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Farris LLP - Vancouver, British Columbia
Diversity & Inclusion
| Please describe your diversity programs and initiatives |
Our Commitment to Diversity:
Farris is the exclusive British Columbia member firm of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms. We have adopted The Lex Mundi Board of Directors diversity vision statement developed by its Diversity Task Force: “Lex Mundi and its member firms value diversity. We respect and embrace all people, including those of different ages, cultures, ethnicities, genders, nationalities, physical abilities, races, religious beliefs and sexual orientations. We value the experiences, knowledge and talents of all individuals in our firms and in our communities. We support and promote non-discriminatory practices that advance equal treatment of, and opportunity for, all people, and encourage meaningful participation by a broad cross-section of people in our firms and in our communities.” Fostering diversity, inclusion and equality allows Farris to hire the best talent, build the most effective teams, deliver the highest level of client service, and be meaningful contributors to our local communities. We have dedicated a partner responsible for overseeing our diversity programs and initiatives, reporting directly to and supported by the firm’s Management Committee. One of the key mandates of this position is to monitor attrition of diverse lawyers and retention of associates. To this end, we offer competitive, flexible parental leave programs to ensure that our associates are empowered to be both great parents and great lawyers. We also recognize that unconscious bias can result in inequitable hiring practices, and so our first round of application review is ‘blind’ – we black out candidate names to ensure that decisions are not influenced by gender or ethnicity. Farris lawyers have been actively involved in networking and mentoring organizations which advance the role of women in business and law, such as the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and YES! Vancouver. Our female partners regularly lead mentorship seminars and host evenings for our female associates and students in order to provide them with the mentorship, leadership development and resources they need to succeed in their practice. Farris also participates in the Justicia Project, which is aimed at retaining and advancing women in private practice, and one of our partners has been appointed as a Diversity Officer for the initiative. Farris lawyers and professionals have sat on the boards of various organizations promoting the interests of disadvantaged groups, including that of the ACT Autism Community Training Society, the United Way of Greater Vancouver, the 127 Society for Housing and the Cerebral Palsy Association of British Columbia. We are proud to support the LGBTQ2S+ community through sponsorships, fundraisers and lawyer involvement. Farris is also committed to providing pro bono services to low income and otherwise disadvantaged groups, and we encourage our lawyers to take on this work within their communities. Locally, our lawyers have volunteered for various Access Pro Bono initiatives including the Aboriginal Law Clinic, Residential Tenancy Program and Mental Health Review Program. On the international scale, Farris has provided pro bono services to AIDS-Free World, an international advocacy organization committed to assisting people affected by HIV and AIDS. AIDS-Free World was co-founded by Stephen Lewis, the UN’s first Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, who approached Farris to undertake this work. |
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Diversity Contact Information |
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| Students who have questions about EDI initiatives and/or would like to connect with someone with a similar lived experience, please contact |
Sharan Sangha Rebecca Levi |
| Diversity website: | https://farris.com/work-with-us/students/ |
| Please list the various initiatives your firm has undertaken related to providing an accessible workplace and barrier free culture for people with disabilities, as well as any information you may be able to share regarding the types accommodations provided. |
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