Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion demands action both in society at large and within the firm. Among the ways we demonstrate our DE&I commitment is by fighting systemic racism and injustice while working to ensure that all members of our own community have equitable opportunities to thrive and achieve their full potential.

Overview

Ropes & Gray has always advocated for human rights, dignity, and the principles of justice and equality under the law. It is a commitment we have demonstrated not only with words, but with action, including through our pro bono program and our work with the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance. We are committed to identifying, describing and dismantling systemic racism and inequities, and to marshalling our resources as a law firm to make societal change.

We are also committed to ensuring that we stay true to our core values and address the needs of our own community. Dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is one of those core values. We aspire to be the legal industry leader in attracting and retaining talented and diverse professionals, providing equitable opportunities for every person to perform to their fullest potential, and being inclusive of and welcoming to all people.

Ropes & Gray’s designated DE&I team works closely with the diversity committee and firm leadership to advance our DE&I strategic plan, which is built on four fundamental pillars: cultural competence; equitable systems and processes for recruiting and talent advancement; equitable leadership development; and allyship.

Our commitment to DE&I makes Ropes & Gray a place where all persons of every background, including race, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, work together in a spirit of openness and collaboration.

To learn more about Ropes & Gray’s commitment to ensuring an equitable, diverse and inclusive community, read our 2023 DE&I Year in Review.

Attorney Forums / Resource Networks

At Ropes & Gray, we are dedicated to helping our people celebrate their identities and backgrounds. The Ropes Multicultural Forum, Women’s Forum and LGBTQ+ Forum give attorneys with common backgrounds, interests or affiliations a setting in which to connect with other professionals, including through educational programs, business and social networking opportunities, and career and professional development seminars. Office-based resource networks provide similar opportunities for business support professionals.

In addition to the attorney forums, the firm has a First-Generation Professionals Group for attorneys who are the first in their family to graduate from law school.

Allies at Ropes & Gray promote our culture of diversity, equity and inclusion by joining or supporting the firm’s attorney forums, resource networks and greater DE&I efforts. We believe that allyship is essential to accelerating our goals of recruiting, retaining and advancing people of diverse backgrounds at all levels of the firm. Our aim is to ensure that responsibility for DE&I initiatives is shared by colleagues from majority groups alongside those from underrepresented communities. For example, we encourage all of our lawyers to commit to spending at least 20 hours annually to DE&I activities and initiatives.

DE&I Programs

Ropes & Gray provides numerous programs to foster an inclusive community, support professional development and bolster recruitment for professionals from diverse backgrounds.

The firm provides trainings on important DE&I-related topics, recognizes cultural events and celebrations by hosting educational programs, hosts quarterly sessions with members of the diversity committee to share updates and respond to questions about the firm’s DE&I efforts, and hosts sessions for diverse attorneys to come together to discuss issues, share ideas and provide feedback.

Diversity Committee Chairs

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
By the numbers
60%
of the firm's governing policy committee is made up of women and racially/ethnically diverse lawyers
33%
of our partners are women
100
billable hours extended annually to lawyers for DE&I work
17
Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Scholars in the 2024 summer associate program
Ropes & Gray By the Numbers