Woods Rogers is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our practice. We value diversity in recruitment, hiring, promoting, and retaining attorneys and staff. We provide equal opportunity to all. As counselors of the law, living out the tenets of justice is what we do. Our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) Committee recognizes the legal profession plays a critical role in reinforcing the rule of law and advancing fairness and equality.
We dedicate our time and effort to ensure these core values are reflected within the firm and within the communities we serve.
Core Philosophy
Woods Rogers is an exceptional firm, and our people are the commonality. Our bios are not just accolades and credentials. They are living, breathing representations of the people who shape our firm and highlight our dedication to bringing together attorneys of diverse backgrounds and perspectives who are also at the top of their respective fields.
Our workplace is a collaborative environment that encourages employees to build great teams and find creative solutions to legal issues. We respect the unique experiences that come from our own backgrounds and those of our clients. Every case or legal issue presents more than one perspective, which is precisely why diversity and inclusion are essential in helping our clients succeed.
We believe that a diverse legal team enhances the quality of our work, bringing together different perspectives, experiences, and ideas to better serve our clients and communities. Recognizing and understanding different viewpoints helps us provide exceptional client service. We cultivate a culture where all individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute fully.
JEDI Initiatives
The JEDI Committee’s work centers on four key initiatives:
- Training and Education: Cultivating cultural awareness and competency around JEDI principles within Woods Rogers by way of trainings and educational opportunities to expand knowledge and growth.
- Recruiting & Retention: Valuing what makes every potential hire and employee diverse while maintaining a vibrant work culture and high standards of excellence and professionalism.
- Leadership & Advancement: Ensuring equal opportunity for leadership, promotion, professional development, and advancement for all staff and attorneys.
- Special Events and Community Engagement: Taking our commitment “inside out” and establishing partnerships to foster JEDI principles in our communities.
JEDI in Action
Each JEDI initiative is led by a sub-group of the committee accountable for developing and implementing tactics to achieve a defined set of objectives. The committee reports quarterly to the Woods Rogers Board of Directors to ensure progress on the initiatives and alignment with the firm’s strategic plan.
Current initiatives include:
- Developing ongoing educational opportunities and training programs for staff and attorneys focused on understanding diversity and inclusion, combating biases, and preventing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
- As part of recruiting qualified students from top law schools, our recruiting committee works to establish relationships with all law schools and law school groups to broadcast employment opportunities to a wide audience and to encourage diverse and highly qualified applicants to consider Woods Rogers as their future home.
- As part of JEDI’s community engagement, Woods Rogers supports and participates in local community events such as the Local Colors festival, which celebrates people from cultures around the globe, MLK Day breakfasts, Juneteenth celebrations, service projects at organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Feeding America, and a variety of other inclusive cultural events in all its regional office areas.
