Actions Lead to Success
A development and support system for our attorneys and staff
- Presenting and educating attorneys regarding diversity issues consistently, through formal diversity training, reports at monthly member meetings and firm retreats
- Establishing informal affinity groups that gather our attorneys together on a firm-wide basis at least twice a year to facilitate support and provide communication on how the firm’s diversity initiatives can be improved
- Facilitating mentoring and advocacy to ensure that minorities and women attorneys not only work on substantive matters for important clients, but also receive responsibility and origination credit where appropriate
Feeding the legal pipeline
- Supports SWEL (Summer Work Experience in Law, Inc.—a summer internship program for minority students) as a mentoring program and a vehicle for interns to meet law school admissions professionals in multiple markets and actually see the schools firsthand
- Involvement in the Columbus Bar Association’s Summer Leadership Intern Program, Cincinnati’s Summer Work Experience in Law and Louisville Bar Association’s summer internship programs that place high school students in our Cincinnati, Columbus and Louisville offices during the summer
- Recruits at additional schools, and at numerous regional and local minority-recruiting events across the country
Active in our communities
- Establishing an endowment for an annual scholarship at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. The annual income will be used to fund a scholarship for an outstanding first-year student entering the College of Law who, by virtue of their background and accomplishments, will contribute to the intellectual and social diversity of the entering class and has an interest in studying alternative dispute resolution. Special consideration will be given to African-American students and others, who because of their social and educational backgrounds and life experiences, have the potential to bring new perspectives to the study of law and the legal profession.
- Founding member of the Greater Cincinnati Minority Counsel. More recently, the GCMCP has expanded to form the Greater Louisville Minority Counsel Program and the Bluegrass Minority Counsel Program for the Louisville and Lexington metro areas.
- Sponsoring high profile women’s programs, including sponsorships of the following: Go Red for Women (Louisville), Dress for Success Annual Luncheon (Louisville), Women 4 Women (Louisville), Girl Scout Leaders for Tomorrow (Columbus), Cincinnati Business Courier’s bizwomen.com program and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s WE Speak luncheon series.
- Active in national conferences, such as Women in Law Firms and Hildebrandt Institute’s Forum on Leadership in Law Firms—Developing Women Leaders in the Legal Profession, so that we can be leaders throughout our region and beyond.
- Supporting the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and its initiatives
What others say about our efforts “Frost Brown Todd has a genuine commitment to diversity and their hard work is making a difference internally and externally. Their support of the Business Diversity Network of Kentucky helps members attract and retain diverse talent, and in turn, deliver even stronger diversity and inclusion results. Additionally, Frost’s high profile women’s programs and their work in the Hispanic community make them leaders throughout our region and beyond.”
Terrian Barnes —Yum! Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer
“To know that these first-year law students are going to understand our needs and challenges and that they appreciate our culture and priorities is a huge asset. We’ve been delighted to partner with Frost Brown Todd on this program.”
Dorothy Corbett — Associate General Counsel, Duke Energy Corporation on the success of firstClass, FBT’s first-year law student corporate legal split summer program
“As a minority small business owner with limited resources, my company has been given the opportunity to not only benefit from Frost Brown Todd’s pro bono services — but to do business with the firm. We have always been treated with great respect and acknowledged as a business no different than any other. The opportunities that have been provided to us through FBT has not only helped our company but, it will allow Edible Dreams LLC to provide jobs for those in the community in the food service industry.”
Matina Thomas — Owner, Edible Dreams Catering LLC on FBT’s pro bono services
“Frost Brown Todd has had a significant impact on my development since the beginning of my college career. During my internships, their attorneys took the time to shape who I am today and find my true passion for law. I am very happy they were able to contribute to the attorney I will one day become.”
Eric Cordera Cook — Future Law Student, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington