New York, NY, (August 4, 2010) Vault.com, the source of ratings, rankings and insight for law students and lawyers, released its 2011 Law Firm Diversity Rankings and for the second straight year, Carlton Fields is No. 1 in the category of “Overall Diversity.”

Earlier this year, more than 15,000 law firm associates rated their employers on a variety of issues, including diversity, with respect to minority, women and GLBT attorneys.  

The results of the survey were released during the Vault/MCCA Legal Diversity Career Fair on Friday, July 30, 2010, in Washington, D.C. The career fair offered candidates an opportunity to meet and present their resumes to hiring partners and recruiters from top law firms, government agencies, and corporate law departments.  During the event, Vault representatives honored the Top 20 law firms who were the most highly rated by their own associates for their overall commitment to hiring, retaining and promoting diverse attorneys.

The Top 20 law firms honored for their overall commitment to diversity are:
 
1.    Carlton Fields
2.    Hughes Hubbard & Reed    
3.    Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
4.    Ropes & Gray
5.    Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
6.    Morrison & Foerster
7.    Shook, Hardy & Bacon    
8.    Jenner & Block
9.    Debevoise & Plimpton
10.  Littler Mendelson P.C.
11.  Arnold & Porter
12.  Hinshaw & Culbertson
13.  Finnegan
14.  Weil, Gotshal & Manges
15.   Bingham McCutchen
16.   Cravath, Swaine & Moore / Alston & Bird (tie)
17.   Haynes and Boone
18.   WilmerHale
19.   Vinson & Elkins
20.   Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel

“Vault’s diversity rankings are unique in that it is the law firm associates themselves who rate their employer’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace.  Lawyers are a tough crowd; these firms have cleared a high bar,” noted Brian Dalton, Managing Editor at Vault.com.  “Carlton Fields has been our No. 1 firm for Overall Diversity for the past two years.  According to its own associates, Carlton Fields ‘treats diversity as a priority’ and ‘is not simply following a trend’—and this is reflected in our rankings.”

In addition to earning the distinction as the top firm for Overall Diversity, Carlton Fields was also ranked No. 1 in Diversity for Women and in Diversity for Minorities.  Associates were proud of Carlton Fields’ efforts to promote diversity, stating that the “firm successfully hires a diverse workforce and provides an excellent fostering environment for all kinds of minorities.”  Another associate said, “The firm truly values diversity. I have always been impressed by that.”

When it came to the Diversity for GLBT Rankings, Jenner & Block took the top spot with survey respondents noting that “Jenner & Block was committed to diversity before it was trendy” and that “the firm is extremely GLBT-supportive, in its policies, in its casework (a tremendous amount of pro bono work involves civil rights litigation on behalf of GLBT issues), and in its office culture.”  One associate added, “The firm is very diverse. As a GLBT individual, I do not believe there is a better law firm out there.”

The Law Firm Diversity Rankings were released as part of a month-long rollout of the Vault.com Law Firm Rankings that began on July 20, 2010.  The rankings are considered the “bible” for law students, associates, partners and law firm recruiters, and provide a detailed perspective on the criteria considered by candidates when evaluating law firms.  Please contact Jon Minners to gain access to these rankings as they become available. 

View the entire 2011 Vault Law Firm Diversity Rankings.

About Vault
Vault is the source for employer and university rankings, ratings and insight for highly credentialed, in-demand candidates.  Vault’s editorial mission is to provide the research required by candidates to evaluate professions, industries, educational pathways, and top companies.  Vault ratings and rankings inform candidates’ analysis of companies and allow direct comparison between potential employers in such high value industries as law, banking, consulting and accounting.  Vault’s customers include Fortune 1000 advertisers and recruiters, the country’s top universities and graduate schools—and 8 million consumers worldwide.


CONTACT:                    
Jon Minners                        
JMinners@vault.com                    
646.792.6205