Gay and Lesbian Attorneys at Sonnenschein (GALA)
It is one thing for a law firm to state that it will not discriminate against its legal and other personnel because of their sexual orientation, and another for a law firm to focus actively on recruiting, retaining, and promoting gay and lesbian attorneys to partnership and leadership positions and to provide an environment that is comfortable for and conducive to the advancement of all personnel notwithstanding their sexual orientation. GALA concentrates its attention on ensuring that Sonnenschein is the latter-described law firm and one of which the members can be proud.
GALA provides a forum where gay and lesbian attorneys firmwide can work with each other to achieve the goals of raising the members' visibility within the firm, communicate with each other about issues of importance, supporting LGBT organizations as a unified group across offices, identifying pro bono projects of interest, and working together to develop educational and business opportunities. A primary focus of GALA is to ensure that gays and lesbians are not overlooked in the firm's diversity efforts and that those charged with implementing the firm's Diversity Plan do not address diversity solely on racial or ethnic terms. At the prompting of GALA, the firm's Diversity Plan states expressly that the firm's diversity efforts must remain vigilant to include LGBT attorneys and personnel and be cognizant of issues important to them.
With respect to recruiting, the firm reaches out directly to LGBT affinity groups at law schools to encourage their participation in our recruiting efforts. Sonnenschein is also a sponsor and participant in the annual Lavender Law Fair and other gay and lesbian organizations. Once in the firm, the members of GALA look to form mentoring relationships with new gay and lesbian attorneys to facilitate their growth as lawyers in their substantive specialty and to develop the client service skills and relationships that will result in business to the Firm.
Sonnenschein attorneys have been involved in efforts towards the legal recognition of same-sex marriages and other matters on behalf of gay and lesbian causes. To that end, we have represented various parties on a pro bono basis in suits pending across the country, and most recently, in the marriage effort in the State of New Jersey. We support the Lesbian and Gay Rights Project of the ACLU, and have represented same-sex couples when adopting children. Currently, Sonnenschein attorneys are challenging an Indiana high school regulation that prohibits students from wearing clothes that "advertise" their sexual orientation. Citing the regulation, the high school principal refused to let our client, a male student, attend a high school dance because he was wearing a dress. The challenge is being made on the grounds of equal protection and freedom of expression. Other Sonnenschein attorneys are presently representing a woman who was in a same sex union and who is involved in a child custody dispute with her ex-partner. We also represent LGBT clients seeking immigration asylum working with Immigration Equality, a New York City based provider of pro bono legal services.
The participants in GALA and Sonnenschein support two gay and lesbian organizations nationally - the National Center for Lesbian Rights and LAMBDA Legal. The firm is a substantial donor to LAMBDA Legal, and the attorneys in GALA are engaged actively with that organization in providing input, insight and feedback, and work with it in its educational, fund-raising, and pro bono efforts.
The members of GALA are committed to creating an environment at Sonnenschein that is accepting and engaging for LGBT attorneys and staff. We look forward to discussing our efforts in this regard. For more information, please contact Farrington Yates in the New York office at fyates@sonnenschein.com, Robert Messerly in the Chicago office at rmesserly@sonnenschein.com or Sonia Martin in the San Francisco office at smartin@sonnenschein.com.
