Rodey Law Firm Diversity Statement

The Rodey Law Firm is committed to being a diverse workplace that reflects the community in which we live and work. We firmly believe that a diverse workforce makes us a better law firm. It enables us to bring a broader perspective to the problems our clients face, leads to a higher quality of work, and enriches the work atmosphere itself. Accordingly, it is the goal of the Firm to foster a firm-wide culture that promotes diversity, so that all attorneys are valued.

Rodey recruits attorneys who are diverse in every sense of the word. In addition to supporting the professional careers of women and racial and ethnic minorities, our clients benefit from the varying perspectives and life experiences that individuals with other types of diverse backgrounds bring to our Firm.

The Rodey culture is collegial, team-oriented, and balanced. We have many of the finest litigators and transactional attorneys in the state; all are happy to share their knowledge and experience with new attorneys. Along with being outstanding attorneys, some of us are also mountain climbers, musicians, ultra-marathoners, parents, soccer coaches, backpackers, Scout leaders, skiers, movie buffs, golfers, ham radio operators, snowboarders, photographers, sailors, patrons of the arts, or active members of our faith communities. We are former clerks for judges and justices in state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Before becoming lawyers, some of us were engineers, nurses or members of the United States Armed Forces. We are alumni of twenty-five law schools.

DIVERSITY COMMITTEE:

The Firm has a standing Diversity Committee, which assists in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. The Diversity Committee is comprised of members with a wide variety of backgrounds, including both junior and senior directors, associates, administrators, men and women, and racial minorities and non-minorities. These individuals share a strong commitment to increasing the Firm’s diversity and use their unique experiences and backgrounds to support and further that goal.

RECRUITING AND RETENTION:

The Firm seeks to recruit and retain new and lateral attorneys with strong legal skills and diverse backgrounds. Part of that recruiting effort is developing strong relationships with professional, educational, and community groups that share the Firm’s commitment to diversity. The Firm also is committed to maintaining a strong relationship with the law school that serves this State. In cooperation with the University of New Mexico School of Law, the Firm has established the Rodey Scholarship, an annual scholarship offered to a minority law student entering the second year of law school. In addition, the Firm participates in the State Bar Summer Law Clerk program, offering employment opportunities for diverse and deserving students at UNM Law School. Each year, the Firm recruits at least one of its summer associates through that program. The Firm recognizes that recruiting alone is insufficient to create and maintain the diverse workforce that is critical to long-term success. The Firm’s primary goal with respect to retention is to ensure that all attorneys receive the training, mentoring, and support that they need to succeed.

FIRM CULTURE:

The Firm recognizes that true progress in the area of diversity requires making diversity a core value shared by all members of the Firm. It requires involving key decision-makers who can take meaningful steps to implement diversity initiatives. The Firm has significant cross-membership between the key committees that affect the recruiting, hiring, and retention of diverse attorneys. The Chairpersons of both the Associates Committee (Leslie McCarthy Apodaca) and the Recruiting Committee (Aaron C. Viets) are members of the Diversity Committee.

The Firm cultivates active participation by women and minorities at all levels of Firm management, including the Executive Committee, practice group leaders, and other vital Firm committees. Every Firm committee includes at least one woman.

At Rodey, we consider our diversity efforts critical to the level of service that we provide to our clients. We also recognize that a commitment to diversity requires sustained attention and effort. Achieving and supporting diversity is an ongoing challenge, one that Rodey has made a priority of the Firm’s management, recruiting, and day-to-day practice.