ETHICS STATEMENT
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The legal profession has taken it upon itself to create standards for ethical behavior. These standards have been outlined through the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC 1.0 et seq.) and the Lawyer’s Oath that is given to all attorneys before they begin the practice of law. These rules govern decisions around all aspects of the practice of law including conflicts of interest; client confidentiality; competency, scope and termination of representation; and many more. Jeffries and Associates PLLC is committed to upholding the high standards of the legal community through our diligence in following these standards and takes pride in doing so.
DEI STATEMENTDiversity is a moral imperative and a business necessity. At Jeffries and Associates PLLC, we celebrate diversity by acknowledging, respecting, appreciating, and valuing individual differences. We recognize that characteristics that make us diverse include, but are not limited to, age, race, nationality and ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, disabilities and marital status. Our commitment to diversity serves to advance each of the strategic goals established for the firm.
Equity is essential to ensuring all staff members and clients have reasonable resources and accommodations that provide them with a full opportunity to thrive. Jeffries and Associates PLLC is dedicated to providing such resources and accommodations to promote growth and to address obstacles and/or barriers that would otherwise hinder the success of its staff members and the clients that seek our assistance. Inclusion is critical to creating an environment that increases awareness and understanding of diverse viewpoints and promotes an atmosphere in which staff members and clients feel comfortable, welcomed, respected, supported and valued. Jeffries and Associates PLLC will maintain an inclusive work environment to the benefit of its clients, its staff members and the health of the firm. DEI COMMITMENTJeffries and Associates PLLC’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a fundamental part of our culture and our continued success. We have established an internal DEI training and education for each of our staff members to promote awareness, education, and policies as to DEI. The training and education of our staff members is tracked internally and updated with periodic continued learning programs. The training and education cover topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion, awareness, unconscious bias, inclusive language, microaggressions, and cultivation of DEI within the organization.
Jeffries and Associates PLLC proudly participates in bringing our services to a diverse MSU student population, not just through our services, but also by participating in many programs such as M.A.G.I.C., International Student Resource Fairs, First Generation Resource Fairs, Detroit M.A.D.E Scholars Program, Sparticipation, and much more. We further engage our commitment to DEI through our employment and mentoring within our Law Clerk program in which we have been able to engage and mentor law students which bring a plethora of diversities in race, gender, nationality and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity from Michigan State University College of Law to our service and we emphasize and value that diversity when bringing law students into the Law Clerk program. We are also proud to support the newly adopted Michigan Supreme Court Rule which mandates that all Michigan courts respect diversity, including gender identity and preferred pronouns. In its September 27, 2023 Order, the Michigan Supreme Court established a new Court Rule which provides in part, “public Courts must use the individual’s name, the designated salutation or personal pronouns, or other respectful means that is not inconsistent with the individual’s designated salutation or personal pronouns when addressing, referring to, or identifying the party or attorney, either orally or in writing.” The Order further notes: “We serve the entire public and are required to treat those who come before us with civility and respect. The gender identity of a member of the public is a part of their individual identity, regardless of whether others agree or approve.” Land Grant Acknowledgement of Michigan State University“Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize Michigan’s 12 federally recognized Native Nations, historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and those who were forcibly removed from their homelands. In offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history and experiences.”
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