Historically, the legal field has been a male dominated profession. In 2010, fewer than one-third of all lawyers were women. In 2022, twelve years later, this number grew substantially with 38% of all lawyers being women. In terms of ownership and leadership positions, about 22% of all equity partners were women in 2020, a huge jump from 2012, when only 15% of equity members were women.

After 25 years, MBLB has elected its first woman equity member of the firm, Simone H. Yoder. In this month’s Affinity newsletter, associate Quinn Hamilton interviews Simone about her perspective on women in the legal field.

Read Spotlight: Simone H. Yoder, MBLB’s First Woman Equity Member >

MBLB’S COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

MBLB strives to be a diverse law firm. Our goal is to create and maintain an environment that welcomes and fosters mutual respect for different perspectives, backgrounds and life experiences regardless of gender, race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability. We are committed to ensuring that professional growth and advancement are based on capability and performance and recognize that a diverse workforce enriches our experiences and lends to our success. We value and support all who positively contribute to our practice and our community.

MBLB’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee members include Members Alan Brackett, Mike Parks and Dan Sullivan, associates Ava Wolf and Katie Briuglio, and Human Resources Director, Linda Castanza.

Among the initiatives the DE&I Committee has launched is the Affinity newsletter, which allows diverse voices and points of view to be shared, both within our firm and externally. The newsletter is intended to educate, particularly on historical diversity issues and their impact on or by the law. While these articles provide valuable perspective, they are not intended to espouse a position by the firm.

Let’s start a conversation!