LGBTQ+ Diversity

Kirkland’s ALLSA initiative reflects our mission to reach out to “all” racial, ethnic, women’s and LGBTQ+ student groups at law schools across the country. Kirkland attorney liaisons have formed relationships with more than 125 law student groups at 22 law schools across the nation. As part of our award-winning ALLSA initiative, our attorney liaisons work with many LGBTQ+ student groups at law schools around the country. The ALLSA initiative has a dedicated budget and offers support for each group, ranging from networking events to more substantive study skills, resume review, interview training, moot court and career development programs.

Our unique and highly selective annual 1L Diversity Scholars Program features interactive panels, group discussions and unprecedented networking opportunities with Kirkland attorneys and clients. This opportunity provides law students with invaluable information about big law and clients.

1L Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) scholar students split their summer with Kirkland and one of our clients, allowing an early view into working in-house and as outside counsel at a major law firm. Participants also attend a broader program sponsored LCLD. Kirkland attorneys have served as City Lead in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Palo Alto for LCLD’s mentoring program for diverse first year law students, who are matched with law firm or corporate legal department mentors. Kirkland attorneys across our U.S. offices actively mentor diverse law students through the program.

We sponsor law student teams from several top-tier law schools to participate in the annual moot court competition sponsored by The Williams Institute, the only such competition focused exclusively on sexual orientation and gender identity law. Through this program, we provide students mentorship opportunities by inviting them to our offices for a moot with our attorneys before the tournament. This support also includes stipends for traveling to and from the tournament in Los Angeles.

Our 2L Diversity Fellowship Program offers $25,000 stipends to second-year law students who hold offers to join our summer associate program and have demonstrated how they will promote diversity at Kirkland and in the broader legal profession. Since 2004, Kirkland has awarded more than 275 Fellowships totaling almost $6 million.

In July 2019, Kirkland hosted its Diversity Summer Networking Program in the Chicago office, which was attended by more than 100 diverse summer associates, more than 60 attorneys and 11 clients. The day included client panels and discussions on diversity in Big Law led by members of the Firm’s Asian, Black, Unidos and Kirkland Pride Affinity Groups. Attendees also gathered for networking breakout sessions and group dinners.

The Firm provides financial and other support for organizations concerned with LGBTQ+ rights, including:

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• Equal Justice Works
• Equality Illinois
• GLAAD
• Immigration Equality
• Lambda Legal
• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
• National LGBT Bar Association
• Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF)
• The Williams Institute

Demonstrating Kirkland's leadership in the LGBTQ+ legal community, the National LGBT Bar Association has named more than 11 Firm attorneys to its Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40 list since 2010. Numerous Kirkland attorneys also sit on boards and other leadership councils of leading LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, including Lambda Legal and Immigration Equality.

Our attorneys, summer associates and paralegals devote thousands of hours each year to LGBTQ+-focused pro bono work. This work includes a case in federal court challenging the 2017 Presidential Memorandum excluding transgender individuals from the military.

We also assist dozens of LGBTQ+ individuals who are fleeing persecution in their home countries in obtaining asylum in the U.S.

We provide comprehensive medical, dental, vision and other benefits for LGBTQ+ employees’ domestic partners and children.

In addition, our medical plans encompass procedures specific to transgender employees, meeting standards issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).