New Developments at HB
Husch Blackwell News
Since joining Husch Blackwell in 2021, I have been inspired by how the firm has made fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment a priority and key part of our strategic plan – and have been pleasantly surprised to discover how thoroughly the firm’s commitment to its diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) practices have permeated the organization. My counterparts at other firms say, "If only we had X, Y and Z we could do this." At Husch Blackwell, I've been told, "Here's X, Y and Z" and people at every level have engaged my newly built team to learn, grow and share their passion for this work.
At the end of July, we concluded our DE&I Summit – the first since 2019 – bringing together diverse people from across our Employee Resources Groups and national footprint. This serves as a strong foundation upon which to build a more robust, data-driven and strategic plan for DE&I throughout Husch Blackwell. Our plan allows us to foster an engaged, diverse and inclusive team culture of accountability and purpose that makes our firm and our communities better for all. To achieve this, we have made the following strategic commitments:
- Retain, develop, promote and recruit a diverse workforce
- Maintain equitable practices, accountability and transparency
- Foster an inclusive culture and community
In addition to all our great DE&I work, we have a terrific team overseeing Husch Blackwell’s pro bono legal service program. Through thousands of hours of free legal services, we strive to improve the lives of children and disadvantaged groups within our communities. Throughout the year, we are committed to sharing our skills to advance access to justice and to help hundreds of nonprofit organizations and individuals unable to pay for the legal representation they need, achieve their goals.
We are extremely proud of our Communities for Change program. Launched in summer 2020, the program pursues opportunities to contribute firm resources and talents to promote equity, inclusion and justice – continuing and expanding on our pro bono commitments, exploring new relationships with organizations that are on the front lines, partnering with our clients and community members, and financially supporting initiatives that seek to end racial inequality.
Have a successful rest of the year and enjoy the fall 2022 edition of our alumni newsletter. If you have any questions about Husch Blackwell's DE&I efforts, please reach out. I'd enjoy hearing from you.
Amanda Garcia-Williams
Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer
314.480.1934
Firm Bio