Williams Kastner has a long-standing passionate commitment to diversity. As a firm, we embrace diversity through our statement of values, our firm’s policy statement, our people, our work and our support for, and participation in, community programs and projects which foster diversity. The policy statement for Williams Kastner outlines this commitment as part of its strategic plan: Williams Kastner’s strategic plan requires all aspects of human diversity amongst the persons who are its owners and employees.

In order to obtain diversity we must actively seek it. Each element and activity of recruitment and hiring for employment must consider diversity. In order to maintain and nurture diversity, each of us must not only understand and tolerate the differences between ourselves and those with whom we work, but more importantly, we must outwardly manifest our desire to embrace those differences as a positive good benefiting everyone. This understanding and appreciation must be reflected positively by our everyday words and deeds. Finally, we must understand that as an organization, these very differences will provide the excellence we seek in our practitioners and support staff that will give us a competitive edge in the delivery of client services.

In 1990, Williams Kastner Senior Member and former Managing Director Sheryl J. Willert was the only African-American woman Partner working in the 10 largest law firms in the Puget Sound area. When Ms. Willert was unanimously elected the firm’s Managing Partner in 1996 (now called Director), she was one of only a half-dozen women in the country to be honored with such an appointment at firms of comparable size (“From Outsider to Insider,” 82 ABA Journal 24 November, 1999). She was also one of only three females to become a Managing Director among the 25 largest law firms in the Pacific Northwest, and the only African-American woman to achieve a Managing Partner position in firms of comparable size in the country.

Ms. Willert’s accomplishments and personality have truly advanced the cause of women in the legal profession. She has encouraged and inspired women attorneys and removed barriers in a profession dominated by men. Ms. Willert was the first person of color to serve as an officer on the Board of the Defense Research Institute, a national organization of more than 22,000 defense counsel. In 2002 she was elected to the top position, and served as the organization’s 2002-2003 President.

Through our programs such as our Summer Associate Program and annual recruiting efforts, Williams Kastner strives to create an equitable recruiting processes by bridging the opportunity gap in our search for the best and brightest candidates. The firm continues to participate in on-campus recruiting at numerous law schools, including Howard University and the National Black Law Students Association job fairs. Recently, Williams Kastner became one of a few law firm sponsors of the Gregoire Fellows Program which provides scholarships to diverse students at the University of Washington and Seattle University law schools.

Since its inception in 1986, Williams Kastner has participated in The Northwest Minority Job Fair. This annual event, that features more than 50 law schools from across the country, fosters access to employment opportunities for historically underrepresented persons in the practice of law and provides a networking forum for legal employers and minority law students.

Visit the Williams Kastner careers page.