Erika Arner

• I will use my voice as a leader in my organization and in the profession to advocate for DEI in the legal profession and in my community. Metric: At least twice a year, I will speak on panels or engage with the firm’s affinity groups on issues confronting DEI.
• I will use my position among my firm’s leadership to advocate for equity in processes related to work assignments, evaluation, advancement, and compensation. Metric: I will work with the firm’s diversity committee towards equity in developing a process for fair and equitable work allocation and supporting training for review attorneys conducting evaluations.
• I will personally champion the firm’s Sponsorship program in which members of firm management are paired with diverse junior attorneys to further support the development, retention, and advancement of high-performing, diverse attorneys within the firm. Metric: I will personally sponsor at least one diverse junior attorney every year to ensure each protégé receives a concrete opportunity for internal/external visibility each year.
• I will partner or recommend that another management committee member partner with in-house counsel to host an LCLD Leadership Lunch every year. Metric: Host an LCLD leadership lunch.
• I will meet twice annually with my organization’s LCLD Fellows, Pathfinders, and Alumni to discuss their experiences within the organization, and ask each individual to come to the meeting with a recommendation for how the organization could improve. Metric: Meet with the firm’s LCLD Fellows, Pathfinders, and Alumni twice a year.
• I will speak with GC/LCLD Member clients about opportunities to collaborate to advance the careers of diverse lawyers within the firm, through opportunities like secondments, inclusion of diverse lawyers in partner succession planning, etc. Metric: Collaborate with at least two clients to develop DEI initiatives every year.

• Finnegan will require the partner-in-charge of DEI and the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, together with the firm’s diversity committee, to prepare and present to firm leadership annual DEI action plans and related metrics.
• Finnegan will promote internal visibility of diverse attorneys by creating a directory of lawyers who identify as diverse, and circulate it with practice group leaders and others building client teams. Metric: Create directory of lawyers who identify as diverse to further support creation of diverse teams for client matters.
• Finnegan will continue to promote diversity within its leadership ranks, including at the highest levels of leadership. Metric: Finnegan will continue to have at least 50% diversity in its management and compensation committee and will continue to use the Mansfield rule to ensure the firm actively considers diverse lawyers for leadership positions.
• Finnegan will continue to present diverse proposed teams for client pitches. Metric: Finnegan will continue to aim for at least 40% diverse attorneys participating in client pitches annually.
• Finnegan will ensure that at least 30% of the sponsors in the firm’s Sponsorship program, in which members of firm management are paired with diverse junior attorneys to further support the development, retention, and advancement of high- performing, diverse attorneys within the firm, are racially diverse. Metric: Ensure that at least 30% of the sponsors in the firm’s Sponsorship program are racially diverse.
• Finnegan will continue to recruit diverse summer classes and lateral hires. Metric: Finnegan will aim to have a summer associate class that is at least 50% diverse and will continue to aim for at least 40% diversity with lateral hires annually.
• Finnegan will promote client succession plans that include consideration of a diverse partner in senior partners’ succession plans for firm clients as they retire from the partnership. Metric: Intentional consideration of diversity in succession plans of upcoming retirements from the partnership.
• Finnegan will create and engage in opportunities to collaborate with clients on impactful diversity initiatives (1L Diversity Corporate Partnership Program, networking or meet and greets, secondments, internships, client mentorship, community service projects, pro bono, etc.). Metric: Partner with at least five clients on DEI initiatives every year.

To learn more about Erika, click here.