Baker Botts LLP Law Firm is DSB Employer of the Year

Department of Family Services
Fairfax Area Disability Services Board
12011 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035-1102
DFSPIO@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dsb

October 10, 2006

Fairfax Area Disability Services Board presents Employer of the Year award
to law firm of Baker Botts LLP

The Fairfax Area Disability Services Board will present its 2006 “Employer of the Year” award on October 13 to the law firm of Baker Botts LLP. The Friday morning event is part of Fairfax County’s observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Gerald E. Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, will join Bruce Harris, Chairman of the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board, to present the award. Other members of the county Board of Supervisors and School Board are expected to attend.

The event will be held at Booz Allen Hamilton Corporate Headquarters, 8283 Greensboro Drive, McLean, Virginia, 22102, on October 13, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Disability Forum at Booz Allen (a previous “Employer of the Year” recipient) is hosting the event and providing the continental breakfast.

Baker Botts has hired three Fairfax County Public School students with cognitive disabilities through the “Options for Life” program of FCPS Career Transition Services. During the past two years each of the three students has worked in the law library of the firm’s Washington office.

In addition, Kathryn Giordano, the director of administration of the firm’s Washington office, has initiated an outreach program through the Washington chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators to encourage other local law firms to hire individuals with disabilities. As a result of this outreach effort, at least three other individuals with disabilities have been employed at Washington area law firms.

Walt Smith, the managing partner of Baker Botts, will travel from the firm’s Houston office to accept the award on the firm’s behalf. Mr. Smith has encouraged the hiring of people with disabilities throughout the firm. Over the last three years, Baker Botts has hired 11 employees with disabilities to work at offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, London, New York, and Washington, D.C.

For more information, contact Carmen Sanchez with the Fairfax County Department of Family Services / Disability Services Planning and Development at 703-324-5868, TTY 703-449-1186, disabilityservices@fairfaxcounty.gov

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Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request. For more information, or to request this information in an alternate format, please call Carmen Sanchez at 703-324-5868, TTY 703-449-1186.

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