Our firm implements programs and initiatives to help build a more diverse and inclusive community for everyone. Through cross-collaborative efforts, we dive deeply into DEI issues, engage in meaningful discussions, and create action plans that move our firm toward lasting change.
Our comprehensive Action Plan, designed and implemented in 2020 to increase diversity and inclusion at the firm, has resulted in tangible progress toward our goals to hire, retain, develop, and promote diverse partners, associates, counsel, and staff. It also includes activities to support a culture of engagement and accountability for all staff and attorneys, such as:
The firm has also implemented:
Our firmwide educational programming helps us to identify and address unconscious bias and its effect on workplace interactions. By way of example, Professor Jerry Kang, a leading scholar on implicit bias and the law, held an insightful discussion at our firm on implicit bias in law firms and the specific ways to counteract it. The firm also held training sessions on implicit bias, conducted by Dr. Arin Reeves, and on generational diversity conducted by Chris De Santis. Most recently, members of the firm's management teams participated in an unconscious bias workshop for law firm leaders led by Paula Edgar, Esq.
Mansfield Certification
The firm has been Mansfield certified since 2019, and currently is Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified Plus. Law firms joining the Mansfield Rule pledge that at least 30% of candidates for lateral partners, mid-to-senior-level associates, partner promotions, certain leadership or governance positions, and formal pitch teams, are women, attorneys of color, LGBTQIA+ attorneys, or attorneys with a disability. "Plus" status is earned when, in addition to meeting or exceeding the pipeline consideration requirements for certification, the firm has successfully reached at least 30% diverse attorney representation in a notable number of its current leadership roles and committees. Our firm has internally expanded these criteria to apply to all attorney hires and all committees.
Legal Pipeline Programs
Diversity Program with Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Our partnership with Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (Villanova) earned us the George B. Vashon Innovator Award from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, "given to in-house legal departments, law firms, and bar associations that have led the way with innovative best practices to assist diverse attorneys."
The program includes two full-tuition scholarships, awarded annually in our firm's name, in perpetuity. The recipients are racial or ethnic minorities, and the scholarships are awarded on merit and financial need. We also hire two diverse 1L summer associates from Villanova. Working directly with Villanova's diverse student organizations, we identify impactful keynote speakers for the keynote address during Villanova's annual week-long commemoration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our firm is honored to be a permanent sponsor of the event.
The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)
The 1L Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Scholars Program is designed to strengthen the pipeline by expanding the number of opportunities for diverse first-year law students, including summer associate programs and other initiatives. Member law firms and in-house teams collaborate in a variety of ways, including mentorships, academic and career advice, and networking. We hire 1L students through several local pipeline programs, including those in Charlotte, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Our 1L summer associates participate in the LCLD 1L Scholars Summit, which provides students with mentoring, academic and career advice, and networking opportunities.
Our firm is also an active participant in LCLD's landmark Fellows Program, which identifies high-potential attorneys from diverse backgrounds and helps to set them on the path to leadership within their organizations. The LCLD Pathfinder Program is designed for diverse, high-potential, early-career attorneys at LCLD Member organizations. The goal is to provide these "pathfinders" with practical tools for developing and leveraging:
We also support a variety of additional programs throughout the U.S. For example, our attorneys work with the Mock Trial Team at Franklin Learning Center High School in Philadelphia; the State Bar of Georgia's High School Pipeline Program; and support scholarships and programming for College Bound, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based organization that offers academic enrichment and resources to public and charter school students in grades 8-12.
Affinity Groups
The firm's attorneys and staff are invited to participate in the variety of programming and networking opportunities hosted by our Affinity Groups, including the:
Key Memberships
We foster the growth and professional development of our attorneys through our support and participation in the following groups: