Diversity Initiatives - Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Community & Pro bono

At Dorsey, we believe that embracing diversity means supporting and participating in the diverse organizations within our communities.  This commitment to the areas in which we live and work is underscored by one of Dorsey’s five core values – community.  We support community organizations and initiatives through The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation, the Dorsey Community Involvement Program, and the individual efforts of our staff and attorneys. 

The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation
The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation makes annual contributions to a wide variety of charitable, civic, cultural, educational, and community service organizations in the communities we serve. 

The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation
Peter S. Hendrixson (Partner / Trial / Minneapolis) The Foundation is proud to support a variety of organizations that serve our local communities and represent the diverse interests of our attorneys.

Dorsey’s Community Involvement Program
Dorsey’s Community Involvement Program provides volunteer opportunities for staff and attorneys to participate in various community events that are organized by the Dorsey Volunteer Council.  Recent events in which the firm has participated include Habitat for Humanity, reading programs and fund-raising for an inner-city school in Minneapolis, food shelter volunteering in Seattle, a baseball outing for a developmentally disabled group home in Fargo, and a New York theatre workshop. 

Local Organizations Dedicated to Diversity in the Legal Profession
Dorsey sponsors and participates in a number of organizations that are dedicated to increasing diversity within our local communities and the legal profession.  These include:

• Twin Cities Diversity in Practice
• The Colorado Bar Association’s Diversity in the Legal Profession Committee
• The Orange County Diversity Task Force

The firm sponsors attorney involvement in specialty bar organizations, and Dorsey attorneys participate in these groups.  More information. 

In addition, Dorsey supports the efforts of the local organizations that have minority clerkship programs.  More information. 

Diversity Commitments

Dorsey has demonstrated its commitment to fostering diversity within the firm and the legal profession by signing a number of statements of commitment.  These include:

• The Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s (ABCNY) “Statement of Goals of New York Law Firms and Corporate Legal Departments for Increasing Minority Representation and Retention” and the “Restatement and Reaffirmation of Goals”
• The Colorado Pledge to Diversity
• Hennepin County Bar Association Diversity Policy
• The Minnesota State Bar Association Committee on Women in the Legal Profession’s Self Audit for Gender Equity (SAGE) Principles
• The New York County Lawyers' Association Diversity Statement

Individual Community Activities

As individuals, Dorsey attorneys and staff are actively involved in myriad community and non-profit organizations.  In addition, a number of Dorsey attorneys and staff serve on the boards of non-profit organizations.  Dorsey supports these individual initiatives through the contributions made by The Dorsey & Whitney Foundation and through the training sessions that the firm regularly presents on serving as a non-profit board member.  More information. 

Pro Bono

Dorsey is committed to serving the unmet legal needs of disadvantaged individuals and organizations.  We assist those who cannot afford to pay for legal services by providing a wide range of specialized and high quality legal services.  The firm’s Pro Bono Program enables our lawyers to meet the legal needs of the disadvantaged in our communities.

Dorsey’s commitment to pro bono takes many forms.  The firm recognizes the pro bono efforts of our attorneys by giving billable hour credit.  Up to 50 hours of pro bono work will be counted for purposes of partner compensation.  The first 50 hours of pro bono work done by associates count towards the hours requirement, and up to 100 additional hours of pro bono time will be counted in the calculation of the productivity bonus for those associates who exceed their hours requirement. 

The firm has been an active participant in a wide variety of pro bono projects, and the firm and several of our attorneys have received recognition for their efforts. More information. 

Pro Bono
Bricker Lavik (Attorney / Trial / Minneapolis) "Our pro bono clients are of diverse backgrounds and have a variety of legal needs.  Many of our projects are targeted specifically at the legal problems of minority communities."