One of my many roles at Locks Law Firm is that of Human Resources Director. Over the last 1-2 years, my responsibilities have grown in this department as I manage our benefits programs, launched a 401K and help manage day-to-day issues with our employees. Prior taking on this role, I worked in a so-called “bubble,” dealing only with the limited issues in which I was involved and therefore only interacting, on a regular basis, with people also involved in those matters. However, my day to day work now allows me to interact with and across all areas of our firm and I have had the chance to get to see how our firm “works,” while also getting to know our employees better.
In this age of technology, many of us “know” each other via an email or some form of social media. Even in today’s corporate and professional worlds, many day to day tasks are a series of emails and texts. So you may wonder who, exactly, are these folks at Locks Law Firm? Let me tell you, we are quite a diverse bunch! We have cyclists, roller coaster enthusiasts, knitters, ministers, rowers, nursing students, gourmet bakers, mothers, fathers, young and old. But we also have some of the smartest and most caring people you could meet. And while we don’t have much turnover – and therefore not a lot of open positions – we do keep our eye out for others who can enhance our team.
It was with this in mind that we were approached by the Sierra Group, who works to educate and train people with disabilities so that they can re-enter the workforce. As part of their program, each participant is required to complete an internship. The question was, did we have any need which could be filled with one of the students? I honestly don’t think anyone here worried about a disability, rather, could we provide the proper learning experience and was that applicant qualified and able to do the work. Since those initial conversations, Locks Law Firm has had the opportunity to work with three students from the Sierra Group. All three have brought value and much needed assistance to our organization during their internship. In fact, we were so impressed, that we hired one of the students at the end of her internship. She has continued to do excellent work and her duties have broadened with her time here. Working with the Sierra Group has opened the eyes of many to see the opportunities available by hiring persons with disabilities and if we had the need for additional staff, would welcome the opportunity to work with the Sierra Group again.
I am proud of our firm for consistently looking for ways to make ourselves, our people and our work better. Whether it’s providing opportunities for students from Sierra or supporting employees schedules to allow them to continue their education, Locks Law Firm is hiring and retaining the best in the “biz.” And it’s because of this, our clients can be sure that those working on their case are some of the best, brightest and empathetic people with diverse backgrounds who in many ways, are just like them – and exactly who you’d want to represent you.
