Haynes and Boone, LLP Director of Diversity and Inclusion Jennifer Reddien will serve as a panelist this week at the 15th Annual National Diversity & Leadership Conference in Dallas.
The weeklong conference, themed “Inclusion: The Time is Now,” is a diversity and leadership event that features internationally renowned figures such as former U.S. President Barack Obama, who will be the keynote speaker on April 11.
On April 10, Reddien will participate in a panel discussion about implicit bias. Last fall, Reddien facilitated a similar event at Haynes and Boone. The firm joined 100 other law firms and corporations to participate in a Day of Understanding, which encouraged open dialogue about diversity and inclusion and implicit bias to increase understanding among colleagues.
“One purpose of our Day of Understanding was to further embrace differences in our organization and build a more inclusive culture,” Reddien said. “The event was very well-received among the lawyers, many of whom said it was a great learning opportunity.”
Since joining the firm as Director of Diversity and Inclusion in 2018, Reddien has led a series of workshops, spoken on numerous panels, met with leaders of client companies, initiated new diversity communiqués, and restructured and re-energized the Attorney Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The committee sets goals for policies and programs related to the recruitment, retention, promotion and professional development of the firm’s diverse lawyers – and the next generation of diverse lawyers that it hopes to recruit to the profession.
“Our initiatives encourage our lawyers to draw upon their unique experiences and backgrounds to develop their careers and grow with the company,” Jenn said. “We can all benefit from having a more diverse mindset, within the firm and in the outside world.”
Haynes and Boone is widely recognized for its diversity and inclusion efforts. It received the 2018 AT&T Legal Department Diversity and Inclusion Progress Award and the Diversity Law Institute Award in 2017. Haynes and Boone also was ranked in the Top 10 in the country for minority attorneys by Law360. Last month, the firm earned a 100% rating in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index.
Hosted by the National Diversity Council (NDC), the conference will take place in Dallas this week.
About Haynes and Boone
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With more than 575 lawyers, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer.