State Bar of Texas

• American Bar Association, Increasing Law Firm Diversity

• Clio, 5 Tips and Strategies to Build a Diverse and Inclusive Law Firm

• JD Supra, 5 Ways to Foster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within Your Firm

• National Law Review, 6 Strategies to Improve Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion

• Texas Young Lawyers Association, Diversity Toolkit

• The Utah Center for Legal Inclusion maintains sample policies specifically for legal employers in a number of categories (Organizational Values; Recruitment & Hiring; Retention and Workplace Inclusiveness; Professional Development & Advancement; and Participation & Support of Affinity Groups).

• The Society for Human Resource Management offers a relatively simple sample DEI policy.

• The Association of Legal Administrators created an excellent Diversity Toolkit that begins at page 40 of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession’s publication titled IILP Review 2017: The State of Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession. There is a sample diversity policy beginning on page 45 of the publication.

• While it doesn’t include a sample DEI policy, this Diversity and Inclusion Tool Kit from DRI compiles strategies, recommendations and best practices for implementing diversity in your law firm.

• The Legal Diversity & Inclusion Council maintains a Legal D&I Toolkit that includes useful resources for corporate counsel, law firms, and legal departments.

• The National Association for Law Placement’s Diversity Practices Guide includes a section for law firms.

• The New York City Bar created these Managing Partner & Attorney Toolkits for Fostering a Diverse & Inclusive Work Environment.

• It may be helpful to review the policies and initiatives of other law firms. Here are a few:

• DLA Piper

• Holland & Knight

• Husch Blackwell

• Locke Lord

• McKool Smith

• Norton Rose Fulbright

• Skadden

Information for Employers on Family Leave, Maternity, and Paternity Leave:

Federal Government

• U.S. Department of Labor Family and Medical Leave Act Employer Guide: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla/employer-guide

• EEOC guidance on pregnancy and paternity leave: https://www.eeoc.gov/pregnancy-discrimination

• EEOC guidance for break time for nursing mothers: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/73-flsa-break-time-nursing-mothers

• CDC Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/resources/toolkits.html

• EEOC Employer Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/employer-best-practices-workers-caregiving-responsibilities

• EEOC Practices of Private Sector Employers: https://www.eeoc.gov/best-practices-private-sector-employers

• Polices for preventing discrimination against employees with caregiving responsibilities: https://worklifelaw.org/publication/preventing-discrimination-employees-family-responsibilities-model-policy-employers/

State of Texas

• State of Texas guidance on pregnancy rights in the workplace: https://www.twc.texas.gov/news/efte/pregnancy_rights.html

• State of Texas guidance on neutral limitations on leave of absence: https://www.twc.texas.gov/news/efte/neutral_absence_control_policy.html

• For the entire Texas Guidebook for Employers: https://www.twc.texas.gov/news/efte/tocmain2.html

Nongovernmental Organizations

• The National Partnership for Women & Families provides extensive data on practices for paid leave programs: https://www.nationalpartnership.org/search.jsp?query=paid+leave&x=0&y=0

• The Families and Work Institute offers research on many issues helpful to today’s changing workplace. -See, for example, these toolkits on flex work: https://www.familiesandwork.org/research/employer-employee-guides-and-toolkits-when-work-works, and on an inclusive workplace: https://www.familiesandwork.org/research/2021

• This National Law Review article offers some simple straight-forward advice on parental leave policies: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/changing-tides-parental-leave-policies-maintaining-lawful-policy-light-recent-eeoc

Broad Scope Employment Law Publications

• The SHRM Essential Guide to Employment Law: A Handbook for HR Professionals, Managers, Businesses, and Organizations https://www.amazon.com/SHRM-Essential-Guide-Employment-Professionals/dp/1586444700/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=employer+best+practices+family+leave&qid=1634495777&s=books&sr=1-2

• The Labor and Employment Lawyer’s Job: A Survival Guide https://www.americanbar.org/products/inv/book/214438/

Tools for Practicing DEI in the Workplace

• National Association of Colleges and Employers Articles and Resources

The National Association of Colleges and Employers has compiled a page that lists over 300 articles and resources of DEI practices.

• NALP Diversity Practices Guide

The National Association for Law Placement features an excellent DEI Practices Guide, which can be downloaded for free.

• ABA Diversity Training and Toolkits

The American Bar Association lists multiple resources for employers, including this link to various toolkits.

• Minnesota State Bar 2008 Task Force on Gender Equity and Diversity Practices Guide

A Minnesota State Bar Association Task Force (2008) created a DEI Practices Guide, which focuses mostly on gender equity.

• Miscellaneous DEI Practices Articles in recent publications:

15 Diversity and Inclusion Practices for Bridging the D&I Gap - Quantum Workplace
Diversity and Inclusion Practices - Lawyerist
Expanding Your Diversity Strategy to Include Equity and Inclusion - Thomson Reuters

• Better Practices: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Today’s Legal Profession

Above the Law published this article which gives a brief overview of a PLI program on Diversity & Inclusion in Law Practice 2021 highlighting new strategies for the modern workplace.

• Austin Bar Association 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge

The Austin Bar Association shared a 21-day racial equity habit-building challenge on their website, along with other racial equity resources.