We also recognize that a balanced work life helps to maintain the sound judgment necessary to serve our clients well. Accordingly, our billing requirements allow our attorneys to enjoy a quality personal life outside the workplace. We also believe in giving back to the communities that enable us to practice law, and we demonstrate this belief through our commitment to pro bono work.

Pro Bono Commitment
Phillips Lytle’s pro bono program is a component of the firm’s commitment to serving the needs of our community. It serves the indigent, organizations that assist the indigent, and institutions that contribute to the quality of life in the communities we serve. Time spent on pro bono matters is treated as billable hours for the purpose of determining time budgets, compensation levels, and bonuses. In recent years, Phillips Lytle has committed nearly $1,250,000 in attorney hours to pro bono efforts across the state.

Diversity
Phillips Lytle believes that creativity and ingenuity are an important part of providing exceptional legal services, and that these qualities are most readily found in a diverse working environment. A diverse workplace taps into multiple sources of talent and assorted problem-solving methods. These sources and methods combine to give clients a broader range of creative solutions. We also believe that diversity creates a healthier, more socially responsible workplace. Accordingly, Phillips Lytle recruits, retains, and promotes lawyers and staff from diverse backgrounds. We have created the following policies and programs to ensure this practice.

Diversity Committee
Phillips Lytle maintains a Diversity Committee that is comprised of firm management as well as minority and women attorneys. While the makeup of the committee can change over time, its membership typically includes our Managing Partner and the Recruiting Partners. The committee’s goal is to increase diversity awareness throughout the firm by establishing and maintaining policies, practices, and programs designed to foster a diverse workplace. One of our top priorities is to enhance the hiring, retention, and promotion of minority and women attorneys.

Minority Scholarships
In 1990, Phillips Lytle established, and remains the sole sponsor of, the Minority Scholarship Fund at the University at Buffalo Law School. To date, Phillips Lytle has sponsored 44 scholarships at an aggregate award of over $120,000. Scholarships are awarded each year to qualified minority students who are committed to remaining in Western New York.

Recruitment and Retention of Attorneys
The firm actively encourages minorities and women to consider employment at Phillips Lytle through our participation in the DuPont Minority Job Fair, as well as in our use of recruiters who specifically seek out qualified minority candidates. We also sponsor attendance at women and minority attorneys’ conferences each year. The first woman Partner of our Governing Committee was elected in 1994 from the Partners at large. Currently, there is a woman Partner on the Governing Committee and women Partners are serving as practice group and practice area leaders.

Continued Improvement
Phillips Lytle is committed to the continuous improvement of its workplace diversity. To that end, we assess best practices at other law firms and among our own clients. We are improving the diversity of our Partners, Associates, and staff, and we are creating and maintaining a healthy workplace environment.

Equal Opportunity
Phillips Lytle is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sex, age, marital status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. Neither this policy nor its implementation is intended to limit the hiring or employment opportunities of any employee or candidate, regardless of whether the individual is a minority, non-minority, female, or male. This policy is incorporated into, and subject to, applicable employee handbooks.

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