LOCALLY SPONSORING LAW FIRMS
via Equality Illinois
(CHICAGO)
Thirty-six Illinois Law Firms Top Equality Illinois Corporate Responsibility Survey
Equality Illinois today issues its seventh annual Raising the Bar report, recognizing 36 Illinois law firms for leading the way in providing a safe and fair work environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees and engaging with the LGBT
community.
This annual look at corporate responsibility, built from our survey of the 150 largest firms doing business in the state of Illinois, which can be found at http://issuu.com/eqil/docs/raising_the_bar, focuses exclusively on law firms. “We believe that lawyers, as defenders of the law, need to be at the forefront of equal work environments for LGBT individuals,” said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, the state’s oldest and largest LGBT advocacy organization.
In addition, Equality Illinois today announces the publication of the Law Firm Best Practices Manual with comprehensive policy recommendations to help firms foster an LGBT-friendly environment. The manual can be found at: http://issuu.com/eqil/docs/law_firm_best_practices.
The law firms were honored at the annual Lawyers for Diversity reception tonight (July 26) at 6 p.m. at Sidetrack (3349 N. Halsted Street, Chicago). Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis is the guest speaker at the event that will benefit Equality Illinois, the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, LAGBAC Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago, and Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Northern Illinois Council.
Thanks to the hard work of Equality Illinois and many others, Illinois is one of eleven states in which sexual orientation and gender identity are protected classes in the workplace. In addition, the civil union law and other statewide administrative guidelines set a far higher bar in law than can be measured by a national index.
“This higher baseline puts Illinois employers ahead of the pack, but it also gives them a greater responsibility to push the envelope in securing truly LGBT-inclusive policies in the workplace,” Cherkasov said.
LOCALLY SPONSORING LAW FIRMS
