Retention Working Group

CLI Colorado Retention Initiative

Defining and publishing models for long-term advancement, retention, and promotion of diverse
attorneys, as well as leadership in diversity and inclusiveness.

The Retention Working Group has designed a comprehensive Retention Initiative that involves diverse associates at CLI-member law firms, prominent general counsel from several Colorado companies, and managing partners of CLI-member firms.  There are several components to the initiative:

1.  Associate Survey:  A major survey of diverse associates was conducted in August 2009 and resulted in a report suggesting areas for improvement in the retention and advancement of diverse attorneys.  This report was highlighted in an article - "Legal Profession 'AIMS' for Diversity: CCIE's Innovative Inclusiveness Program" - published in the March 2010 issue of the Colorado Bar Association's Colorado Lawyer. 

In the spring of 2011, the Retention Working Group conducted a second survey of diverse associates from CLI member organizations in follow up to its 2009 survey. View the 2011 Retention Working Group Report: Associate Survey Results.

2.  Retention Workshops:  CLI has hosted numerous workshops with corporate counsel and managing partners to address the retention and advancement of diverse attorneys.

• September 24, 2009 - CLI and the Retention Working Group hosted a workshop for diverse associates at the Brown Palace Hotel to review the results of the 2009 associate survey, discuss the issues underlying higher rates of attrition among diverse law firm associates with corporate GCs (see list below), create relationships with those GCs, and learn from them how to better serve corporate clients.  This workshop was followed by a session where the GCs met with the managing partners to highlight findings from the survey report as well as the feedback from the associates.

• March 16, 2010 - A subsequent meeting of the GCs and managing partners was held in conjunction with the 2010 Rocky Mountain Legal Diversity Summit at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. National leadership and inclusiveness expert, Dr. Arin Reeves, addressed the group. At that meeting, the managing partners of CLI-member firms began working more closely with the GCs to create a model for leadership in legal diversity and inclusiveness.  They formed committees and developed action items related to five questions about leadership.  For more information about these leadership action items, go to www.legalinclusiveness.org.

• September 21, 2010 - CLI also hosted a workshop for diverse associates from member firms at Baker Hostetler. National expert Werten Bellamy spoke on what top performing diverse associates do to become indispensible.  Click here to view the flier.

• November 4, 2010 - Corporate general counsel and Colorado law firm managing partners gathered to further discuss the leadership retention model. At that meeting, Rich Baer, then General Counsel and CAO of Qwest Communications, announced Holme Roberts & Owen LLP and Larry Theis, a partner and Chair of HRO’s Executive Committee, were selected as the 2010 Leadership Retention Award winners. Theis chose to begin implementing an action item that called for his law firm to make inclusiveness a same-level priority as other firm business initiatives. Thirty firms and legal departments participated. Read more about the Leadership Retention Competition.

• March 14, 2011 - Retention Working Group members presented preliminary results of the 2011 Associate Survey to the GC/MP Retention Roundtable, in conjuction with the 2011 Legal Inclusiveness & Diversit Summit. Dr. Arin Reeves addressed the group and moderated a discussion about next steps for leaders.

• June 30, 2011 - CLI hosted a Focus Group Discussion on the Retention and Advancement of Diverse Attorneys at the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver, Colorado. Corporate counsel, diverse law firm partners and managing partners from CLI member organizations participated in a facilitated discussion with Dr. Arin Reeves. Together the group discussed barriers for diverse law firm partners and identified action items that can be implemented by corporate counsel, managing partners, and diverse law firm partners.

3.  Leadership Model:  The participating GCs and managing partners created a list of action items as part of their effort to create a model for leadership in diversity and inclusiveness efforts.  Each of the 50 participants is implementing one action item. Read more about the leadership model in the March 2011 The Colorado Lawyer article, "CLI’s Diverse Attorney Retention Initiative for General Counsel and Managing Partners."

4.  Retention Luncheons:  CLI organizes and hosts, in conjunction with a member law firm, quarterly luncheons with small groups of diverse associates with a participating general counsel.  2010 luncheons featured Rich Baer, former CAO and GC of Qwest Communications; Steve Smith, GC of Lockheed Martin Space Systems; and Kevin MacCary, GC of United Launch Alliance.

5. National Inclusiveness Campaign:

CLI's national grassroots inclusiveness campaign Step Up for Diversity: Take Action To Build An Inclusive Legal ProfessionTM encourages individuals - corporate counsel, supervising attorneys, and other attorneys - to take action, small and large for real progress. We make it easy by providing action items; attorneys report their individual progress.  Sign up to participate and see the list of who's participating at StepUpForDiversity.org. Participation is free. The entry period for 2012 incentives closes March 31, 2012. This innovative initiative will help diverse and female attorneys build crucial relationships for success and create a more inclusive legal profession overall. National research studies report diverse and female attorneys are routinely (but mostly unintentionally) excluded from career-enhancing opportunities, which contributes to the fact that the legal field is still the least diverse of all professions. Read an article about Step Up For Diversity.