In December 2021, Wiley moved into a new location that reduced our firm’s real estate footprint but increased the opportunities for collaboration. We upgraded our technology to afford us the ability to seamlessly operate in a hybrid working environment. As a result, we were well positioned to amend our policies, programs, and initiatives to ensure sustainable growth on our path to facilitating a culture of belonging where all Wiley members can thrive. As a firm, we continue to invest in our people – our most important asset – and are proud of our congenial culture which pushes us toward ensuring our diversity priorities are integrated in how we recruit, retain, and advance our attorneys to leadership roles throughout the firm. We understand the areas where we thrive and the areas where we need additional investment to reflect the diversity of our communities and your customers. As such, Wiley has expanded its commitment to several internal and external pipeline programs, including:

• Wiley’s Pre-law DEI Scholarship provides college graduates from historically underrepresented communities who are interested in a legal career with an opportunity to work at Wiley as a Project Assistant and receive more than $10K in scholarship funds as well as other financial assistance to apply for and prepare to attend law school;
• Wiley’s 1L and 2L DEI Scholarships are awarded to diverse law students selected for Wiley’s Summer Associate Program, and provides up to $25K in scholarship funds; and
• The Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) 1L Scholar Program, a diversity pipeline program that aims to attract, develop, and support law students from historically underrepresented groups who are interested in legal careers in technology, media and telecommunications law and policy and provides access to paid summer legal internship opportunities.

In addition to expanding our pipeline efforts, we expanded our targeted recruitment and strategic collaboration with law schools to assist us with attracting professionals from historically underrepresented or excluded communities. As an example, Wiley has recruited and participated in OCI at Howard University School of Law, a historically black university founded in Washington, DC and the first black law school in the nation, for over a decade. We are fortunate to be geographically located in a region where diversity is not just a slogan but part of the DNA of the law schools where we recruit. We also identified programs and events throughout the year to directly engage with our local law schools that have committed to promoting diversity in the legal profession. For example, for the past two years, we have sponsored the Capital Area Muslim Bar Association annual end of year event.  We also sponsored the 2022 Rutgers School of Law Annual Jazz for Justice Gala on behalf of the Association of Black Law Students. Additionally, on November 9, 2022, our TMT practice co-hosted a program and networking reception with Howard University School of Law’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications Association. The objective of the program was to share what a career in TMT at Wiley would look like and share highlights of recent cases. For our lateral openings, we have engaged organizations that focus on recruiting candidates from historically underrepresented communities such as Minority Executive Search, Black Progress Matters, and Inclusive Legal Search. We also post our open positions on the job boards of affinity bar and diversity associations such as the LGBTQ+ Bar, National Bar Association, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Hispanic Bar Association of DC, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of DC, and many others. 

Further, in 2022, we hosted over 30 DEI programs and initiatives, including heritage month programs with distinguished guest speakers, podcasts, professional development workshops, an unconscious bias training series, and e-learning modules focused on DEI fundamentals and inclusive language. We also increased our sponsorship investments for professional development programs designed to support attorneys from historically underrepresented communities. We concluded the year with the preliminary efforts to launch a Supplier Diversity Program with the objective of providing us flexibility in the inclusion and utilization of diverse suppliers.

Lastly, we are proud of our recent DEI accomplishments and recognitions in the marketplace, many of which are summarized below:

• For the past three years, 50% or more of Wiley’s Partner promotion class were women.
• 50% of Wiley’s 2022 Partner/Of Counsel hires were women.
• Of our 2022 Associate hires, 59% were women, 24% were from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and 21% identity as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
• Almost 90% of Wiley’s 2022 Summer and Fall Associate classes were women, racially or ethnically diverse, or members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
• Received the 2022 Dell Technologies’ Law Firm Diversity Award.
• Received a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index as a best place to work for LGBTQ+ equality for the seventh consecutive year
• Named a 2022 “Best Law Firm for Women” for the fifth consecutive year.
• Received the Compass Award from the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity for our commitment to creating a more open and diverse legal profession for the second consecutive year.
• Received the 2021 AT&T Legal Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pipeline Award.

Wiley is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Wiley is proud of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core pillars of our firm, and we contribute our success to the diversity of our firm – our people, our practice, our clients. We are excited to offer diversity scholarships up to $25,000 for talented 1L and 2L students whose life experiences and values contribute to advancing diversity and inclusion in the law. Applicants’ eligibility for Wiley’s diversity scholarships will be evaluated across several factors.

Additionally, Wiley participates in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity's (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program. In addition to Wiley’s traditional 10 week summer program, our 1L Scholar has the opportunity to attend a professional development summit and access to various networking opportunities organized by LCLD.

Wiley has eight diversity-focused affinity groups that provide focus on the retention and advancement of attorneys from underrepresented communities: Asian & Pacific Lawyers, Black Lawyers, Latinx Lawyers, LGBTQ+ Lawyers & Allies, Minority Lawyers, Parents-in-the-Law & Allies, Veteran Lawyers, and the Women’s Forum. Through the firm’s transition from virtual to hybrid operating status, the firm’s Affinity Groups - in collaboration with leadership from the firm’s Chief Diversity Officer - have been a resource for our Wiley community as we navigate the mental and emotional toll of pandemic-related separation and nationwide unrest.  Through programming and collaboration with external affinity bar associations, our Affinity Group Leaders use their platform to raise awareness of the barriers and challenges that affinity group professionals may encounter throughout their careers. With the support of the firm’s DEI Department, our Affinity Groups hosted various programs aimed to support and celebrate the diverse cultures and heritages of underrepresented attorney communities. Examples include signature programs with distinguished guest speakers such as Drs. Clayborne Carson and H. Timothy Lovelace for Black History Month, John Yang of Asian Americans Advancing Justice for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the co-director of the award-winning documentary CURED for Pride Month, and more.