I, Bill Hines, personally commit to the following:

Personal Commitment

  • Use my voice and influence as a leader in the firm and in the legal community to actively support and advocate for increased diversity, inclusion, and equitable opportunities for diverse attorneys.
  • Continue to advocate for strong diversity on our board and in management of the firm.
  • Lead by example in assembling a diverse leadership team at all levels of the firm that will attract and retain a diverse pipeline for future leadership roles within our practice teams, administrative teams, and offices.
  • Continue to be mindful of measuring our success and achieving our strategic goals that are aligned with the firm’s diversity and inclusion mission statement to encourage, foster, and increase diversity across the firm.
  • Work regularly with our Diversity Committee to implement realistic strategies to support our goals to recruit, retain, and advance diverse lawyers and staff, to increase awareness of the importance of diversity, and to foster an environment of respect and appreciation for diverse backgrounds.
  • Initiate conversations with our diverse lawyers and staff to gain perspectives and collect suggestions regarding how we can continue to develop our law firm into the diverse and welcoming workplace that we all desire.
  • Implement changes that eliminate the barriers to success in retaining diverse talent and having a meaningful mentoring program that embraces our diverse talent.
  • Continue to support our existing employee resource initiatives surrounding the Black, Jewish, Hispanic, LGBTQ and Women’s communities in our firm and support and encourage the development of additional resource groups surrounding other diverse communities.
  • Communicate annually with clients about Jones Walker’s active commitment to increase diversity and inclusion and explore ways to partner with clients on initiatives that will further our shared diversity goals.
  • Support the firm’s active participation in initiatives like LCLD’s Fellows, Pathfinders and Scholars program and the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule certification.

Organizational Commitment

  • In line with our firm’s mission to always go beyond, Jones Walker strives to encourage, foster, and increase diversity across the entire firm while constantly measuring our success to reach and go beyond our goals.
  • Create a team that works regularly to carry out the firm’s diversity and inclusion mission statement to encourage, foster, and increase diversity across the firm.
  • Foster a diverse and inclusive culture that empowers staff and lawyers to work together in a workplace that leads with respect, compassion, and understanding.
  • Be mindful and deliberate in our approach to keep diversity in our conversations at all levels and employ the powerful tools of self-reflection following these conversations.
  • Provide programs and resources to underscore the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, including support for, and establishing a framework for developing, employee resource groups to support diverse communities within the firm.
  • Encourage firm leadership to proactively participate in diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives.
  • Prioritize the building of diverse client teams that reflect our clients’ organizations and communities.
  • Support programs and initiatives that celebrate diversity and promote an inclusive workplace.
  • Invest in strategic diversity partnerships with clients, diversity organizations, and the communities where we work and live.
  • Continue to enhance our existing mentoring program and create best practices that inspire future success.
  • Employ the tools of innovation and creativity to support, retain, and advance the diverse candidates that we hire.
  • Utilize the firm’s diversity data to measure progress in recruitment, retention, and advancement.

Make a move,
join the movement.

Make Your Pledge