DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION ("DEI") POLICY.

SSM ("SSM" or the "Firm") strives to provide a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace is one where all employees and independent contractors, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability, feels valued and respected. The Firm is committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement at the Firm. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard. We’re committed to modeling diversity and inclusion for the entire legal sector, and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

The Firm strives to:

• See diversity, inclusion, and equity as connected to our Firm's mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our Firm and the clients we serve.
• Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and continually update and report the Firm's progress.
• Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
• Advocate for and support critical thinking about how systemic inequities impact our Firm’s work, and how best to address that in a way that is consistent with our mission.
• Challenge assumptions about what it takes to be a strong leader at our Firm, and who is well-positioned to provide leadership.
• Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions.
• Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our Firm, and ensure that all members of the Firm (and potential hires) value the importance of our Firm's diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts.
• Lead with respect and tolerance. We expect all employees to embrace this notion and to express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practices.

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The Firm abides by the following action items to help promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace:

• Pursue cultural competency throughout our Firm by creating substantive learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
• Generate and aggregate quantitative and qualitative research related to equity opportunities at our Firm and provide public visibility of our diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts.  At this time, all shareholders and all employees at the Firm are women and/or minorities.  For more information about our team, please find our SSM Deck here. 
• Create and support programs and policies that foster recruitment, retention, and pathways to leadership for employees in a manner that reflects the diversity of American society.
• Pool resources and expand offerings for underrepresented employees by connecting with nonprofit organizations committed to diversity and inclusion efforts.
• Develop and present sessions on diversity, inclusion, and equity to provide information and resources internally and externally.
• Remain conscious of bias during the hiring, promoting, or evaluating process.   
• Advocate for public and private-sector policies that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity.
• Challenge systems and policies that create inequality, oppression and disparity.