At Ropes & Gray, diversity has long been an essential part of our firm identity. We are committed to fostering an inclusive community of professionals of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations and family structures. We see our individual differences as an asset that enhances the quality of life for each of us and strengthens what we can accomplish as a firm.
The firm works hard to promote the recruitment, retention and advancement of people of diverse backgrounds at all levels. Our diversity committee hosts programs and events, addresses policy issues, and works to ensure that diversity remains a key focus across all our offices. With the help of resources such as the Ropes Multicultural Forum, LGBTQ+ Forum, Women’s Forum, and professional development and attorney support teams, we offer educational programs and seminars to our firm community.
Ropes & Gray has consistently been recognized as being among the nation’s leading law firms in diversity overall, as well as with respect to people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals and women:
- In the Vault 2022 “Best Law Firms to Work For,” Ropes & Gray ranked in the top five among U.S. firms for Overall Diversity, Racial & Ethnic Diversity, and diversity for “Individuals with Disabilities,” “LGBTQ+ Individuals” and “Women.”
- Ropes & Gray ranked in the top three on The National Law Journal’s 2022 LGBTQ Scorecard. The scorecard noted that more than 110 LGBTQ+ lawyers practice at the firm—roughly 10 percent of the firm’s lawyers.
- Ropes & Gray received the top award for law firm culture in the 2022 Yale Law Women “Top Firms Report.”
- The firm was shortlisted for two awards in the 2022 Chambers Diversity and Inclusion Awards, including “Diversity and Inclusion: Outstanding Firm.”
- For the past 14 years, the firm has received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which recognizes a company’s commitment to inclusion.
- Working Mother Magazine recognized Ropes & Gray as one of the best law firms for finding, retaining, promoting and developing women lawyers in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
We are committed to elevating diverse lawyers to leadership positions within the firm and in client relationships; our governing policy committee comprises more than one-third women and diverse lawyers.
In the process of adding members to our management committee, we explicitly consider the following: fiduciary nature, business and leadership skills, diversity, and a respectful, open and fair temperament. With these values in mind, three of the four most recent additions to the committee are ethnically diverse. We believe that diversity—differing backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, both personal and professional—enables a broader understanding of our internal and external communities and opportunities and helps drive our business more successfully.
