Our attorneys and staff may come from many ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds, but when it comes to pursuing success for our clients and ourselves, we are cut from the same cloth. We know overcoming challenges, both legal and professional, takes dedication and support from our colleagues.
Founded in 1933, when it was almost impossible for a diverse attorney to thrive at one of Boston’s larger law offices, Mintz Levin was established by two young Jewish attorneys who knew how it felt to be excluded. The firm’s commitment to diversity is a natural outgrowth of their struggle to carve out a more inclusive professional path -- a history that helps explain our dedication to celebrating the differences that create a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere in which to practice law.
|
My father and his partners were committed to building a firm that was inclusive and progressive in terms of its approach to diversity. He often reminded me that as an immigrant child from the age of six, he had benefited from opportunities, and that it was his joyful duty ‘to give back.’
— Richard Mintz (1921 – 2011)
|
We strive to support diverse attorneys and have formal and informal mentoring programs to help diverse attorneys succeed. Mintz Levin’s Professional Development programs support the professional growth of our attorneys, with specific programs for women and minority attorneys.
Mintz Levin is a demonstrated leader in promoting the rights of women, people of color, and the LGBT community. Our core values spell out our goal of creating a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere in which to practice law or work in the legal profession.
Quick Facts
- Women lead numerous practices at Mintz Levin.
- Nearly half of the attorneys at the firm are women.
- Percentages of women Members and Associates at the firm exceed the NALP average for firms of a similar size.
- In 1993 — a decade before it was mandated by the legislature — the firm was one of the first to offer health benefits for same-sex domestic partners.
- In 1986, two Mintz Levin partners were instrumental in creating the Boston Lawyers Group (BLG), a nonprofit organization founded by a consortium of major Boston firms committed to improving the hiring and retention of lawyers of color.
Rankings & Recognitions
- Gold Standard Certification from Women in Law Empowerment Forum
- Top Ten Family Friendly Firms by the Yale Law Women
- Top 20 Law Firms in the US for diversity efforts by Vault
- Score of 100% on Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index
- Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality by the Human Rights Campaign
- Corporate Courage Award from the City of Boston
There was a partner here with a large number of higher education clients. It was great to be able to raise my hand and say, ‘I’m interested in learning that,’ and then have the firm say, ‘We won’t look outside for this capability; we’ll see how you develop.
— Tyrone Thomas, Associate
Diversity Initiatives
- The Diversity Committee reflects the firm’s diversity and meets monthly to formulate and adopt policies that impact recruiting, retention, mentoring, and work allocation.
- Richard Mintz Scholarship is awarded to a first-year law student of color and provides $10,000 toward the student’s second year of tuition, a paid summer position at the firm between the student’s first and second years, and an ongoing work relationship with the firm throughout the student’s second year.
- The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Group has been meeting regularly since 2003 and provides opportunities for mutual support, sharing concerns, and informal mentoring for the firm’s LGBT attorneys and staff members.
- MIATTY is an affinity group for minority attorneys and senior professionals that seeks to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the firm. MIATTY has been meeting on a quarterly basis for over a decade.
- The Women’s Initiative sponsors numerous professional, networking, and social events aimed at supporting and enriching the lives of our female attorneys.
- The Sponsor & Retention Program helps Associates of color build long-term careers at Mintz Levin by pairing them with a sponsoring Member, helping them develop a network within the firm, and helping them build supportive, collegial relationships with their
Diversity Partnerships
We participate in and support numerous diversity-related efforts throughout the country aimed at recruiting and supporting the professional development of diverse attorneys and promoting diversity.
In addition to hosting an annual interview workshop in Boston for law students of color, the firm participates in job fairs for students of color in Boston and DC, and the National LGBT Law Association’s Lavender Law Job Fair. We also participate in the Boston Lawyers Group 1L Summer Diversity Clerkship Program.
Partners in Diversity Nationwide
· American Intellectual Property Association Education Foundation
· Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting Law (ALPFA)
· Athena San Diego
· Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth (BAGLY)
· The Boston Lawyers Group (BLG)
· Boston University Law School Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA)
· The Commonwealth Compact
· DC Minority Attorney Networking Series
· Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association
· Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
· Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project (GMDVP)
· Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA)
· Just the Beginning Foundation (JTBF)
· Korean American Bar Association of San Diego
· Lambda Legal
· Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association
· Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA)
· National Black Law Students Association
· The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association
· New York Asian Women’s Center
· New York Minority Attorney Networking Series
· La Raza Lawyers of San Diego
· South Asian Bar Association (SABA)
· Women Lawyers Alliance
Richard Mintz Diversity Scholarship
The Richard Mintz Diversity Scholarship is designed to help make our workplace and profession more diverse. Named in memory of Richard Mintz, a partner in the firm for 57 years and the son of one of the firm’s original members, the scholarship provides the recipient with a paid summer position in the firm’s Boston office, $10,000 toward the second year of law school, and a continuing working relationship with our firm throughout that year.¿¿
"My father and his partners took their responsibility very seriously -- to build a firm that was inclusive and progressive in terms of its approach to diversity," said Richard Mintz.
Diversity Committee
The Diversity Committee’s mission is to understand and value diversity in our firm and clients and to integrate diversity into our vision, culture, business, mission, policies, and practices.
We weave our mission into the firm’s strategic planning and direction. We are responsible for leading the firm’s ongoing diversity efforts. In addition to focusing on expanding opportunities at the firm for attorneys and staff who are of color, women, or part of the LGBT community, we are committed to promoting diversity in the legal profession and throughout our communities.
