Debevoise has long been committed to attracting, retaining and promoting a diverse population of lawyers and administrative staff as part of building the strongest possible firm.  To ensure continuing focus on that commitment, the firm has an active Diversity Committee that manages diversity issues at the firm in three general areas: recruiting, professional development and education.  The Committee coordinates with the Hiring Committee to enhance the firm's ability to recruit talented lawyers of diverse backgrounds.  The Committee reviews and develops activities and programs to promote professional development and training opportunities that enhance the retention and advancement of our diverse community.  The Committee also works to promote awareness, provide education and encourage open and ongoing discussions about diversity issues throughout the firm.  Debevoise has a full-time Diversity Manager who coordinates diversity activities with the Committee, the Management Committee and various other constituencies in the firm, and also acts as a resource for all lawyers and staff with respect to diversity.

• 26% of the associates hired into the firm’s New York office over the past five years were members of minority groups.  As of July 2009, 20% of the firm's associates firmwide are from minority groups.
• 52% of the associates hired into the firm’s New York office over the past five years were women.  As of July 2008, 50% of the firm’s associates firmwide are women.
• Debevoise has been ranked among the top 10 firms on the AmLaw A-List since its inception seven years ago, one of the four factors for the A-List is diversity.
• In the 2009 Vault Guide to the Top 100 Firms, Debevoise ranked 13th in diversity overall.
• Debevoise was recognized two years in a row as a Best Law Firm for Women, based on a nationwide survey conducted by Working Mother magazine and the Flex-Time Lawyers Group.
• In September 2008, Yale Law Women named Debevoise one of the Ten Top Family-Friendly Firms.
• In 2008, Debevoise achieved a top rating of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index and Best Places to Work Survey.
• In 2009, Debevoise was ranked 10th among all firms for overall diversity by Multicultural Law magazine and ranked 1st among all firms for women, 18th among all firms for African Americans and 18th among all firms for Asian Americans.
• Debevoise women lawyers play a critical role in leadership of the firm.  Mary Jo White is the Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, Mary Beth Hogan is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Franci Blassberg is Co-Chair of the Corporate Department’s Private Equity Group with Peggy Davenport.
• In leadership of the profession outside the firm, Barbara Paul Robinson was the first woman President of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 1994-96.  She is currently a member of the DirectWomen Institute, a joint venture of the ABA and Catalyst formed to train women lawyers to become directors of public companies.  Lorna Schofield was named as one of the 50 most influential minority lawyers in America by The National Law Journal.  In 2009, Lorna will become the first Asian-American woman to chair the ABA's Section of Litigation.  Mary Beth Hogan is a board member of Catalyst, a research and advisory organization that promotes women's career advancement and leadership.

• Social and Economic Rights Action Center, assisting a Nigerian NGO in representing before the African Commission on Human and People's Rights a class of citizens of Lagos, Nigeria who were forcibly evicted from their homes in a large slum community when the government demolished it.  After 18 years of litigation, the evictees have yet to recover any redress and have decided to take their case to the African Commission.
• Transgender Legal Defense and Education Name Change Project, assisting low-income transgender individuals with their legal name change process.
• Venture Capital Association of Nigeria (VCAN) in conjunction with the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance.  This project relates to possible amendments to recent regulations that require Nigerian banks to set aside 10% of their pre-tax profits to make equity investments within Nigeria.
• Girls Action Network, Inc. (GAN), an organization established to empower girls through vocational awareness and to increase the likelihood of their success in terms of skill sets, salary, self-esteem, community, civic, and corporate participation.  GAN serves girls in grades 7-12 with a particular focus on girls from underserved communities.  A Debevoise lawyer founded and sits on the Board of Directors of GAN.
• Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights and the City Bar Refugee Assistance Project on asylum cases for clients from all over the world, including Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and the People's Republic of China.
• Immigration Equality regarding the asylum cases for people persecuted in their home countries based on sexual orientation, transgender identity or HIV status.
• The Comprehensive Care Centre, and HIV/AIDS hospital in Port FLorence, Kenya.
• Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, a not-for-profit organization providing services to low-income Latino communities, including health, education and immigration advice and assistance.
• Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), preparing an amicus brief filed in a New York case relating to the legality of same-sex marriage.
• The African Methodist Episcopal Church, in forming a not-for-profit corporation to preserve historically significant properties including historic burial grounds, properties essential to the Underground Railroad and early community schools.

• The 1991 Statement of Goals of New York Law Firms and Corporate Legal Departments for Increasing Minority Representation and Retention.
• The 1998 Restatement and Reaffirmation of Goals for the hiring, retention and promotion of attorneys of color and the retention and promotion of women.
• The 2003 Statement of Diversity.  Debevoise was one of the first firms to sign onto the statement.