Since its very beginning, Irwin, Fritchie, Urquhart & Moore has prioritized excellence in legal representation combined with a strong sense of community, purpose, and civic responsibility. For the entire twenty years of service to our clients and the legal community, we have been deeply committed to diversity within our firm, our community, and throughout our country. That commitment is based upon the basic and undeniable premise that our strength in America lies in the diversity of our people, their ideas, beliefs, and a mutual respect for one another.

Consistent with that commitment, we feel compelled to address the recent protests throughout our country following the shocking and senseless killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. We want to be unequivocal and clear in our full support for those who boldly and proudly seek an end to racism, and the injustice, violence, and abuse that have been perpetrated upon Black Americans for far too long. There can be no conscientious disagreement that justice, equal treatment, and respect for black people in America is the responsibility of us all. It is only when we act together that can we achieve meaningful and permanent change to end the suffering and brutality of racism. In that respect, we are encouraged and truly inspired by the focus and determination in the diversity of faces and voices, from every race, age, gender, and religion of our great nation, who are standing tall with a renewed passion in the battle for equality and respect for all.

At its core, America is indisputably a nation of good and decent people, the vast majority of whom recognize the negative blight of racism on our country. However, we should not be judged by our willingness to speak up and stand with the powerful; we are to be judged instead by our courage to stand and fight for the protection and equal treatment of those voices that have been silenced. Today, we are presented with a unique and important opportunity, to once and for all strive for the elimination of any notion that there is an acceptable place for racism in our homeland, for only then can we truly walk together as a united and beautifully diverse people.

Encouraged by the passion of the masses, and the determination of our young leaders of tomorrow, we are being called to support and stand with those who are selflessly fighting on behalf of those in the black community who continue to endure the pain and suffering of racism. These are the times that will truly define us, and the actions we take today will determine the life we leave for our children and grandchildren. We cannot leave them to fight this important battle alone. Those courageous protestors in the streets of our country today are imploring us to emerge from behind the walls of political correctness and enabling silence, to stand with them as they fight to eradicate racism from our shores, and to do it now.

Although Irwin Fritchie is fully committed to diversity and inclusion, we recognize that even powerful rhetoric without meaningful action is often not a sufficient motivating or sustaining force for change. We realize that we can and must do more. We must be an ally and agent of change and make a difference in the Firm and our community through education, engagement, and community action.

To educate, we will conduct firmwide implicit bias training for all employees to allow for a better understanding of how racial bias can influence behaviors. We will embrace efforts within our firm to identify unacceptable behavior and use firm channels to address any concerns about injustice and racism.

To engage, the Firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee will conduct virtual, small meetings with all employees during which we will welcome those often difficult and uncomfortable conversations about racism and discrimination. We will encourage employees to listen to each other and more tightly embrace the beauty of our differences and the principles of inclusion and equality that are hallmarks of our Firm.

To act, we will seek to identify and offer opportunities for all Firm employees – attorneys and staff – to be part of the solution through pro bono and volunteer services focused on addressing social injustice. Further, we will continue our efforts to support diversity in the legal profession by seeking to enhance the work we began last year in helping minority law students improve their resumes and interview preparation in their pursuit of a promising legal career. We will continue our firm efforts to recruit, develop, and retain people of color as part of our proudly diverse culture.

Our family at Irwin Fritchie will continue our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and the respectful treatment of all people. We proudly support our fellow Americans in seizing this important opportunity to speak out against the violence and abuse of racism, and to support the call for equal justice that is sounding so loudly and proudly in the streets of America today.