Law Week Colorado published an article by Gordon & Rees Denver partner Franz Hardy and associate Nicole Salamander Irby in its March 24 issue.
In the article, titled “Considering Diversity in Recruiting Efforts,” Hardy and Irby address how planned and well considered hiring of diverse candidates can lead to long-term, mutually beneficial relationships between the organization and employees. They discuss five areas that law firms and legal departments should consider when recruiting: appreciate why diversity is important; accept we all have biases; be honest about diversity efforts; think beyond traditional diversity efforts; and realize successful recruiting is just the start.
“[A]n organization should think about diversity in broad concepts beyond traditional racial, ethnic or gender diversity. Diversity includes a wide range of characteristics and attributes such as LGBT status, veteran status, disability, religion or socioeconomic background. While employers often cannot inquire into every topic, the point is to view diversity beyond traditional categories.”
Hardy, head of Gordon & Rees's National Diversity Committee, practices business and insurance litigation. He also has successfully represented numerous attorneys and law firms in professional liability matters. Hardy is a recipient of the prestigious Richard Marden Davis Award in recognition of his excellence as a lawyer and his civic, cultural, educational, and charitable leadership. He is the immediate-past president of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado and Hardy served on the board of directors for the Center for Legal Inclusiveness for five years.
Irby, a member of the firm's Professional Liability Defense Practice Group, defends attorneys and directors and officers in professional liability matters. She also represents insurers in ERISA cases. As a prior law clerk for two magistrate judges at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, she has experience in court-facilitated mediation, federal case management, and a broad range of substantive areas of the law. Irby serves as chair of Gordon & Rees’s Denver office Community Service Committee.
To read the article, click here.
To learn more about diversity at Gordon & Rees, click here.