Barnes & Thornburg held its inaugural annual “Day of Giving” on May 25 for the Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation and raised more than $250,000. The firmwide Day of Giving encouraged attorneys and team members in each of the firm’s 19 offices across the U.S. to donate to the foundation, whose mission is promoting, advocating, and effecting racial and social justice in local communities and nationally.
The giving this year to-date exceeds all donations in 2020; in 2020, the foundation raised $200,000 and presented grants of $50,000 to four organizations in communities where the firm has offices.
The business professional team and attorneys from all of the firm’s offices participated in the donation drive with donations of all sizes, as no gift was deemed too small. The Day of Giving donations will help fund the foundation’s 2021 giving cycle.
“It is extremely gratifying to work in a law firm where everyone recognizes they have an important role to play in this important racial and social justice initiative,” said Connie Lahn, the Racial and Social Justice Foundation president and managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s Minneapolis office. “We appreciate each and every one who chose to support the foundation and the important work it does in our office locations throughout the country.”
The events of 2020, including the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, served as the spark that ignited action by the firm, ultimately creating the Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation. The foundation works hand in hand with Barnes & Thornburg’s Racial Justice Committee, which is tasked with continually looking at how the firm works to address racial justice, both externally and internally.
With more than 700 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New York, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.
