Diversity & Inclusion, Ice Miller LLP

Growth Inclusion Teamwork

Our Firm is committed to recruiting, developing and retaining talented attorneys and professional staff from all backgrounds. In order to succeed, we take great pride in a culture of inclusion where everyone at Ice Miller feels respected, is treated fairly and has the opportunity to perform at the highest potential.

We are steadfast in our efforts to build a workplace that embraces difference, is collaborative, welcoming and focused on growth—positioning Ice Miller to thrive today and tomorrow.

To learn more about the Firm’s current diversity & inclusion initiatives, please contact Kristen Matha, Director of Diversity & Inclusion.

Our Mission

As a Firm dedicated to helping our clients stay ahead of a changing world, we know creativity and innovation are essential. A diverse team that sees challenges from different perspectives and cultural references drives creativity, fuels innovation and strengthens relationships. We are focused on building a diverse and inclusive workforce, which leverages our differences to provide the best possible legal services to our clients.

Building a Better Ice Miller

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Partner-in-Charge

Diversity & Inclusion Council

Well-Being in the Legal Profession

Partner-in-Charge

Myra Selby serves as Partner-in-Charge of Diversity and Inclusion. Myra is focused on ensuring the Firm is positioned to meet our clients’ diversity and inclusion expectations. In this role, she works closely with the Chief Managing Partner, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Director of Diversity and Inclusion to promote strategic alignment.

Myra has the distinction of being both the first woman and the first African American to serve as an associate justice on the Indiana Supreme Court. She currently serves as chair of the Indiana Supreme Court’s Commission on Race and Gender Fairness.

Firm Contact

Myra C. Selby

myra.selby@icemiller.com

Diversity & Inclusion Council

Strategy & Engagement

We know diverse perspectives and life experiences combine for powerful results, and we are committed to maintaining an inclusive work environment where our team members can bring their whole selves to work each day.

Our Diversity & Inclusion Council is led by Greg Gorospe, partner and co-chair, and Heather James, partner and co-chair. In 2019, the Firm combined its Diversity & Inclusion Committee and its Women’s Initiative Committee to promote intersectionality and to strengthen our ability to view issues through multiple lenses. The new Diversity & Inclusion Council also strengthens our inclusion leadership at the local level and identifies specific Council members in each office to lead affinity group opportunities for our women, people of color and LGBTQ+ attorneys.

Our Council collaborates with Firm leadership to achieve our strategy for recruiting, developing, retaining and advancing underrepresented talent. The Council also partners with external organizations to promote greater equality in our communities and legal profession.

Inclusive Leadership Skills & Cultural Awareness

The Council is focused on growing the Firm’s inclusive leadership skills and cultural awareness by providing Firm-wide learning opportunities for all team members. Most recently, we provided Firm-wide unconscious bias training and incorporated inclusive leadership skills training into our retreats and academies. The Firm also offers a diversity and inclusion “lunch-and-learn” program and, in 2019, our sessions included a Bystander Intervention Workshop, Disability Inclusion Training and Self-Care Workshop.

Learn more about our work by reviewing Ice Miller's 2019 Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report.

Firm Contacts

Name	Position	Phone	Email
Greg Gorospe (Co-Chair)	Partner	614-462-1042	greg.gorospe@icemiller.com
Heather James (Co-Chair)	Partner	317-236-2199	heather.james@icemiller.com
Reena Bajowala	Partner	312-726-6220	reena.bajowala@icemiller.com
Bill Barath	Partner	614-462-2311	william.barath@icemiller.com
Kristine Bouaichi	Managing Partner	317-236-5994	kristine.bouaichi@icemiller.com
Guillermo Christensen	Partner	202-572-1609	guillermo.christensen@icemiller.com
Isaac J. Colunga	Partner	312-726-7157	isaac.colunga@icemiller.com
Carl Drummer	Principal	317-236-2297	carl.drummer@icemiller.com
Aaron Ettelman	Partner	215-377-5033	aaron.ettelman@icemiller.com
Christl Glier	Partner	317-236-2314	christl.glier@icemiller.com
Joanne Goldhand	Partner	614-462-1107	joanne.goldhand@icemiller.com
Michael S. Jordan	Managing Partner	614-462-2283	michael.jordan@icemiller.com
Kristen Matha	Director of Diversity & Inclusion	317-236-2475	kristen.matha@icemiller.com
Diane Menashe	Partner, Director of Litigation Training & Pro Bono Activities	614-221-6500	diane.menashe@icemiller.com
Matt Miller	Partner	614-462-1050	matthew.miller@icemiller.com
Myra Selby	Partner	317-236-5903	myra.selby@icemiller.com
Kip Tew	Partner	317-236-2255	kip.tew@icemiller.com

Well-Being in the Legal Profession

Ice Miller is a proud signatory of the American Bar Association’s Well-Being Pledge. By joining other top law firms and legal employers in this pledge, the Firm recognizes the significant challenges substance use and mental health problems present in the legal profession and acknowledges that more can and should be done to improve the health and well-being of lawyers and legal professionals.

The Firm has committed to raising awareness and working to improve lawyer and legal professional well-being. We provide confidential access to mental health experts and resources, in addition to free in-house mental health self-assessment tools. We offer Firm-wide quarterly well-being workshops and incorporate well-being education into broader professional development opportunities. Through the Firm’s Wellness Program, we also provide a number of resources for physical well-being for all attorneys and staff.

In 2020, the Firm announced its Leave of Absence Ramp Up Policy in support of the Firm's commitment to the Well-Being Pledge. The Ramp Up Policy recognizes that team members, both attorneys and staff alike, returning to work following a leave of absence may face challenges reintegrating with work and achieving full utilization. Applicable to leaves of absence related to substance use, mental health, disability, parental leave and FMLA leave, the Ramp Up Policy includes a reduced hours expectation with no reduction in compensation for all team members and outlines a support plan to assist with the transition back to work.

Our Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan

Advancing Inclusion: Women

Advancing Inclusion: People of Color & LGBTQ+

Our Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan

Ice Miller's approach is centered on building a work environment that will attract talented attorneys and professional staff who are seeking an inclusive organization to grow their careers. The Firm's strategic focus is directed at building an inclusive culture and equitable systems in order to retain and advance team members from all backgrounds. This focus will enrich our work environment and provide opportunities to better understand and serve our clients.

Ice Miller remains focused on building a welcoming and inclusive workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging.

Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan Image

Our Inclusion Principles

By collectively committing to this work, we will experience increased engagement, drive better performance and ultimately build a stronger and more successful Firm.

To guide our collective effort, we've asked every member of our Firm to:

1. Commit Personally: focus on individual contributions, engagement and accountability for building an inclusive culture.
2. Create Transparency: focus on sharing information and knowledge to support success.
3. Embrace Difference: focus on valuing all contributions, treating people with respect and investing in their careers.

Click the image above to view the strategic plan overview.

Our Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan

Our Inclusion Principles

Advancing Inclusion: Women

Ice Miller continues to build upon the Firm’s long history of investing in our women leaders by committing resources to professional development, career building and networking opportunities for women attorneys.

In 2019, the Firm hosted multiple events across several offices to strengthen our internal women’s network and broaden client relationships. In 2020, the Firm will once again host it’s Women’s Leadership Conference, which brings the Firm’s women together to focus on relationship building and professional development.

In both 2018 and 2019, the Firm also achieved Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) Gold Standard Certification, which demonstrates that women represent a meaningful percentage of our equity partners, of our highest leadership positions, of our governance and compensation committees and of our most highly compensated partners.

Learn more about women's leadership at Ice Miller.

Advancing Inclusion: People of Color & LGBTQ+

Supporting Diverse Attorneys

Ice Miller is focused on the development, retention and advancement of our attorneys of color and LGBTQ+ attorneys. We continue to commit resources to enhance internal networking opportunities and client-facing business development experiences for our attorneys of color and LGBTQ+ attorneys.

In 2019, our attorneys attended the Defense Research Institute’s Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo, the LGBT Bar Association Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair, the Hispanic National Bar Association Convention, the National Bar Association Convention and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Convention.

The Firm is an active partner with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) and was named a “Top Performer” for 2018 and 2019. The LCLD program provides tremendous development opportunity for our attorneys and we are continuing our participation in the Fellows, Pathfinder and 1L Scholars Programs. Most recently, the Firm hosted a Fellows Leadership Lunch, a Mentoring Program Luncheon, a Fellows and Pathfinder Networking Reception and a Fellows Alumni Experiential Learning Series Program.

We believe it takes a multi-faceted approach to train and develop new attorneys to reach their full potential and become successful practitioners. Our Career Coaching Program provides broad-based development for all of our associates and counsel in such areas as business development, strategic networking, leadership, credentialing, public speaking, community involvement and work-life integration. All associates and counsel have access to partner career coaches who will expand their networks, assist them with navigating the profession and support their continued growth.

At Ice Miller, we want you to openly be who you are. Our Firm is an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Our Firm offers transgender inclusive healthcare benefits, domestic partner benefits and gender neutral parental leave for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.

In 2019 our Firm engaged in several initiatives in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Specifically, we marched in the Indianapolis Pride Parade and Columbus Pride Parade, donated legal services to Trinity Haven, the first residence in Indiana dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth who are experiencing homelessness and partnered with IndyPride to host a career development event for LGBTQ+ professionals.