Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Our Commitment

Calfee is dedicated to supporting a culture that is inclusive of attorneys and staff in age, sex, race, religion, creed, national origin, marital or civil union status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic information, military status, veteran status or any other characteristic or status protected by law. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) is an increasingly critical focus area for our firm, impacting all firm operations and growth goals, as demonstrated by the following most recent and ongoing initiatives.

Mansfield Rule Certification

Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP is proud to announce that we have earned Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification, successfully completing a year-long collaboration with Diversity Lab to measure and be held accountable for achieving meaningful progress toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. Calfee is proud of this achievement, which demonstrates that the firm has taken deliberative steps to expand the list of those considered for leadership positions within our organization, among many other steps made to intentionally expand diversity, equity and inclusion at Calfee.

Mansfield aims to increase and sustain diversity in leadership within law firms by broadening the pool of women lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, lawyers with disabilities, and underrepresented racial and/or ethnic lawyers who are considered for senior lateral attorney job openings, firm governance opportunities, equity partner promotions, and firm leadership positions. Firms must also create and publish job descriptions and appointment/election policies for leadership roles.

To achieve Mansfield 5.0 Certification, Calfee collaborated with Diversity Lab over a 12-month certification period with built-in measurement, transparency, and accountability mechanisms.

“Participating in the Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification process has encouraged Calfee’s leaders to adopt an additional layer of intentionality about key hiring, promotion, and inclusion decisions. Implementing even subtle changes in our firm’s collective thought processes has resulted in initial positive outcomes, including a heightened sense of accountability and commitment across the firm,” said Kimberly Moses, Partner and Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP.

Calfee is actively participating in Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification, which will require meeting rigorous diversity, equity, and inclusion goals specified by Diversity Lab from July 2022 through July 2023.

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

Our commitment to valuing and supporting diversity as a critical cultural element in attracting and retaining talent and supporting business and industry growth expands beyond our firm. Calfee is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), an organization of more than 300 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners working to build a more open and diverse legal profession.

In 2022, Calfee participated in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Leader's Pledge initiative. Joining fellow LCLD corporate and law firm members, Calfee's Managing Partner Brent D. Ballard developed and submitted an individual and firm pledge articulating his personal commitment to diversity and specifying specific, meaningful and measurable organizational changes that support Calfee's pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion at the firm and across the legal industry. 

Gender Equity in the Legal Industry

Additionally, Calfee is a founding member of Cleveland's Gender Equity in the Legal Industry (GELI) Forum, which is a collaboration of Cleveland law firms committed to identifying and addressing gender inequities at private law firms.

Ohio Business Competes

As of 2018, we are proud to have joined Ohio Business Competes, a non-partisan coalition of businesses committed to achieving non-discrimination policies at the state level.

Calfee's Sponsorship Program

Launched in 2022, our sponsorship program differs from Calfee’s mentoring program by moving beyond advising and guiding to proactively promoting and advocating for historically underrepresented attorneys. The goal of the sponsorship program is three-fold: 1) to increase retention and promotion of our historically underrepresented attorneys; 2) to enhance the inclusivity of our firm; and 3) to nurture and strengthen an environment that values differences and the unique strengths of all attorneys, and that further supports each attorney’s success.

As part of the program, diverse associates are matched with an influential partner at the firm who takes a proactive role in helping the associate to make meaningful connections both within the firm and in the community to actively support their success. Our current sponsors are all members of Calfee’s Management Committee. The program is designed to work toward the development needed for long-term career advancement, and both parties will work to identify experiences and opportunities to aid in that process.

While participation in the sponsorship program is not a guarantee of career advancement, promotions, or placement into specific roles for participants, our objective is that this program will provide for a more equitable career journey and support the advancement goals of those participating in the program.

Calfee's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Overview

Calfee's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee developed a strategic plan and overview to help guide its efforts and communicate its work with Calfee attorneys, staff members, clients, and friends of the firm.

In mid-2020, the Committee held small group listening sessions for all Calfee employees to discuss race, diversity, and equality in the workplace. During these sessions, employees were asked to provide candid feedback on the current status of diversity at Calfee, ideas and thoughts for improvement, and ways to increase transparency in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Following the small group sessions, the Committee reviewed all of the feedback received and then created the strategic overview, which provides information on the group's current focus and action items, action items completed within the last year, and a listing of Calfee's ongoing sponsorships and programs.

For additional information on Calfee's DEI activities and commitments, please contact your Calfee attorney or our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair, Kim Moses.