News Article

Womble Carlyle has been named the 2009 winner of the Law Firm Diversity Award by DRI (formerly the Defense Research Institute), the Voice of the Defense Bar.

The DRI Awards are national in scope and only one law firm in the country is honored annually for its commitment to diversity. The firm will receive the award on Oct. 8th at DRI's Annual Meeting in Chicago.

"We have a commitment to diversity at Womble Carlyle," said Firm Managing Member Keith Vaughan. "We sincerely appreciate this award, and view it as validation that we have made tremendous strides, but not that we have reached our destination. In practice and in philosophy, we will continue to work toward creating a richly diverse firm."

"We don't strive for diversity to win awards; we do so because it is the right thing to do," said Brent Clinkscale, Chairman of Womble Carlyle's Diversity Committee. "Having said that, it is always gratifying to be honored by one's peers, particularly in a prestigious organization such as DRI."

Womble Carlyle has a comprehensive diversity plan that encompasses all areas of the firm's work life, including hiring, professional development, career advancement and support for aspiring law students. A 22-member Diversity Committee oversees these initiatives and Kenny Tatum serves as the firm's full-time Director of Lateral Recruiting & Diversity Strategy, a senior-level staff position. The firm's diversity efforts include:

• The Womble Carlyle Scholars Program. Every year, the firm awards 11 scholarships to high-achieving minority law students. The scholarship includes $8,000 to defray tuition and other expenses, plus recipients have the chance to work as summer associates at the firm. Several former Womble Carlyle Scholars now are attorneys at the firm.
• The CLEO-Womble Carlyle Road to Law School Academy. This program is held in conjunction with the Council of Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO). Each year, approximately 25 minority college juniors are selected for a rigorous academic program that prepares them to succeed in law school and a legal career.
• Support for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which provides merit-based scholarships and support to the nation's 47 historically black colleges and universities. Other diversity efforts include support for the Finding Justice Project and the Just the Beginning Foundation.

Womble Carlyle has made promoting talented diverse attorneys and employees a priority. Two of the firm's Office Managing Members are women, as are three Practice Group Leaders. Minorities and women also lead several of the firm's administrative departments, including Talent Management, Knowledge Management and Media Relations, and the firm has African-American, Hispanic and Native American executives serving in senior staff positions.

DRI is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation.

Click here to watch a video on diversity at Womble Carlyle, as well as to learn more about the firm's diversity efforts.