Diversity

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 (2007 – 2008, 2010 – 2012)
Top 20 Law Firms in the US for diversity efforts by Vault (2010)
Score of 100% on Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index (2008 – 2013)
Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality by the Human Rights Campaign
Corporate Courage Award from the City of Boston (2012)

As a team, all of us at Mintz Levin are focused on helping our colleagues succeed…. At any law firm, achieving diversity has always been a challenge, but we are making a tremendous effort to find solutions to improve diversity at Mintz Levin and to make sure that we succeed.

— Eddie Wang Rodriguez, Member

In my previous career, I never discussed my sexual orientation at work, even with my friends. At Mintz Levin, it’s never been an issue…. From the beginning, I loved it here and it felt right for me.

— Maryann Civitello, Member

I don’t think anyone thinks of me as a gay attorney. They think of me as a good attorney. The best part about a place like Mintz Levin is that that’s how we think of people here. We value work. We value work ethic, and if you’re a good attorney, you’ll do just fine.

— John B. Koss, Associate

In looking at law firms, I wanted to find a place I could really call home, a place where I could spend my entire legal career. I wasn’t interested in going from firm to firm. I was looking for a place that was inclusive and recognized and appreciated diversity of perspective, culture, and background, and a place where I could really fit in. I found that at Mintz Levin.

— Reena I. Thadhani, Member

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, Of Counsel

Our commitment to diversity is not new. In 1986, two Mintz Levin partners conceived of and founded the Boston Lawyers Group, a collaborative consortium of law firms dedicated to building diversity in the legal profession in Boston. The commitment to diversity that led our firm to spearhead this effort 25 years ago continues to prevail at Mintz Levin to this day.

— Andrew R. Urban, Vice Chairman

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 from a diverse background 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 peers.

Videos

The Heart of Mintz Levin
Get to know our tradition of supporting attorneys with diverse backgrounds and helping people become US citizens.