Arnold & Porter Named To Human Rights Campaign's Top GLBT Places To Work In Corporate America For The Fourth Consecutive Year

Washington, DC, September 14, 2009 -- For the fourth consecutive year Arnold & Porter LLP has achieved a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) through placement on its 2010 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which rates businesses on a scale from 0 to 100 percent for their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) workers. In the CEI's eighth annual report, an unprecedented 305 businesses achieved a perfect score. Law firms achieved the highest gain in any industry sector, with a total of 88 listed.

"Even in an economic environment that has presented new challenges for lawyers in private practice, the nation's largest and most prestigious law firms have only stepped up their commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse group of attorneys and staff," said HRC Foundation President Joe Solmonese. "Legal work in this country is deeply rooted in our nation's core values of equality and justice for all, and law firms continue to set the gold standard for treating their GLBT employees fairly."

Diversity is a core value at Arnold & Porter and the firm has been a leader in supporting its GLBT employees. The firm offers medical, dental, vision, and dependent life insurance benefits to domestic partners of all employees. The firm has family-friendly benefits that positively impact the GLBT community, including payments to help defray the costs associated with adopting a child, as well as providing 18 weeks of paid leave for the primary caregiver after the birth of a child or an adoption. GLBT attorneys regularly meet to provide mentoring, discuss pro bono opportunities, socialize, and organize recruiting events. As part of the firm's renowned pro bono program, Arnold & Porter actively encourages attorneys to assume responsibility for cases involving issues of importance to the GLBT community. The firm enjoys collaborative efforts throughout the year with numerous organizations and bar associations in the GLBT community, including GAYLAW, Lambda Legal, and the Whitman-Walker Clinic.

Arnold & Porter consistently ranks among the top firms in the country for women, racial minority, and gay and lesbian attorneys. Widely recognized for its commitment to GLBT issues, Arnold & Porter has garnered the Ally of Justice Award from the Human Rights Campaign as well as from the Gay and Lesbian Attorneys Association of Washington. It is ranked one of the "20 Best Law Firms for GLBT Diversity" in the 2010 edition of the Vault Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms.