Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

When you want to be valued.

At Fillmore Riley, the many perspectives and lived experiences of our lawyers and professionals are essential to our success. We recognize and value the diverse dimensions of our communities and clients in the Prairie region, across Canada and around the world.

As lawyers and as colleagues, we are committed to ensuring a workplace of dignity and inclusion; to advocacy for equity in our profession; and to reflecting the people we serve and the places we call home.

This isn't a statement we make once. It's a standard we hold ourselves to in how we hire, how we mentor, and how we measure success.

 Why DEI matters at Fillmore Riley

Good legal work depends on catching what a single perspective misses. Teams that bring different backgrounds and ways of thinking ask better questions, spot more risk, and arrive at stronger solutions for the firm and the clients we represent.

It also shapes who chooses to build a career here. People do their best work when they're not spending energy managing whether they belong. A workplace where everyone feels safe, valued, and able to do their best work is what makes a high-performing team possible.

There's a client dimension too. Our clients bring distinct perspectives and values to the matters we handle for them. Understanding that — rather than defaulting to assumptions — is part of what it means to serve them well.

None of this happens by default. It takes deliberate choices in how we hire, how we develop people, and how candidly we talk about where we still fall short.

Accessibility 

Accessibility shapes how we design our space and share our information. Fillmore Riley is committed to identifying and removing the barriers that prevent access to services and to ensuring everyone can access and understand our information. 

Disabilities can be visible or invisible, permanent or temporary. We want everyone to be able to access our space and our information with dignity. If you require services and resources in a different format or need help with communication, we will be pleased to assist you. 
  • Identify the information or resource you need in an accessible format, or the type of communication support you require.
  • Make your request using one of the following:
  • Email jzarrillo@fillmoreriley.com. Please include your name and contact information, and describe the alternate format or communication support you require or call our Acting HR Manager at (204) 954 6438. 
  • You will hear back from our Acting HR Manager to discuss how we can best meet your needs.

Fillmore Riley continually strives to make our firm more inclusive and accessible. We welcome your feedback and ideas.

Land Acknowledgment and Commitment to Reconciliation

Fillmore Riley LLP has embarked on the reconciliation work of developing our own Land Acknowledgment. Through a facilitated discussion with an Indigenous advisor, and using Indigenous ways of learning and teaching, a team of Fillmore Riley lawyers, managers, and staff considered our individual, and our firm’s, relationship with the land and our understanding of its history.

In developing our Land Acknowledgment, we considered the following questions:

  • What do we know about land acknowledgments?
  • What do we know about the history of Canada, and its relationship with Indigenous people?
  • What is our relationship with the land we currently live and work on?
  • How did we introduce ourselves to the land?

Our team engaged in deep introspection on these questions. 

A Land Acknowledgment is much more than the words on the page.  We are proud of the work and the process that went into developing our Land Acknowledgment, and of the work we are doing beyond those words. 

Fillmore Riley LLP is located in Winnipeg, on Treaty 1 Territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. The Province of Manitoba encompasses the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe (Ojibway, Saulteaux), Dakota (Oyate), Assiniboine (Nakota), Anishininew (Oji-Cree), Ininew (Cree), Dene, and Inuit.

We acknowledge that most of us are guests to this land where we are privileged to live, work and find comfort. We recognize that privilege has often come at the expense of Indigenous people, including the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation in Treaty 3 where our water is sourced.  We are committed to building a relationship based on mutuality, reciprocity and respect with the land and its Indigenous people, and to be stewards of the land we occupy.

 Our commitments include the following:

  1. to engage in continuous learning about the history and lived experiences of Indigenous people in Canada;
  2. by engaging in sustainable business practices to reduce waste and our impact on the environment;
  3. to assist our Indigenous clients in furthering economic development in their communities;
  4. to support the Fillmore Riley Internship at FortWhyte Farms, which sponsors under-served youth to learn about sustainable agriculture, animal husbandry, production, and food handling skills on a small, sustainable working farm onsite at FortWhyte, as well as supporting annual workshops with Indigenous knowledge keepers at the farm and/or FortWhyte Alive; and
  5. to provide work experience and scholarship funds to Indigenous students who might not otherwise have exposure to the law firm environment.