Small enough to provide specific attention, yet big enough to have a wide breadth of expertise.
- Chambers USA
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Goldberg Kohn is committed to building a work environment that reflects the diversity of our community. We believe that one of the main drivers of the health and success of our firm is creating a vibrant culture in which professionals of all backgrounds can find long-term success and experience a true sense of belonging. We also support the movement for racial and social justice through our volunteer efforts and our dollars.
In order to build an environment that is inclusive and supportive, Goldberg Kohn espouses an approach to diversity that supplements the firm's core values with a concerted recruitment, retention and promotion strategy for diverse professionals that encourages our entire team to be involved in the change we want to see. In practical terms this means facilitating the development of multiple partner and staff mentorship and champion relationships for diverse associates centered around internal and external networking opportunities and providing regular career and business development support and resources; supporting local community organizations both financially and with our volunteer time; and building a robust Pro Bono program that undertakes projects like criminal record sealing and expungement clinics for historically underserved client populations.
Our approach to diversity also builds upon Goldberg Kohn's founding principles and the unique culture we have developed. Specifically, throughout its history, our firm has sustained a deliberate, purposeful growth plan — one attorney at a time. The firm does not acquire practice groups and has never merged with another firm or group of attorneys. We operate based upon consensus building, not vote-counting. Goldberg Kohn has firm clients, not individual attorneys with separate books of business. This approach creates an environment where every principal enjoys an equal voice and attorneys of every background have the opportunity and encouragement to flourish professionally and economically. We believe these values and policies enable all of our professionals, from a wide range of communities, to establish long-term careers at Goldberg Kohn.
Diversity Committee
The firm's active Diversity Committee meets regularly and holds primary responsibility for furthering the diversity goals of the firm. Led by Gary Ruben, a principal in our Real Estate Group, the committee is comprised of a cross-section of the firm's associates and principals, as well as staff members. The firm also employs a Diversity Coordinator whose role is to support, develop and execute diversity initiatives advanced by the Diversity Committee.
The committee partners with our Cultural Crossroads Committee to sponsor cross-cultural events designed to foster dialogue on, and awareness of, issues of diversity in the law and within our community, including topics relating to racial, ethnic, religious, disability and LGBTQ+ diversity. The Diversity Committee works directly with the Management Committee on a number of key projects, such as our GK Advocates DEI Program, Standing Together Initiative and our Mid-Size Mansfield Certification. These are joint initiatives between the Diversity and Management Committees because Goldberg Kohn understands and believes that true and sustained change begins from the top down.
The Diversity Committee also supports Goldberg Kohn's women attorneys and their creation of ENGAGE, a nonprofit group designed to bring together women entrepreneurs and business leaders.
GK Advocates
Principals on the Diversity Committee serve as leaders of our GK Advocates program. Established in 2019, this firmwide program was created to support the recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse lawyers. It provides associates with mentorship, champions, career and business development training and coaching, and internal and external networking opportunities throughout the year. Each GK Advocate participant is also supported by his or her own Advocate Council, comprised of a principal champion selected by the participant; a formal firm mentor; the participant's department chair; a Marketing Department representative; and the firm's Diversity Coordinator.
Standing Together Initiative
In response to events occurring in the Summer of 2020, further highlighting the grave importance of racial justice, Goldberg Kohn committed even more strongly to the goal of reform and equality of opportunity. Internally, we created the "Standing Together Initiative" to organize our commitment to each other and the Black community, with specific events, donations and volunteer opportunities promoted throughout the year. The first event was the firm's acknowledgment of the Juneteenth holiday; the next was a firm-directed donation and volunteer partnership with My Block, My Hood, My City, which continues today. Externally, Goldberg Kohn is a member of the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA), whose charter states its purpose as seeking to "leverage the resources of the private bar to amplify the voices of communities and individuals oppressed by racism, to better use the law as a vehicle for change that benefits communities of color and to promote racial equity in the law and in government institutions."
Mansfield Rule Certification for Mid-Sized Law Firms
In May 2022, Goldberg Kohn achieved Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification, which recognizes law firms that demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and which are making meaningful progress on diversifying law firm leadership. Goldberg Kohn was one of 26 firms certified under the inaugural Midsize Mansfield Rule. Administered by legal equity organization Diversity Lab, and designed to expand on the early successes of the original Mansfield Rule for large law firms, the Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms with between 25 and approximately 150 lawyers have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women lawyers, underrepresented racial and ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for attorney positions, leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and formal client pitch opportunities.
Beginning in September 2020, certified firms completed a rigorous 18-month collaboration with Diversity Lab to track, consider, measure and achieve diversity in leadership. While working to achieve these benchmarks, participating firms embedded internal transparency through the establishment of leadership role descriptions and clearly defined leadership appointments and/or election processes. Knowledge sharing is also an integral pillar of Mansfield Rule participation, and participating firms shared best practices and lessons learned with each other throughout the process.
All of these efforts are designed to make our workplace more diverse, more inclusive, more equitable, more effective, and a better reflection of the community we seek to serve. We know that we are better and stronger for it.
