|
Commitment to Women
Thompson Coburn LLP established the Total Commitment Women’s Initiative to
promote our women attorneys and provide a means for them to network, to assist
each other in meeting their full potential, and to ensure recognition for their
successes.
Thompson Coburn is committed to creating an inclusive culture
that recognizes the value in all individuals. We celebrate the unique
strengths, abilities, and contributions of our women lawyers and are committed
to building and sustaining an environment that welcomes, supports, and
encourages women to become successful attorneys, respected business leaders,
and valued members of our community. A clear demonstration of the firm’s
commitment to these values is the formation of our Total Commitment Women’s
Initiative. Our initiative is built on the following core imperatives:
-
Create and sustain a culture of inclusion and respect
-
Enable, support and assist women attorneys in meeting their full potential
-
Increase awareness of the capabilities and contributions of women attorneys
Commitment to Success
Thompson Coburn’s commitment to its women attorneys is evident in the
leadership positions our women have achieved and in the support and resources
directed at providing opportunities for our women attorneys, both internally
and in our community. Two of our women partners are members of the firm’s
12-member Management Committee. Our women partners also serve as chair or vice
chair of critical internal committees, including the Hiring Committee and
Associates Committee. And, three of our women partners are chairs or co-chairs
of high-profile, successful practice groups in our firm. We are also fortunate
to have a woman as the Partner in Charge of our Washington, D.C. office.
For many years, Thompson Coburn’s women partners have met
monthly to network informally and to plan various events targeted at business
development and the retention of women attorneys, including an annual women’s
client event, an annual off-site social event for all women attorneys and
summer associates, and quarterly on-site lunches for all women attorneys. The
firm’s commitment of resources to support our women attorneys is clearly
evidenced by the firm’s support of these events. Thompson Coburn also provides
business development training targeted to women and sponsors a mentorship
program through which each woman associate is assigned a female partner mentor.
Commitment to Clients
Our attorneys understand the business needs of their clients and are well
versed in the industries in which they work. Our women attorneys actively
participate in various trade organizations, including those that are
women-focused. We also support their efforts and commitment to hold leadership
positions in these organizations, including:
-
Secretary of the Metro Chapter of the Women in International Shipping and
Trading Association (WISTA);
-
Past president of the Commercial Real Estate Women of St. Louis (CREW)
organization;
-
Secretary of the Marine Finance Committee of the Maritime Law Association of
the U.S.;
-
Past Chair, Legal Affairs Committee of the American Public Transportation
Association;
-
Past President, Mound City Bar Association;
-
Past President, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis;
-
Regional Director for Region VIII of the National Bar Association;
-
Member of the Board of Directors of the Risk Management Association;
-
Past Chair, State and Local Tax Committee of the American Bar Association.
Commitment to Community
Thompson Coburn is committed to making a difference in the community and
encouraging our women attorneys to participate in philanthropic and pro bono
activities. We recently became a founding donor ($10,000) of the Legal
Advocates for Abused Women (LAAW) Foundation and made a commitment to provide
pro bono legal services to victims of domestic violence. All of our St. Louis
women partners participate in the United Way Women’s Leadership Giving Initiative,
whereby they donate $1,000 or more to United Way. Thompson Coburn is also an
annual sponsor of the St. Louis Business Journal’s Conference for Women.
The firm has sponsored radio station KMOX’s “Women of
Achievement” campaign, which honored ten St. Louis women for their outstanding
contributions to the community, as well as their “Spotlight on Women and
Minority Leaders” campaign, which saluted St. Louis-area women and minority
leaders.
The firm also donated $120,000 to fund the Legal Services of
Eastern Missouri (LSEM) Chair, which enabled LSEM’s Children’s Alliance to hire
a new attorney who provides representation to special needs children in the
area of education.
Total Commitment Women’s Initiative Steering Committee:
|