CTW Earns A+ For Diversity Efforts
08-11-2006

Clark, Thomas & Winters, A Professional Corporation, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grade of A+ for its efforts in recruiting and retaining minority attorneys. The grade was part of the 7th annual Minority Hiring Report Card issued by the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin (HBAA) and the Austin Black Lawyers Association (ABLA) grading the hiring and retention of minority attorneys by the 25 largest law firms in Austin. Clark Thomas was one of only 5 firms that earned an A+ grade for exceptional minority hiring and recruitment efforts.

“From a business perspective, it makes sense to have a law firm environment comprised of individuals with various backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and viewpoints,” remarked Clark Thomas President Larry McNeill. “The jump in our grade to an A+ in 2006 from a B+ in 2005 is a clear demonstration of the firm’s ongoing commitment to recruiting, retaining, and promoting a diverse community within the firm that reflects the corporate legal departments we serve.”

“In today’s competitive legal market, where clients are demanding diversity from their law firms, attorney diversity and the hiring of minority attorneys are not just business development and retention issues. They are also among the factors impacting the growth and expansion of law firms,” reports Paul Ruiz, Shareholder and Chair of the Recruitment and Diversity Committees at Clark Thomas. “Attorneys looking to relocate their practice, such as the Land Use and Government Affairs group who moved their practice from Minter, Joseph & Thornhill, P.C. to Clark Thomas in July of this year, are seeking out firms, for both cultural and client service reasons, that have a demonstrated commitment to diversity.”

The Report Card
For each of the last 7 years, the 25 largest firms in Austin have been invited to voluntarily participate in the HBAA and ABLA diversity report card survey. Firms are graded based on the number of minority attorneys employed by the firm. Firms that exhibit extraordinary efforts to recruit minority attorneys are awarded a plus (“+”) on their grade, and firms that exhibit little or no effort to recruit minority attorneys receive a minus (“-”) on their grade. The report card and progress peport, showing grades earned by the firms over the past 7 years, are sent to businesses – including clients of the law firms graded – as well as the local and national media, state and local elected officials, State Bar leaders, and members of the local judiciary.