Minnesota Lawyer
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Often the most effective change comes from within, and at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, firm partner Erin Bryan is helping create that change.
As leader of Dorsey’s LGBTQ+ Resource Group, Bryan and her team advocated for and achieved a change to Dorsey’s medical plan requirements to ensure parity for same-sex couples with respect to coverage for fertility services. Dorsey’s medical plan had inadvertently contained a barrier to coverage for same-sex couples who wished to access fertility services, and Bryan successfully advocated for its removal.
Bryan has worked to foster a welcoming environment for Dorsey’s LGBTQ+ employees. One result of her work was a program that Dorsey hosted in 2021 for National Coming Out Day. At that program, three Dorsey colleagues shared their personal coming-out stories, and all of the panelists shared that Dorsey was the first employer where they felt comfortable being out in the workplace.
“Our primary focus has been to foster meaningful connections among the firm’s LGBTQ+ community members and allies through regular meetings and social events,” said Bryan of the resource group. The group also works with Dorsey’s diversity, equity and inclusion team to develop firm-wide educational and anti-bias programming on LGBTQ+ related topics.
“Once the broader community is engaged and educated, we can advocate more effectively for policies that are essential for the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ lawyers and staff,” she said.
Last year, the resource group held events for Pride Month, National Coming Out Day, and Transgender Day of Remembrance, as well as a program titled “From Diversity and Inclusion to Workplace Equity: Queering our Possibilities” and a presentation on “Estate Planning for the LGBTQ+ Community.”
“Our primary goal for the next few years is to ensure that transgender and nonbinary members of our community feel fully welcome and supported at the firm,” said Bryan.
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