Diversity

We are very serious about the people we choose to recruit and develop and we aim to provide an environment where minorities and women can grow and succeed. By doing so, we hope to offer opportunities for historically under-represented groups within the Firm and the legal profession as a whole. We view diversity as more than a numerical goal, but rather as an attitude or culture that fosters a rich environment of progressive thinking and creative problem solving. We recognize that persons of different ethnicity and gender bring a different perspective to the practice of law which benefits not only the Firm but the clients that we represent.

In 2005 the Firm established a Diversity Committee currently chaired by Isidro Rene DeRojas, a partner in the Metairie office, which assists the firm in remaining committed to ensuring that each and every opportunity that arises at the Firm for hiring and advancement is at the reach of all qualified individuals, without regard to their race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability.

The Diversity Committee seeks to identify talented minority and women candidates for positions within the Firm and promote these individuals as they develop in their profession. The Firm attempts to achieve this objective by providing active mentoring to assist minorities and women in their growth and success, and by creating a positive and progressive environment for the practice of law. We recognize the Firm’s continued success depends on attracting and retaining the best, most innovative, result-oriented employees. Our attorneys and staff are our competitive advantage and the key factor in achieving our goals.

MSA endeavors to increase minority and gender employment throughout the Firm, and we are continually looking for opportunities to increase diversity within the Firm. We actively recruit associates and law clerks from colleges and universities with significant populations of diverse students, including women and ethnic minorities as well as participate in minority job fairs. We encourage our attorneys to participate in diverse professional organizations which foster the Firm’s goals and objectives by increasing diversity in the Firm and within the legal profession.

Members of the Firm participate in numerous activities which foster and promote diversity in the legal profession, including:

• The ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
• The Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Convention
• The Minority Involvement Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association
• Employers Seminars by the Task Force on Diversity in the Profession
• Louisiana State Bar Association Minority Job Fair