As a Skadden alum, I often receive promotional literature from the firm, as well as invitations to alumni events. Yesterday, I received a copy of "Facets," which is described on the cover as "Skadden's Diversity Publication."
First, I was very impressed with the openness of Skadden to all people when I joined the firm in 1997. I remember people laughing at all the media attention on firms announcing benefits for same-sex partners because Skadden had been providing the same benefits for years. Unlike other fancy firms, Skadden didn't seem to care a whit about where you were firm or what school you went to -- the basic question was how smart you were and could you perform to a standard that really approaches perfection. The Facets publication seems to capture the essence of the Skadden meritocracy -- not only with standard photos of women and people of color, but also with stories that reflect a broader (and more expensive) commitment to diversity. If a firm is really interested in diversity in the legal profession and any kind of (lower case) affirmative action, then a few hires a year isn't going to cut it. However, public interest intiatives that focus on giving equal opportunities may, such as Skadden Fellowships and Skadden's new partnership with the City College of New York. The publication also showcases pro bono representation Skadden provided in litigation involving both affirmative action and same-sex marriage. I think that if I were looking for a firm that embraced the values of diversity, this publication would go a long way to making me think that Skadden was the firm for me.
Skadden has a long history of really cool publications. When I was recruited, the recruiting magazines featured attorneys chosen because they had the same last names of famous (but unrelated) people. I believe our friend Joan Heminway was in that publication!
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/38673/30809874
Links to weblogs that reference Diversity at Skadden:
1. Posted by Joan Heminway on July 3, 2008 @ 15:53 | Permalink
My, Christine, you have a good memory!! I still have a copy of that marketing piece. I believe the relevant page focused on (note the divergence of the spellings from the originals) "Yates, Faulkner, and Heminway." Ties in a bit with Usha's law & literature postings, eh? Interestingly, to echo the point of your posting (which I believe is dead-on right), the brochure text at the back focused on my pro bono work, including work that I did in helping immigrants obtain asylum in the U.S.--a small (but significant) contribution toward Skadden's impact on diversity.
2. Posted by anonymous on July 3, 2008 @ 18:23 | Permalink
I am at Skadden now. Great place. I must say, though, that your post seems ridiculous. Somehow, you say, Skadden cares not a bit where you are from, the color of your skin, etc.; rather, Skadden cares only that you can perform near perfection. If that is all Skadden cares about--performing near perfection--how can it participate in "affirmative action," i.e., selection that is NECESSARILY based on factors other than simply being able to perform near perfection. (And we all know, in reality, that sometime affirmative action requires us to accept far, far, far less than "near perfection.")
I agree that Skadden is a great place. And I like its diversity. But come on, let's get real and state facts.
3. Posted by Anon on July 3, 2008 @ 22:31 | Permalink
First of all, for having worked at firm that asks "near perfection" of its associates, you should proofread a bit more.
Second of all, as a present Skadden associate, I can say that I have never in my life encountered more blatant sexual discrimination in my entire life than I have during my time at Skadden. The old boys' club is in full effect. There are plenty of good eggs, but they aren't proactive enough to protect us from the others. Skadden needs to do more work internally and maybe care less about its public image.
4. Posted by Shawn C Ruiz on July 4, 2008 @ 5:17 | Permalink
"Unlike other fancy firms, Skadden didn't seem to care a whit about where you were firm or what school you went to -- the basic question was how smart you were and could you perform to a standard that really approaches perfection."
It's the Baker McKenzie of the top 20 firms. It can't afford to be too choosy when it needs to so many new bodies each year. Easily one of the least selective firms recruiting at my school. At least those in the bottom 50% have something to aim for.
- fedgovernor on The Oil Mark
- Jake on The Oil Mark
- Cathy on The Oil Mark
- laborprof lpb on Bailout, Uni
- fedgovernor on The Oil Mark
- Brandon P. on BYU v. Utah
- David on What makes a
- Cathy on The Oil Mark
- Vic on Fleischer 1,
- Michael on BYU v. Utah
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
