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Sponsored by: Preti Flaherty
Updated: March 8, 2021 Diversity / Equity / Inclusion 2021

Preti Flaherty

How can we be better? 

How can we be better? Do better? These were important questions in the minds of our founding partners when Preti Flaherty first opened its doors. They wanted to break traditions and do things differently. They wanted to be better than the status-quo. And so, boldness, integrity, inclusion, innovation, and collaboration became principles that our Firm put into practice and have followed each day since.

We formed our Diversity Committee many years ago to reflect our core belief that diverse backgrounds, identities, cultures and perspectives enrich our communities as well as our approach to the practice of law. One of the things I’ve cherished regarding our firm is the spirit and resolve with which we approach issues. When we say we’re going to do something, we do it. We have an engaged group of lawyers and staff who created our Diversity Action Plan and actively develop new opportunities for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As an industry, we must make progress regarding diversity. In the United States, only 14% of lawyers are people of color. Only 5% are African-American. Men outnumber women 2-to-1. Our clients and strategic partners, as well as the cities and towns where we practice are becoming increasingly diverse. The more we represent and advance this cultural vibrancy, the better attorneys we are for our clients and the better contributors we are to our communities.

Our principles of inclusiveness are inherent in our recruitment and promotion policies. In recent years, 52% of our new attorneys have been women. Two months ago, we promoted three attorneys to partner – all of them women. We’re also honored to now be part of the Maine Summer Diversity Associate Program, recruiting a diverse pool of first-year law students from across the country to work for various Maine law firms and private companies.

What we do outside our walls matters too. Preti is proud to be a founding member of the Maine Justice Foundation’s Racial Justice Fund. We also made a long-term commitment to our program “Actions. Now. For Change.” in communities across New England. Our efforts in Maine led us to partner with the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project. We currently have a dozen Preti attorneys working pro bono with ILAP’s Immigrant Children’s Project, helping seventeen immigrant children find a path to citizenship in the United States.

As I look at where we started, where we are, and where we’re going, I’m humbled and I’m hopeful. I know we have work to do. I also believe that meaningful change can begin to take place when we work together. I’ve seen it firsthand in the efforts of so many partnerships and organizations. It’s been a privilege for Preti to be part of some of these important efforts, and we look forward to deepening our relationships with our partners, enriching our culture, and continuing to ask the questions: How can we be better? How can we do better?

— David Van Slyke Managing Partner at Preti Flaherty