association Job Fair.

We seek diversity not just among the ranks of our lawyers, but also in our staff. We have made this commitment not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because we are convinced that our clients get better results when their matters are handled by a legal team with diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

In recognition of the importance of achieving, promoting and maintaining diversity in our firm, we have created a Diversity Committee, made up of four partners and three associates, whose charge is to routinely evaluate our efforts in this regard and suggest improvements. Among the many initiatives the committee supports are the firm's long-standing commitment to flex time schedules for individuals who wish to practice law at the highest levels, but need a flexible work schedule in order to do so, and our mentoring program, through which every associate at the firm is provided a specific partner mentor to shepherd his/her legal career.

Our commitment to diversity goes well beyond our own self interest in attracting top notch and diverse legal talent. Our lawyers devote hundreds of hours — and the firm provides thousands of dollars — each year to local, state and national efforts to diversify our community and the legal profession as a whole. When the Alabama State Bar created its first task force on diversity, a Lightfoot lawyer served as vice co-chair. When the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association created its first diversity task force, a Lightfoot lawyer served as co-chair. When the Alabama State Bar created its first Hispanic Outreach Committee, a Lightfoot lawyer was included as a founding member. When DRI organized the first Sharing Success: A Seminar for Women Lawyers seminar in ten years, a Lightfoot lawyer served on the planning committee. When DRI held its first ever Diversity for Success seminar, a Lightfoot lawyer was one of its panel speakers.

Indeed, Lightfoot lawyers routinely organize, lead, and participate in seminars devoted to diversity in the legal profession, and to supporting and promoting the careers of female and minority lawyers. A partial list of our lawyers' involvement in the area of diversity is as follows:

• service on the Birmingham Bar Association's Task Force on Diversity Initiatives;
• service as co-chair of the Diversity in the Profession Committee of the Alabama State Bar Association;
• service as Program Chair of the DRI Diversity for Success Seminar;
• service as diversity liaison for the DRI Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Seminar;
• service as chair of the Business Development Committee of the DuPont Women's Legal Network;
• service as a committee member of the Magic City Bar Association's annual scholarship dinner;
• service on the Women's Committee for Cornerstone Schools of Alabama;
• service as one of the founding members of the Alabama State Bar's Spanish Speaking Lawyer's Committee, chair of its Rules Subcommittee and member of its legislative review task force;
• annual participation in the DuPont Minority Counsel Network meeting;
• service as a board member for the Young Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association;
• service as co-chair of the Mentoring and Retention Committee of the DuPont Minority Counsel Network;
• annual presentations to 1L members of BLSA chapter on how to succeed in law school;
• firm-wide sponsorship of the Magic City Bar Association scholarship dinner, the Black Law Students Association scholarship dinner and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast; and
• recognition as a 2010 and 2012 Dean Bryan K. Fair Achievement Award recipient;
• recognition as a 2012 Gail Johnson Award recipient;
• service as State Liaison representative for Alabama on the DRI Women in the Law Committee.

We are proud of our achievements in the area of diversity and look forward to many more to come. If you would like additional information on our efforts, or advice on how to implement some of our programs, please contact Kevin Clark.