I. Our Vision
As a responsible and leading entity in the legal profession, Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd., believes in advancing diversity and inclusion so that the composition of our law firm and our profession reflects the society we represent. Inclusion and involvement by diverse individuals help us to provide our clients with the highest quality legal services. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion should become a part of every professional and staff member in our law firm.
When we recruit the most qualified new professionals and support staff, we will seek individuals of all racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
After we hire, we will mentor and motivate all of our lawyers and staff to be competent, able, caring, and dedicated professionals who should aspire to advance diversity and inclusion as they work to become effective members of this team.
We will value openness of expression as we manage our law firm and the matters we handle for our clients, and we will confront stereotypes in a mature and reasonable fashion in order to make well-reasoned decisions on behalf of our firm and our clients.
We will encourage those who do not traditionally have the means to seek and attend college, law, and other professional schools, and we will provide assistance to enter our profession with dignity and optimism.
As advocates for diversity and inclusion, we will lead first by action and example and then by words. We will seek to distinguish ourselves positively from other law firms. An effective diversity and inclusion effort has implications far beyond the “bottom line” of this law firm. It benefits us as individuals and professionals and advances and enriches the profession.
We want everyone who works at our firm or employs us as their legal counsel to know that we value them for their true selves. Our culture of inclusion allows for dignity, respect and fairness. Our differences allow for creativity and initiative in the workplace and in serving clients.
Amy Demlow, Managing Member
II. Our Effort
Our commitment is to strive to include women, members of minority groups, and individuals with disabilities or physical challenges in our law firm. We define “minorities” as all whose race is other than White/Caucasian; and those whose socioeconomic background, cultural background, sexual orientation or gender identity has presented barriers to their traditional participation in the professions.
Our leadership communicates the importance of diversity at the firm on a regular basis. The managing member, Board of Directors, individual members and non-attorney managers inform associate lawyers and support staff of our policy and commitment. Our policy is vibrant and dynamic, as we spend time at members’ meetings, Board of Directors meetings and staff meetings discussing the best ways to advance diversity and promote inclusion while maintaining the highest professional standards in serving our clients.
The mentors of younger lawyers are tasked to channel meaningful and responsible assignments to diverse lawyers and to evaluate the results. Members and mentors will educate themselves in order to provide appropriate evaluation and assistance to diverse lawyers in order to enhance their development and success in the profession. Our law firm considers diversity efforts as a part of each attorney’s individual contribution toward service to the profession and service to the community.
Our management solicits input from all professionals and staff on key management issues and makes a conscious effort to consider diverse viewpoints.
