News Release
McGlinchey Stafford Signs Joint Law Firm Letter to U.S. Law School Deans
Read Time: 2 minsMcGlinchey Stafford has joined a group of law firms in signing a letter that urges leading U.S. law schools to denounce anti-Semitic rhetoric, violence, and harassment on campuses.
In the past month I have spoken with many people across our firm about how the war in the Middle East is impacting them and their families, which have included concerns of rising violence in our streets and on college campuses. On behalf of McGlinchey Stafford, I am happy to sign onto the list of law firms from across the country taking a stand on this important issue.
Hate and bigotry have no place in the United States. Full Stop. No exceptions. No legalese. Just Full Stop. Moreover, hate and bigotry do not have a place at our institutions of higher learning.
The unique laws and legal framework of this country are built on a foundation of respectful discourse. Those of us charged with implementing those laws have a responsibility to call out and act against injustice. As the attached letter puts so well, we must engage in a “free exchange of ideas, even on emotionally charged issues, in a manner that affirms the values we all hold dear and rejects unreservedly that which is antithetical to those values.”
As a firm that nurtures a culture of inclusion and authenticity, we wholeheartedly endorse and commit to the letter’s vision of “workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment.”
– Michael Ferachi, Managing Member
You can read the full text of the letter below.
Dear Deans,
Everyone at our law firms is entitled to be treated with respect and be free of any conduct that targets their identity and is offensive, hostile, intimidating or inconsistent with their personal dignity and rights. We prohibit any form of harassment, whether verbal, visual or physical.
Over the last several weeks, we have been alarmed at reports of anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism and assaults on college campuses, including rallies calling for the death of Jews and the elimination of the State of Israel. Such anti-Semitic activities would not be tolerated at any of our firms. We also would not tolerate outside groups engaging in acts of harassment and threats of violence, as has also been occurring on many of your campuses.
As educators at institutions of higher learning, it is imperative that you provide your students with the tools and guidance to engage in the free exchange of ideas, even on emotionally charged issues, in a manner that affirms the values we all hold dear and rejects unreservedly that which is antithetical to those values. There is no room for anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism or any other form of violence, hatred or bigotry on your campuses, in our workplaces or our communities.
As employers who recruit from each of your law schools, we look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses.
We trust you will take the same unequivocal stance against such activities as we do, and we look forward to a respectful dialogue with you to understand how you are addressing with urgency this serious situation at your law schools.