Academic

As a Skadden alum, I often receive promotional literature from the firm, as well as invitations to alumni events.  Yesterday, I received a copy of "Facets," which is described on the cover as "Skadden's Diversity Publication."

First, I was very impressed with the openness of Skadden to all people when I joined the firm in 1997.  I remember people laughing at all the media attention on firms announcing benefits for same-sex partners because Skadden had been providing the same benefits for years.  Unlike other fancy firms, Skadden didn't seem to care a whit about where you were firm or what school you went to -- the basic question was how smart you were and could you perform to a standard that really approaches perfection.  The Facets publication seems to capture the essence of the Skadden meritocracy -- not only with standard photos of women and people of color, but also with stories that reflect a broader (and more expensive) commitment to diversity.  If a firm is really interested in diversity in the legal profession and any kind of (lower case) affirmative action, then a few hires a year isn't going to cut it.  However, public interest intiatives that focus on giving equal opportunities may, such as Skadden Fellowships and Skadden's new partnership with the City College of New York.  The publication also showcases pro bono representation Skadden provided in litigation involving both affirmative action and same-sex marriage.  I think that if I were looking for a firm that embraced the values of diversity, this publication would go a long way to making me think that Skadden was the firm for me.

Skadden has a long history of really cool publications.  When I was recruited, the recruiting magazines featured attorneys chosen because they had the same last names of famous (but unrelated) people.  I believe our friend Joan Heminway was in that publication!