Dykema understands that diversity in the workplace is not only a sound practice, it's good business. We know that a diverse workforce helps us better understand and serve our clients, and enables us to have a positive impact on the communities in which we work.

At Dykema, diversity isn't a policy designed to meet legal requirements for equal opportunity or affirmative action. Rather, it's a key component of our corporate culture: a culture built on the idea of inclusion, in which we promote dignity and respect for all, and seek opportunities to learn from one another, even when those perspectives are shaped from different backgrounds and experiences. Our commitment to diversity ensures that all—without regard to gender, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion or disability—are welcomed. To achieve this, we develop, implement and monitor programs and activities that not only enhance diversity and inclusion, but eliminate any obstacles to those initiatives.

Dykema's diversity activities are many and varied. In addition to a robust Diversity Scholarships program, the firm's diversity efforts include:

• Summer Clerkships. Dykema participates in the Wolverine Bar Association's summer clerkship program, through which we hire a minority law student after his/her first year of law school. Dykema has also created an informal clerkship program with the Indigenous Law Program of the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Law. Through this program, Dykema has committed to maintain a clerkship in its Lansing office for Native American students who are members of MSU's Indigenous Law Program. Finally, we offer recipients of the Dykema Diversity Scholarship the opportunity to join Dykema for the summer following their first and second years of law school.
• Mentoring Program. Dykema's pairs new hires with senior attorneys who are charged with the responsibility of guiding their charges through successful development of their legal careers at Dykema. In a carefully calibrated manner, mentors develop and help execute a professional development plan, monitor work assignments, help their charges create and build the professional relationships necessary to prosper, identify and remediate any problem areas and help their charges become fully integrated into the firm. Mentors and their assigned candidates meet regularly for training, feedback and discussion. To ensure continuity, each mentor makes a two-year commitment with his or her assigned candidate.

While there are many ways by which our firm's diversity initiatives can be deemed successful, nothing means as much to us as the judgment made by others. In 2011, Dykema was named one of the "Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity" by MultiCultural Law magazine. As impressive as this year's rating is, Dykema has been so named by MultiCultural Law every year since 2007.