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Diversity

Walsworth understands the value of maintaining a diverse workplace and appreciates the varied experiences and perspectives that such diversity leads to a healthy work environment. We continually strive toward maintaining a balanced group of talent that accurately reflects the clients which we serve.

We are pleased that our commitment to diversity consistently earns high ratings from our employees but our statistics—all above national averages—that demonstrate our dedication to the retention and advancement of women and minority attorneys.

In 2022, Walsworth ranked second out of 58 firms with 100 or fewer attorneys in Law360’s 2022 Glass Ceiling Report, a nationwide ranking based on female representation at all attorney levels, and Law360’s “The Ceiling Smashers,” which ranked firms with 100 or fewer attorneys based on the percentage of women in their equity partnerships. This marked the seventh consecutive year that Walsworth has received a ranking in the Glass Ceiling Report.

In 2021, Law360 rated Walsworth #1 for the best firms for female equity partners and in 2020, the firm was ranked in the top 20 for minority equity partners among firms with 100 or fewer attorneys.

Women’s Business Enterprise Certification

Walsworth is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and by the California Public Utilities Commission. We are proud to have one of the largest California attorney presence of certified WBE law firms in the United States.

The national standard of certification provided by the WBENC is a meticulous process, including an in-depth review of the business and a site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm that the business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier/vendor diversity programs. Historically, corporations developed these programs to meet the requirements of one of their customers, the federal government, which requires companies that the government does business with to procure five percent of their goods and services from women-owned businesses and 5 percent from minority-owned businesses.

As one of the largest WBE law firms in the country, we are in a unique position to handle both volume and a wide variety of litigation and transactional matters.

National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms

Walsworth is a member of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF). We are the largest law firm member in California.

NAMWOLF, a nonprofit trade association, is a bridge between corporate legal departments and minority and women-owned law firms. NAMWOLF is highly regarded in the profession for its vetting process of outside firms who undergo an extensive application and screening process to ensure they are of the highest quality. The vetting process includes a review by corporate counsel they work with and three references from Fortune 500 companies. According to NAMWOLF, in-house counsel at a wide variety of companies have prioritized the hiring of outside law firms that focus on creating a diverse workforce.

Midsize Mansfield Certification Plus Status

Walsworth has achieved Diversity Lab’s Midsize Mansfield Certification Plus status. Firms who have achieved Mansfield Plus Certification status achieved 30 percent diverse representation in current leadership roles and pipeline activities. The Midsize Mansfield Certification was launched in 2020 for firms with fewer than 150 attorneys. Following similar principles as Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Certification for larger firms, this certification measures whether midsize firms have considered at least 30 percent women lawyers, underrepresented racial and ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitches, lateral lawyer hiring, and more.

The structural elements of Diversity Lab’s certification process – including the accountability through frequent firm-specific check-ins and data collection, the ongoing collaboration through monthly group knowledge sharing meetings, and the transparency of publicly certifying – are key to this effort. Through the Mansfield Rule, the legal industry is making progress collectively rather than working in isolation. The Mansfield Rule, in just a few years, has made a major impact on diversifying law firm leadership, and we are looking forward to continued growth while better representing all types of people.

Diverse Supplier for the California Public Utilities Commission

Walsworth is certified by the Supplier’s Clearinghouse as a part of the Utility Supplier Diversity program for the California Public Utilities Commission. This program monitors supplier diversity and maintains an accurate database of firms that are accessible to utility providers.

Encouraging Leadership in Women

We take special pride in our commitment to fostering the leadership of women by utilizing a mix of best practices to encourage the hiring, retention and promotion of women. This includes an active mentoring program, a flexible partnership track, and diverse hiring and management committees. Our results continue to be positive and our retention of women attorneys as associates and partners stands far above the national averages.

Our female attorneys also play an integral role in the firm’s leadership and governance and currently hold positions such as managing partner, marketing partner, and members of the finance and partnership committees. Women lawyers currently compose 83 percent of Walsworth’s equity partnership. In addition, underrepresented attorneys, including women and minorities, compose 79 percent of the firm’s governance committees and practice group leadership.

Strong Commitment to Diversity

Our commitment to diversity is more than a formality—it is an integral part of our firm culture and truly sets our firm apart. While minority representation at law firms has inched along, if not plateaued, our statistics demonstrate our commitment.

Best Hiring Practices

We utilize several best practices to retain and encourage the professional growth of all attorneys, regardless of gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ status, physical disability, or any status protected by law. We believe that hiring and retaining diverse talent—at all levels—is the only way to create an exceptional team best suited for our clients’ needs. Through a family-friendly firm culture, Walsworth is able to recruit and retain the best attorneys and non-attorney staff members from a vast pool of applicants.