"We will recognize the talents of each individual and recognize that all of our employees have the potential to contribute to the success of the firm." – from Verrill's Core Values
To us, diversity and inclusion are not only about race and gender; they are about creating a workplace that welcomes all generations, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, physical abilities, values, family statuses, backgrounds, and experiences. We want our law firm to be a place where the best and brightest can build a career. We know that by fostering a respectful and inclusive environment, we build a stronger firm.
"We will foster teamwork, loyalty, collegiality, trust, and mutual respect in our workplace." – from Verrill's Core Values
Recognizing the strengths of each employee is one of our Core Values. Our Total Quality (TQ) Program created a forum for all members of the Verrill team to voice their ideas to make the firm a better place to work. We understand that empowering everyone who works here to contribute to our business fosters an inclusive environment.
Here is concrete evidence of our commitment to diversity:
- Verrill established a Diversity Task Force with the goal of making our firm a leader not only for our legal excellence, but also for our inclusive workplace that supports all our attorneys and staff.
- Verrill is a member of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance.
- Verrill is a founder of the Racial Justice Fund launched by the Maine Justice Foundation.
- Verrill is one of the initial signers of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce "Standing in Solidarity Against Racial and Social Injustice" commitment pledge.
- Verrill joined the Connecticut Bar Association in its ongoing commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in the region’s legal community by signing “The Connecticut Legal Community’s Diversity & Inclusion Pledge.”
- Verrill was the first law firm in Maine to elect a woman Managing Partner, in 1992.
- According to Law360, Verrill ranks among the top U.S. law firms for our percentage of female partners, surpassing the national average for female partners.
- Verrill has been recognized among Law360's "Ceiling Smashers."
- Verrill has ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the National Law Journal's "NLJ 500 Women's Scorecard" based on a combination of our total percentage of female attorneys and our total percentage of female partners.
- We survey our attorneys and staff to ensure that we are taking steps that include and value them.
- Verrill is a member of the Boston Lawyers Group, a consortium of member firms that hold a deep passion and responsibility to help identify, recruit, advance, and retain attorneys of color in Boston.
- Verrill is a member of the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity in Connecticut, which was formed by concerned lawyers to answer the call for diversity and aims to increase the recruitment, retention, and promotion of lawyers of color.
- Our attorneys are active in organizations that broaden professional opportunities for underrepresented members of the legal profession, including the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts.
- We recruit from law schools with diverse student populations and diversity pledges that mirror our own.
We are firmly committed to continuing to build a more diverse and inclusive firm for our future.
For Our Clients
We understand that now more than ever our clients are looking to re-energize their efforts to make their workplaces more inclusive and to attract a more diverse workforce. Here are some resources we have created to help employers in their own commitment to diversity.
- HR 2116 and What You Need to Know About Hairstyle Discrimination (March 23, 2022)
- Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Deciphering Between Diversity Inclusion and Equity (Part 8 of 12) (November 6, 2020)
- Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Affinity Groups at Work (Part 7 of 12) (November 5, 2020)
- Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Include Hair Style and Texture In Anti-Discrimination Policies (Part 6 of 12) (August 20, 2020)
- Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Third-Party Intervention Training (Part 5 of 12) (July 14, 2020)
- Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Implicit Bias Training (Part 4 of 12) (June 19, 2020)
- Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement: Anti-Discrimination Training (Part 3 of 12) (June 12, 2020)
- Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement: Update EEOC Policies (Part 2 of 12) (June 11, 2020)
- Showing True Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement Means Changing Company Policies (June 10, 2020)
- Building a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace (November 4, 2019)
