Affinity Groups at Reed Smith US

In 2015, Reed Smith implemented an Affinity Group Program focused on the interests and professional needs of its ethnic, racial, LGBT, disabled, and veteran attorneys.

The groups focus their efforts on providing mutual professional support, exercising leadership skills, and representing the group’s particular interests to senior management. Each group has a partner and associate leader, and is sponsored by a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, including firm chairman Sandy Thomas, who is the executive sponsor for the African American Affinity Group, STAAARS (Sustaining and Training African American Attorneys at Reed Smith).

Although the D&I Director and Committee provide guidance and oversight to the Affinity Group Program, each group is self-governed and organized, including setting its own annual agenda, goals, and programming, focusing on those issues important to their respective constituencies. For example, the LGBT Affinity Group, PRISM (Pride Respect & Inclusion Simply Matter), has been working through the unique and complex issues of LGBT attorney self-reporting for internal and external data gathering purposes.

STAAARS hosted a roundtable discussion on successful business development led by two of the firm’s African American partners, one of whom is a top rainmaker and the other serves on the firm’s Executive Committee.

The Asian Affinity Group hosted a panel presentation, “Pathway to Promotion: Straight Talk about Promotion at Reed Smith and for In-House Counsel,” for which it is partnering with Reed Smith Asian alumni for a frank discussion about what is needed to progress successfully in law firms and in corporate legal departments.

The Disability Affinity Group, LEADRS (Looking for Excellence and Advancement of Disabled Attorneys at Reed Smith), is putting together a disability summit with guest speakers and interactive presentations on timely relevant topics.

The Hispanic/Latino and Veterans Groups are reaching out to partner with clients and their affinity groups on information.