A CULTURE OF INCLUSION
Diversity is a core value of Miles & Stockbridge. Our firm strives every day to elevate diversity and inclusion from an initiative to a way of life for all colleagues. Diverse colleagues with viewpoints informed by significantly different perspectives are essential to solving our clients’ legal challenges in today’s ever-changing business environment. Similarly, decisions made by Miles & Stockbridge leaders with diverse backgrounds and outlooks lead to richer and better results, benefiting both the communities in which we do business and our firm. Our efforts focus on maintaining a fully connected, accepting, tolerant and inclusive community for all colleagues.
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
The Diversity Committee consists of heads of our affinity groups, practice group leaders and other essential principals.
The Diversity Committee has an active agenda of initiatives to recruit individuals from diverse communities, assist them in their professional and leadership development and include them on key client and industry teams and on internal firm committees. The committee meets regularly to discuss initiatives and progress.
MILES & STOCKBRIDGE AFFINITY GROUPS
Miles & Stockbridge supports three distinct affinity groups:
The Miles Minority Network: A group of minority lawyers at Miles & Stockbridge formed the Miles Minority Network to create opportunities to build a vibrant minority professional community and serve as a resource for professionals of all backgrounds in the Baltimore-Washington region. The group is co-chaired by Ranak Jasani, a principal in our Commercial & Business Litigation Practice Group, and Alicia Ritchie, a principal in our Products Liability & Mass Torts Practice Group.
The Women’s Network: More than a decade ago, a group of women lawyers at Miles & Stockbridge created the Women’s Network of Miles & Stockbridge to promote leadership development and mentoring among our women lawyers and bring them and other professional women together for meaningful opportunities. The group is led by Stephanie Baron, a principal in our Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration Practice Group, and Michele Cohen, a principal in our Real Estate & Construction Practice Group.
The Tribe@Miles: The Tribe@Miles is comprised of an internal network of Jewish lawyers and colleagues dedicated to creating and strengthening personal and professional relationships while developing and advancing outreach and educational initiatives within the firm, as well as externally, to the greater Jewish business community at-large. The group is also led by Stephanie Baron, a principal in our Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration Practice Group.
RECRUITMENT . . . AND BEYOND.
Miles & Stockbridge actively seeks diverse law students with a broad range of interests and experience, but our outreach activities to minority students extend well beyond simple recruitment. We have spoken on interview techniques to national, local and mid-Atlantic BLSA groups, as well as to the National Hispanic Bar Association Student Division. Our lawyers serve as mentors to minority, LGBT and women students through formal law school programs and informal inquires, and our firm provides financial support to focused minority group programs.
INTERVIEW POLICY
In 2015, Miles & Stockbridge implemented a new policy requiring that the firm interview at least one woman, minority or LGBT lawyer for each open position.
RECOGNITION & RANKINGS
Among its many recognitions in the realm of diversity, Miles & Stockbridge has most recently been named the #2 firm nationally in Law360’s “Best Law Firms for Black Attorneys” list. The firm was recognized for its strong representation by black lawyers, including principals. In 2016, the firm was also honored as the “Most Inclusive Law Firm for Minority Business” by the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association.
Since 2005, Miles & Stockbridge has consistently been ranked among the Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity by The American Lawyer’s MultiCultural Law Magazine, the magazine for diversity in the legal profession.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Serving diverse communities is a critical component of who we are as a firm. For more information regarding how we focus our pro bono efforts, please visit our Community Involvement page.