Diversity at Elarbee Thompson

The Firm is committed to the goal of strengthening and advancing diversity through promotion, recruiting and retaining minority and women lawyers and staff personnel from all backgrounds. We recognize that our colleagues (lawyers and staff) are the Firm's greatest assets. In addition, we are committed to sharing client responsibility with minority partners and in developing minority partners and associates for client responsibility.

We have a rich history in diversity. We were the first majority law firm in the southeastern United States to hire an African-American attorney in the area of representing management in labor relations and employment discrimination law in 1979. In addition we were also one of the first majority-owned firms in Atlanta with an African American partner. Among the diversity within the walls of Elarbee Thompson, we have attorneys that are fluent in: Spanish, French, Italian and German.

The Firm has encouraged and strongly supported its lawyers’ involvement in minority organizations. We are actively involved with the Georgia Diversity Program, a program through the State Bar of Georgia to increase opportunities for ethnic minority attorneys in the assignment of corporate and governmental legal work.Several members of the firm are actively involved with the Gate City Bar Association, the oldest African American Bar Association in the State of Georgia and in the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association, where one of our lawyers serves as President.We are also on the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Legal Diversity Consortium, an organization which promotes the recruitment, retention, development, and training of attorneys.

We are also members of the following minority organizations:

• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• American Bar Association’s Minority Counsel Program
• National Employment Law Council

In addition to membership, we are sponsors of many initiatives and programs of those group and others. The Firm is a frequent sponsor and speaker for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. We have also sponsored the National Bar Association’s Annual Convention.

The Firm also seeks to advance the professional lives of women through leadership opportunities, sponsorships, training, networking and marketing. We have established an “Of Counsel” relationship with the Benefits Law Group, a female-owned law firm dedicated to representing employers in the area of employee benefits.

Several women at Elarbee Thompson are active in the community and hold leadership positions in professional associations.

• National Latina Business Women Association – Atlanta (Board Member)
• Society of Human Resources Professionals (“SHRM”) (President)
• Women In the Profession for the Atlanta Bar Association (Board Member)
• Women in Technology (Board Member)
• Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (“GAWL”)
• Atlanta Women's Alliance (Board Member)
• Atlanta Woman’s Club (Board Member)
• Women in Foodservices Forum

Elarbee Thompson developed an Associate Mentoring program where attorneys have been strategically placed together based on professional needs and similar interests and goals. A large part of this program is to encourage involvement in formal affinity groups which share common connections.

Elarbee Thompson has a commitment to providing pro bono legal services, financial support and volunteer time to charitable organizations and individuals.Twice a month, staff and attorneys make sandwiches and deliver them to a local shelter that assists homeless men in downtown Atlanta

We also consistently support the following organizations:

• YMCA
• Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta
• Childspring International
• Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta
• Hispanic American Center for Economic Development
• Latin American Association