Diversity is an essential component of Shook, Hardy & Bacon's vision statement, which provides, in part that SHB is deeply passionate about sustaining "a diverse environment where everyone is respected, feels appreciated and experiences fulfillment and enjoyment through meaningful contributions." The firm's equal opportunity policy explicitly bars discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, and domestic partner benefits apply to same-sex relationships. To view the firm's 2009 Diversity Annual Report, please click here.
SHB works with clients to make significant progress in the recruitment and advancement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds. The firm is actively involved with the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and is a supporter of “A Call to Action: Diversity in the Legal Profession”. SHB also participates in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, an organization of chief legal officers from Fortune 500 companies and law firm managing partners dedicated to improving diversity in the legal profession. To view the SHB Diversity At-A-Glance Brochure, please click here. To read more about LGBT Initiatives at SHB, please click here.
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Law School Workshops - SHB partners with student organizations such as the Hispanic Law Students Association and the Black Law Students Association on programs that offer practical advice on improving resumes and interviewing skills.
Minority Job Fair Recruiting - SHB recruits at such events across the nation, including the Bay Area Minority Job Fair, DuPont Minority Job Fair, Lavender Law Job Fair, and the Southeastern Minority Job Fair.
Women's Management Council - This proactive group of SHB women partners serves as a catalyst for programs targeting the unique challenges facing women practitioners. To read more about the distinguished women attorneys of SHB, please click here and here.
Educational Programming - SHB’s fall 2008 Law and Women Symposium in Kansas City featured sessions on strategic communication skills for women lawyers, successfully navigating workplace politics, female corporate counsels’ personal stories of rising to their positions of leadership, as well as a keynote presentation about covering the U.S. Supreme Court by National Public Radio Legal Correspondent Nina Totenberg.
Other 2008 SHB events featured Stakeholder 100 founder Werten Bellamy, who moderated several sessions at the firm’s annual retreat for racially and ethnically diverse attorneys in April, and motivational speaker Albert Mensah, author of When the Drumbeat Changes, Dance a Different Dance, who shared his unique perspective on turning problems into opportunities at the firm’s annual all-attorney retreat in October.
 Diversity Checklist - SHB requires each attorney to personally commit to diversity as a core value. To help achieve our diversity goals, all attorneys are required to complete five to 10 diversity commitment action items from the firm’s award-winning Diversity Checklist as part of the annual evaluation and compensation process. Diversity awareness training for staff will soon include a similar checklist.
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SHB Accolades
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) has recognized SHB for its outstanding diversity program by awarding the Thomas L. Sager Award to the firm in 2001, 2002 and 2010. In 2004, the Jackson County Bar Association honored SHB with its inaugural Pyramid of Diversity Award for supporting diversity in Kansas City through recruiting, retention and promotion policies, as well as through partnerships with organizations that share the same goal. SHB San Francisco received the No Glass Ceiling Award in 2005 from the Bar Association of San Francisco for exceeding the signatory law firms' goal of having at least 25 percent women in partnership positions and at least 25 percent women in management positions within two years. In 2006, SHB was awarded the annual DRI Law Firm Diversity Award from the Defense Research Institute for the firm’s demonstrated commitment to diversity in policies, practices and civic contributions. The Coca-Cola Co. in 2008 presented SHB with its Living the Values Award in recognition of the firm’s progressive diversity practices. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation awarded SHB the top rating of 100 percent in its 2010 Corporate Equality Index, naming the firm to its list of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” Altria awarded SHB its inaugural Law Department Diversity and Inclusion Award in April 2010 to recognize the firm’s commitment to diversity in the legal profession.
SHB’s commitment to diversity has been lauded in national publications. Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers noted SHB among "Best Law Firms for Women" in 2008 and 2009. MultiCultural Law magazine in 2010 ranked SHB 63st in its “Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity.” The firm ranked 27th in the magazine’s “Top 100 Law Firms for Women,” 9th in the “Top 50 Law Firms for Partners” and 15th in the “Top 25 Law Firms for Hispanics” listings. The Daily Business Review ranked SHB among the Top 25 Most Diverse Law Firms in South Florida in January 2010.
The firm’s diversity initiatives have also been highlighted in The American Lawyer (February 2009), MultiCultural Law (Spring/Summer 2009), SAVOY Professional (Summer 2009), and Diversity & The Bar (January/February 2010).
SHB Diversity Committee
Director of Strategic Diversity Initiatives: Michelle P. Wimes 816-559-2535 
