Firm Inclusion

The Associates Development Committee provides the firm's associates with mentorship through the buddy/mentor program, educational opportunities and social activities and stresses the importance of work in our community. 

The firm's Associates Group was founded on four primary components:

• Mentorship: Through the buddy/mentor program, associates are paired with Members with whom they meet on a regular basis. Our associates have dedicated resources within the firm to advise them on a range of professional and legal topics.
• Social Enrichment: Our associates have collaborated in a cooking class, attended an Orioles game, and met for happy hours with their mentors and buddies.
• Community Outreach: In carrying forward the principles started by our firm’s founding partners, the associates have learned about the importance of board participation and have worked hands-on with several organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Helping Up Mission.

The Caregivers Affinity Group empowers and provides resources and support for all employees who are also caregivers. Parents, children caring for aging parents and individuals caring for family or friends share information and common experiences as well as learn about the firm's benefits and receive education on relevant topics to support them in their caregiving responsibilities.

UPLIFT is a non-attorney network for professional development. Through the work of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and feedback from many of our staff, this affinity group has been created. We have found there is a strong interest and desire for more opportunities that focus on professional networking, growth and development.  The purpose of UPLIFT is to bring non-attorneys together who share a common interest in learning and developing skills, such as networking, communication, presentation and leadership skills. This forum provides interactive and quarterly topics that benefit everyone regardless of their role.

The People of Color Affinity Group was created for personnel of color and brings together people from across the entire firm to celebrate, educate and support the unique experiences of employees of color in the workplace. It builds on our firm’s continued focus to foster equity and inclusion for all firm personnel as well as the success of our firm’s existing affinity groups, the Women’s Alliance, Caregivers and UPLIFT.

Led by Laura Johnson, the Women Alliance unifies the firm's women attorneys, clients and contacts for various networking, leadership and professional development opportunities. The firm's women attorneys and women staff meet regularly for lunch and host events to strengthen the personal and professional relationships among each other and with our women clients and contacts.

Our women attorneys are also actively involved in a number of women's professional and civic organizations including:

• Alliance of Black Women Attorneys of Maryland
• CREWBaltimore
• Executive Alliance (formerly Network 2000)
• Professional Women in Building Council of Maryland
• Women Environmental Litigators of the Environmental Litigation Commitee of the American Bar Association
• Women United of United Way of Central Maryland
• Women's Bar Association of Maryland