Crowell & Moring has appointed Don Smith as the firm's first chief talent and inclusion officer, a C-suite position that merges recruiting, professional development and diversity.

"We are delighted that Don will be the first to serve in this new, essential role for our firm," Crowell chair Philip Inglima said in a statement. "We are confident that Don will continue to make enduring contributions to the advancement of diversity, inclusion, and professional development both within our firm and the broader legal community."

Smith had previously held the title of senior director of talent and inclusion for a year before being elevated to the newly created position. The difference now, he said, is that he will report directly to leadership instead of working under the umbrella of human resources.

"While my previous role oversaw those three departments, this new position places me and three initiatives within the firm's leadership ranks," Smith said.

Don Smith Don Smith

Before coming to Crowell, Smith was the director of professional development and diversity at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, where he also practiced law. Until recently, he also was chairman of the board of directors of the Professional Development Consortium, an association of professional development staffers across several industries.

Smith sees recruiting, professional development and diversity and inclusion as closely interrelated.

"Providing diverse attorneys with professional development and resources and support is incredibly important to making sure that our diverse attorneys perform to the highest potential," he said.

His elevation comes as chief diversity executives increasingly populate law firms, though in different capacities and different mandates. Holland & Knight, Seyfarth Shaw and DLA Piper have all recently hired diversity executives.

Crowell came in at No. 31 on the 2019 Diversity Scorecard, up 17 places from No. 48 in 2018. Out of the firm's 430 attorneys, 22.9% identified as a minority and 13.5% of the firm's partnership were minorities.

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