Community Involvement and Diversity Initiatives
Saiber LLC understands that a diverse workplace enhances our ability to excel, not only as professionals, but also as productive members of our community. For this reason, we are committed to promoting an inclusive and diverse firm culture, one that welcomes and encourages the contributions of men and women of varying ethnic backgrounds.
FIRM CULTURE
Our commitment to diversity can be seen first and foremost in our firm population.
Specifically, 32% of our Members are female, as are 52% of the Associates. In addition, 18% of our associates are minorities. The firm's Executive Director is one of only a few female law firm Executive Directors in New Jersey. Our administrative staff is 50% female and 17% Hispanic, and our support staff (almost exclusively female) is 39% African-American or Hispanic.
In support of our ongoing commitment to firm diversity, we inform our legal recruiters of our desire for minority candidates. We also strive to provide an accommodating environment for working parents, allowing for flexible and part-time work schedules.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
As a thriving business, we have always maintained strong ties to the community, including our involvement with the Economic Development Department of the City of Newark. In the late 1960's, the City of Newark was rife with poor housing, discrimination, crime, rioting and the erosion of its workforce. Today, it is undergoing major redevelopment and is a model for other northeast urban centers. We are proud to be a productive part of the renaissance of this vibrant and vital city. To that end, we contribute to and sponsor many community-based programs and charitable organizations, including:
StreetLaw, Inc.
StreetLaw, Inc. is a corporate legal diversity pipeline program that encourages minority high school students to consider a career in law at an early age. Saiber has been involved with StreetLaw since 2007 visiting high schools, instructing students in various aspects of law and then coordinating a daylong program where the students use the legal concepts they studied in the classroom playing the part of opposing lawyers in hypothetical legal cases.
City of Newark Department of Law
As a result of StreetLaw's success, we have partnered with the City of Newark's Department of Law and held a one-day program for their summer students at our office in Newark including coordinating a tour of the courthouse.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
The firm supports Big Brothers/Big Sisters through donations and by volunteering time to mentor students in the Newark city school system. Our Managing Member, William F. Maderer, Esq., has been a Big Brother for one of the students, who graduated from college in 2010, for more than ten years. The Firm has also contributed to clothing drives orgainzed to benefit the Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
The Newark Museum
The Newark Museum, New Jersey's largest museum, is a not-for-profit museum of art, science and education which receives operating support from the City of Newark, State of New Jersey, New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, New Jersey Cultural Trust and donations from members and other contributors. In addition to the firm's financial contributions, one of our members, Agnes I. Rymer, Esq., has been Chair of the Newark Museum Council and is currently a Member of the Newark Museum Business and Community Council. David M. Satz, Jr., Esq. also was a Museum Council member for many years. We also support the Museum's summer programs, including Jazz in the Garden and the summer associate luncheon.
Legal Services Foundation of Essex County
We make regular donations to this charitable and philanthropic arm of the Essex County Bar Association, which provides a wide variety of free law-related education services to the public. Firm member David J. D'Aloia, Esq. is a Trustee of the Foundation.
Newark Regional Business Partnership
The firm is a member of the Newark Regional Business Partnership, which has a strong history of representing business and embracing diversity to enhance the region's economic competitiveness. Several firm members are active in this organization, and have presented programs during their Brown Bag Luncheon series.
The Fresh Air Fund
The Fresh Air Fund, a not-for-profit agency, provides free summer vacations to underprivileged children. The firm contributes to the Fund and through the years, many of our employees have participated in the organization's annual softball game fundraiser.
Livestrong
Livestrong is an organization dedicated to raising awareness, increasing outreach and facilitate collaboration in an effort to improve the cancer experiene. Several of our attorneys run, walk and bike and donate for the cure.
Dress for Success
The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and life. Saiber has conducted several suit drives and collected hundreds of suits which were donated to Dress for Success.
Jersey Cares
Every fall, The Jersey Cares Coat Drive collects and distributes over 40,000 gently used winter coats to at-risk men, women, children and infants. Saiber has conducted a coat drive every winter for the past several years and has collected hundreds of coats for Jersey Cares.