Our DEI Mission Statement To intentionally promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment by: Accepting, respecting, and valuing differences; Engaging, education, and empowering the Baird Holm community; supporting the recruitment, development, and retention of talented employees and firm leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences; Developing, recommending, and implementing strategic initiatives concerning DEI; and Fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal community, in order to create a greater community of belonging for all at Baird Holm and in the broader legal community where each person has the opportunity and resources to develop and succeed, both personally and professionally.

 

A Different Kind of Law Firm
We believe the things that make us different should be celebrated. We embrace diversity.  We believe diversity fosters innovation, groundbreaking thinking, and true collaboration.

• Our collegial, professional environment creates solid mentoring and work relationships throughout the Firm that help all attorneys and staff members advance their careers.
• We provide a variety of benefits to help each individual balance work and life.
• We engage in summer associate recruiting efforts at both regional and national recruiting fairs to ensure a depth of candidates for our summer associate program.
• One-third of the firm’s partners are female.
• Female partners serve as section leaders of more than one-third of the firm’s practice sections. 
• Our Women’s Initiative, an internal organization that strives to enhance business development opportunities for women, has been in place since 2007.
• Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, an internal organization that focuses on recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse talent, has been in place since 2006.
• In 2023, Baird Holm achieved Midsize Mansfield Certification Plus after completing a rigorous 18-month collaboration with Diversity Lab to track, measure, and achieve diversity in leadership.

 

Our DEI Initiatives
The firm’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion includes providing ongoing educational activities for attorneys and support staff. Our Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Committee, comprised of both attorneys and staff, involves the firm in legal and non-legal initiatives related to diversity, implements and updates internal policies to advance the firm’s commitment, and integrates all of our attorneys and staff members through Firm-wide communications.  

Our diversity initiatives include:

• A founding member of a working non-profit organization, the Nebraska Legal Diversity Council, which has the goal of increasing diversity and inclusion in Nebraska’s law schools and in the Nebraska Bar. The program was developed as a joint effort with the University of Nebraska College of Law, the Creighton University School of Law, the Nebraska State Bar Association, and other leading law firms and key area businesses. Baird Holm’s pledge includes both a financial and Board commitment.  Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee chair has been a key member of the committee responsible for developing the initial plans for the organization and is a member of the organization’s Executive Committee.
• Longtime supporter of the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity (CODE) initiative, a collective effort of Omaha CEOs committed to identifying collective action for diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces and communities, including recent support of the newly established CEOs for CODE statement and pledge to stand united against racism.
• A Gold Level Sponsor of the Nebraska State Bar Association’s LSAT Prep Scholarship, which assists historically underrepresented students with preparing for the LSAT exam by covering the costs of an LSAT prep course and registration. Baird Holm also sponsors a similar LSAT program with the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Creighton University.
• A participant in and sponsor of the Nebraska State Bar Association Legal Diversity Summit.
• Provider of the Baird Holm Initiative Award to promising undergraduate students who participate in the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Goodrich Scholarship Program.
• Founding member of the Diversity Call to Action, created in 2007 and renewed in 2013, which now has more than 70 firm and corporate members. The Diversity Call to Action is operating in conjunction with the Nebraska State Bar Association.
• Provider of two annual scholarships for historically underrepresented individuals that are awarded to students at the University of Nebraska College of Law and Creighton University School of Law.
• Sponsor of an annual scholarship with the 100 Black Men of Omaha for Black and/or African-American law students.
• Creator of the Best Places to Work in Omaha for the Advancement of Women Award.
• Coordinator of networking and similar events for members of the Goodrich Scholarship Program and Project Achieve at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and TRIO program students at Creighton University with career interests in law.
• Sponsor of the University of Kansas School of Law’s Diversity in Law Banquet since 2008, which celebrates the ways in which diversity enriches KU Law and affords students an opportunity to share ethnic and cultural differences with the KU Law community, including alumni and local firms.
• In addition to firm-wide support, individual attorneys currently serve or have served on the Board of the Directors or in similar leadership positions for the following nonprofit and civic organizations:
  • AllPlay Foundation
  • Friends of Planned Parenthood
  • Girls Inc. of Omaha
  • Girl Scout Spirit of Nebraska
  • ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference
  • Immigrant Legal Center (f/k/a Justice for Our Neighbors)
  • Komen Great Plains and Komen Nebraska
  • Latino Center of the Midlands
  • MENTOR Nebraska
  • Nebraska AIDS Project
  • Omaha Community Foundation Futuro Latino Fund
  • Santa Monica, Inc.
  • Women’s Center for Advancement
  • Women’s Fund of Greater Omaha

Midsize Mansfield Certified Plus
Baird Holm is proud to have achieved Midsize Mansfield Certification Plus in 2023, after completing a rigorous collaboration with Diversity Lab to track, measure, and achieve diversity in leadership. This certification measures whether midsize firms have considered at least 30% women lawyers, underrepresented racial and ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitches, lateral lawyer hiring, and more. “Plus” status indicates that Baird Holm has successfully achieved 30% diverse representation in current leadership roles and pipeline activities.

Diversity Is Part of Our Life’s Work
Our work involves representing individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities.
Significant examples include:

• Assisting clients in overcoming legal barriers to hiring diverse individuals from around the world.
• Advising clients on the establishment and implementation of Affirmative Action and diversity plans.
• Assisting persons in challenging housing discrimination, both individually and on behalf of groups who advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Advising clients regarding compliance with laws concerning discrimination in employment, housing, and construction.