Apply now!Diversity at Covington
Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is important at Covington
Covington has instituted all the elements of a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program - the infrastructure, the events, the learning programs, and sustained communications about DEI. The Firm's work is guided by their Strategic DEI Action Plan goals that include: (1) Ensuring DEI is a firm priority and the diversity of their leaders reflects the diversity of their lawyers and professional staff; (2) Recruiting, developing, promoting, and retaining a diverse population of lawyers and professional staff at all levels and across all offices; and (3) Collaborating with clients to increase the representation of women and historically underrepresented lawyers in the profession.
Covington sponsors seven firm-wide affinity groups: Asian Pacific Islander (API), Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, Middle Eastern and North African (MENA), Veterans, and a Women’s Forum. These groups are important elements of their DEI efforts, as they contribute to fostering connections and mentorship among members, facilitating professional development opportunities, and promoting firm-wide education and awareness of the experiences of women and underrepresented individuals. Covington's Women’s Forum specifically provides members with community and mentorship, while celebrating the achievements of women in the legal industry and beyond. The Women's Forum chapters in each of their 14 offices champion inclusionary practices to support all women at Covington by hosting professional development forums and sponsoring participation in leadership development programs.
Within Covington's London office, they have established diversity strands to focus, develop and promote diversity within specific fields.
Luciana Griebel – Associate – Women’s Forum
The Women’s Forum is a firm wide initiative designed to foster greater interaction among women lawyers at all levels of the firm. Through regularly scheduled programs and initiatives, the Women’s Forum provides an opportunity for our women lawyers to network with each other and address issues of common interest, such as career growth, mentoring, business and professional development. The Women’s Forum is organized on an office-by-office basis, with coordination among the offices.
Azumah Cofie - Associate - Multicultural Network
The Multicultural Network (MCN) is a recent strand of the wider DEI Committee that aims to promote ethnic diversity, equity, and inclusion within the EMEA offices. It is effectively a support network for colleagues who identify as racial/ethnic minorities (R/EM), where members share ideas and organise events and activities.
Eddy Eccles – Special Counsel - Disability and Mental Health Strand
The Disability & Mental Health Strand is a really exciting group within the DEI Committee here at Covington. We are a group who meets on a monthly basis to pursue the goals of the subcommittee in a friendly, fun environment. Everyone always brings a lot of good ideas, and great energy and commitment.
Antonio Michaelides – Special Counsel - Social Mobility Strand
The primary goal of the Social Mobility Strand is two-fold: to provide a support network for those already at the firm from backgrounds where there were obstacles to social mobility, and second to raise awareness of this as a diversity strand, so that those who are less familiar understand the challenges faced by those from less privileged backgrounds and what can be done from an equity and inclusion perspective. I am really pleased with the progress we have made with the social mobility strand and the things we are doing.
Olivia Scalise Gaspar – Associate - LGBTQ+ Strand
We have three primary goals at the LGBTQ+ Strand: community, education, and recruitment. Our community events are dedicated to bringing the members of the Strand together, to help each of us foster a close network of relationships, and give us the space to discuss issues and events important to us or our identities. Our educational events encourage active allyship through engagement with queer topics and events, and focuses on bringing awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and issues relevant to our community to members across the firm. Our recruitment events promote the visibility of queer people and inclusion at the firm, and seek to normalise bringing one's "full self" to work.
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