Weild about Diversity

I first heard about Weil when I attended a small recruitment dinner the firm co-hosted with my law school’s LGBTQ organization. It was at a fantastic restaurant in Washington, D.C., and the students and associates ordered off of Weil emblazoned menus and wore Weil branded nametags—little touches of professionalism that impressed us all. I spent the evening talking to attorneys about the firm, D.C., law school, and a host of other things. I knew from then on that I wanted to work at Weil.

I’m splitting my summer between the D.C. and New York offices, and so far in New York, I have really appreciated the WEGALA events (WEGALA is Weil’s LGBTQ affinity group). Within the first few weeks, we had two great events. First, the firm hosted an informal welcome breakfast with an espresso cart, cold brew coffee, pastries, and avocado toast with poached eggs. Attorneys and summers stopped by the conference room and stayed to chat—about their practices, what they do for fun, and upcoming Memorial Day plans. They shared tips on what to do during the weekends in the city, areas and museums to explore, and tourist traps to avoid.

Weil also fielded a team for the AIDS Walk in Central Park on a Sunday morning. We joined thousands of companies, charities, and individuals walking and running through Central Park to raise money for GMHC and other regional AIDS service organizations. It was great to meet more lawyers and chat while taking in a beautiful day in the park. Later, we went to a restaurant for lunch and games, which was a great way to unwind and socialize outside of the office.

There are events throughout the summer both in New York and D.C. for WEGALA—as well as for the firm’s other affinity groups. Diversity and inclusion are truly important for Weil, and not just because happy and recognized employees are more productive. The firm has numerous LGBTQ attorneys across its many offices. It is an active participant at the Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair, hosts its own WEGALA Affinity Group Conference, and is involved in community and pro bono projects across offices. Finally, it is routinely awarded a “Best Place to Work” for LGBTQ people, scoring 100% on the Corporate Equality Index published by the Human Rights Campaign. Though I’m only one month into my time here, I couldn’t agree more!