Taylor Porter, through its Diversity Committee, is pleased to launch the BUILD (Building Unity, Inclusion, & Legal Diversity) Community Outreach Program, designed to further bridge the Firm’s diversity efforts with its traditional community outreach and volunteer work.

Through this program, Taylor Porter lawyers and staff will have the opportunity to provide assistance to several organizations year-round, thereby affecting diverse segments of the community in a most positive and rewarding way. The Diversity Committee has selected Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge as the Firm's starter organization for the Fall in which Taylor Porter attorneys and staff will volunteer for pre-build work on a construction site for a family in Baton Rouge. Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Taylor Porter Partner Andrée Cullens serves as a family selection committee member for the local Habitat for Humanity. 

Since Taylor Porter's founding in 1912 when co-founder B.B. Taylor helped launch Baton Rouge's first YMCA, Taylor Porter has embraced the role of “corporate citizen” and continued for more than 100 years a strong tradition of community service throughout our City, supporting more than 50 community and nonprofit organizations. Whether serving on the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations or making contributions to worthwhile causes, our attorneys and staff make significant contributions to the communities in which they live and work.

Taylor Porter’s 105-year tradition of excellence in client service and strong commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout our law firm is evidenced by our internal promotion of diversity awareness, recruitment/retention of diverse professionals, leadership by our women and minority attorneys, and through external outreach and impact on the community. Our Firm’s diversity efforts are led by Diversity Committee Chair and Partner Katia Bowman, and also Vice-Chair Vicki Crochet, our Labor and Employment Practice Team Leader, Partner and Executive Committee Member.

In 2016, our diversity committee produced the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion brochure to educate both internally and externally the concentrated efforts by Taylor Porter to demonstrate that our diversity commitment benefits not only the firm and our profession, but also the community in which our members and our families live and work. For the last two years, Taylor Porter has been a proud host of and participant in the Dialogue on Race Louisiana series. DOR brings together organizations, businesses, and individuals that have similar goals of working together to promote corporate diversity and further diversity outreach to the community. In 2017, Taylor Porter attorneys completed a five-part professionalism seminar series with downtown Baton Rouge's Mentorship STEAM Academy.