Plunkett Cooney is among the growing list of law firms that supports the Oakland County Bar Association's (OCBA) Anti-Racism Statement.
The OCBA's Diversity and Inclusion Committee crafted an interactive statement that requests more than performative allyship. The statement invites individuals and law firms to join the OCBA in combating systemic racism by completing a short online form that states signatories publicly oppose systemic racism.
"I'm proud to stand up and be counted as the leader of a firm that has been working hard to improve not only its diversity and inclusion efforts but to stand up against racism," said Plunkett Cooney President & CEO Thomas P. Vincent. "This is a powerful statement by the OCBA and a stark reminder that Plunkett Cooney and the legal profession have a long way to go to reflect the diversity of our communities and to end systems that harbor racism in any form."
Joining Vincent in personally signing the OCBA statement is Plunkett Cooney's Director of Diversity & Inclusion Laurel F. McGiffert, who is also a member of the African American Partners Collaborative, a group of partners from major metro Detroit law firms seeking to advance opportunities for African American attorneys in the legal industry.
"It's wonderful to see the OCBA and so many other groups taking affirmative steps to acknowledge that systematic racism exists and clearly stating that the time has come to stamp it out in all of its forms," McGiffert said. "Each of us can play a part in this fight, so I'm hopeful that our firm members and others continue to add their names to this important document."
Since 2002, Plunkett Cooney has had in place a Diversity & Inclusion Committee focused on the recruitment and retention of minority attorneys. Committee members also work to advance diversity training, mentoring of young attorneys, female attorney leadership opportunities and community outreach that provides financial support and encourages employee volunteerism to positively impact race relations in communities.
Published: Tue, Oct 20, 2020
