Ropes & Gray Ranked Top Firm in the U.S. for Diversity in 2017 Vault Guide

Ropes & Gray was named the top firm for overall diversity in the United States in the 2017 Vault guide released July 20, marking the second time in three years the firm has been ranked number one. This is the eighth consecutive year that the firm has ranked in the top five for overall diversity.

Year after year, Ropes & Gray ranks among the best firms in the U.S. in each of Vault’s diversity-related categories, and it is the only firm to have ranked in the top five of each of these categories for the last eight years. The firm achieved top-three rankings in the 2017 guide for:  

• 1 - LGBT
• 1 - individuals with disabilities
• 2 - minorities
• 3 - military veterans
• 3 - women

Ropes & Gray’s diversity efforts have long been an essential part of the firm’s fabric. For the past eight years, the firm received a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for its non-discrimination and other policies aimed at making the firm a welcoming workplace for LGBT people. To attract the brightest candidates from all backgrounds, Ropes & Gray established the Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship to support talented young attorneys from populations historically underrepresented in the legal profession. The Diversity Outreach Team, comprised of members of the firm’s diversity committee and three affinity groups (the Ropes Multicultural Group, the LGBT Forum and the Women’s Forum), actively builds relationships at the law schools at which Ropes & Gray recruits. The firm also provides pro bono assistance to LGBT asylum-seekers and secures health care rights for transgender prisoners and people living with HIV.

The standout Vault diversity rankings follow Ropes & Gray’s number one ranking for firm culture announced last week. The core components of the firm’s culture include collegiality, a common commitment to excellence in client service, mutual trust and respect, and a diverse and inclusive workforce. 

Ropes & Gray also received high rankings from Vault last week in several other quality of life categories, including a number two ranking for “Best Law Firm to Work For,” which marked the eighth straight year of a top-two ranking in this category. For the sixth consecutive year, Ropes & Gray was the top-rated firm for formal training.

More than 18,000 associates at U.S. firms participate in the survey that serves as the basis for the Vault rankings, assessing firms on factors including job satisfaction and training and development.