We are lawyers, and we exist to serve the needs of our clients. At the same time, our profession confers on us a heightened responsibility, and there are issues and causes that transcend our business purpose.
Systemic racism is undeniably and sadly a part of our lives, and has been for as long as any of us can remember. Most recently, the horror and vileness of systemic racism has once again been directed at Black people in the United States. We are disgusted and offended by a lack of shared humanity that would permit such awfulness to be inflicted on our brothers and sisters and the lack of universal condemnation – including by many of our leaders.
At this moment, we want to be clear about where we stand and in what we believe, about our desire for our children to live in more harmony than we do, about our commitment and effort to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging, about the need for everyone to speak up and denounce injustice.
We appreciate so many other law firms and business leaders speaking out on this topic, and we humbly add our voice to the chorus. It may sound like a cacophony at times, but if you listen closely you will hear the symphony of hope. -- Goodwin