Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

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At Maynard Nexsen, we celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Every day we strive to create a work environment where everyone is welcome and valued. We believe that diverse experiences bring out the best in us, so we can better serve our clients. 

Maynard Nexsen believes that a diverse workforce is critical to our culture, success, and future growth. We recognize that a diverse firm produces broader perspectives, better ideas, and more creative solutions for our clients. Therefore, we are committed to: 

• Recruiting, hiring, developing, retaining, and promoting a diverse group of attorneys, professionals, and other employees in all of our offices to provide the best quality service and legal representation to our nationally diverse clients.
• Reducing minority and female attrition and supporting minority and women’s organizations.
• Promoting and achieving diversity within the legal profession both locally and nationally.

OUR COMMITMENT

In 2022, Maynard Nexsen committed to the following Pledge. 

We believe in building a diverse team and an inclusive environment to enrich our experience as teammates and make us better advisors to our clients.

Therefore, I pledge:

• To do my part in advancing diversity at the firm in recruiting a diverse team and promoting an inclusive environment that embraces group input, ideas, dialogue, and constant improvement;
• To better educate myself on issues of bias and discrimination;
• To listen to others and seek to understand experiences and perspectives different than my own;
• To invite and willingly accept feedback on my actions and words and hold myself accountable for them, even if it is uncomfortable to do so; and
• To intentionally and consistently use my actions and words to contribute to a firm, a community, and a world that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible for all.

DIVE Program - DIVErsity, Equity & Inclusion Quarterly Dive Sessions

Quarterly programming (presentations, skills trainings, and workshops) for targeted audiences based on our annual goals to increase awareness, learn new skillsets, increase internal expertise and encourage dialogue in a variety of areas/topics. 

Cultivate 

In our efforts to constantly improve our diversity efforts and our services for clients, we  implemented Cultivate discussions. These small group discussions provide a resource and forum for education and dialogue about recent events and pressing issues facing our communities. The goal is to educate ourselves and facilitate productive conversations about our country's racial history, challenge our own implicit biases, and drive us to make positive changes in our lives and communities, including at the Firm. Through this internal forum, we are reading books, listening to podcasts, and watching movies that provide opportunities to learn and make progress toward racial equality.

Get to Know M.E. Video Series

Get to Know M.E. is an initiative highlighting Maynard Nexsen Employees that aims to further connect us as One Firm. Through these periodic videos, we learn more about each other beyond what we see at work. These videos highlight and celebrate diversity in its many forms.

National Heritage Month Celebrations

Across the Firm and in varying forms, Maynard Nexsen and its employees celebrate national heritage months, including recognition of Women’s History, Black History, AANHPI, Hispanic History, and Pride months. The Firm hosts relevant webinar discussions, lunches, movie premiers, and more in conjunction with heritage celebrations.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

RISE Sponsorship Program

Developing and retaining top talent is one of our Firm’s strategic goals. Investing in our people is vital to our success – as a Firm and as a community. The Firm’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee launched the RISE Sponsorship Program in 2020.

RISE is a formal leadership program for our third to seventh year high performing, high potential attorneys. The goal of RISE is to provide training and leadership development, to develop, retain, and promote our attorneys internally and foster the Firm’s commitment to a culture of belonging and an inclusive environment. RISE considers all eligible Associates for membership.

Women's Initiative

At Maynard Nexsen, we recognize that our female colleagues are vital to the business, culture, and our future success. The Women's Initiative seeks to attract and retain the best and brightest attorneys, to foster their professional development, to advocate for their professional opportunities and recognition, and to promote their advancement to leadership positions within the Firm, the profession and community. WISE is an external component that creates opportunities for networking and building relationships with existing clients, prospective clients, and referral sources.

The Mansfield Rule

Maynard Nexsen achieved certification under the Mansfield Rule by Diversity Lab in 2023. This further demonstrates our commitment to cultivating a more inclusive profession. Building on our Lateral Hiring Policy implemented in 2020, the Mansfield Rule requires participating law firms to consider at least 30% diverse candidates for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. By participating in Mansfield, we are presented with the opportunity to further live out our commitment to providing equal opportunities in the profession.

RECRUITING

Maynard Nexsen is making a concerted effort to create a culture that values and rewards student achievement. The Firm’s summer recruiting program is open to all eligible law students, including students with diverse life experiences and a passion to enhance equal opportunity, mutual respect, fairness and inclusivity in the legal profession.

Maynard Nexsen Law Prep - Birmingham, AL and Columbia, SC

Maynard Nexsen launched its pre‐law program, Maynard Nexsen Law Prep, in 2021. Maynard Nexsen Law Prep is open to all eligible candidates, but its primary objective is to identify undergraduate talent who are committed to pursuing a law degree and have a genuine interest and the potential to be candidates for our summer clerkship program upon entering law school. This program is open to all individuals, particularly those with diverse life experiences and a passion to enhance equal opportunity, mutual respect, fairness and inclusivity in the legal profession.  Maynard Nexsen Law Prep is designed to provide insight into the legal industry, our Firm, our lawyers, and the Firm’s role in the community. Throughout the program, the interns have the opportunity to work on a variety of legal projects, providing broad exposure to multiple areas of law. We seek to attract the best talent and provide them with tailored opportunities for personal and professional development.

LSAT Prep Course Scholarship Program - Birmingham, AL and Columbia, SC

For more than a decade we have offered a LSAT Prep Course to highly-motivated undergraduate students who intend to pursue a career in the law in the region and whose socioeconomic status presents barriers to enlisting in LSAT Prep Courses. Offered in an interactive group setting with approximately 10 students, the class teaches proven LSAT strategies and methods covering every skill tested on the LSAT exam. The class schedule is designed to allow participants to take the LSAT Exam held in June of each year. The course will be provided to qualified students selected by the firm. Acceptance into the program will be based on college GPA, resume, personal statement, and an in-person interview. The LSAT Prep Course is one of our signature pipeline programs, which has seen great success in terms of completion and advancement into law school. To date, graduates of our LSAT program have attended law school at the University of Alabama, Cumberland School of Law, Vanderbilt, University of Mississippi, Mercer University, and Washington University in St. Louis, among other law schools.

Maynard Nexsen Scholarship Program 

The Maynard Nexsen Scholarship is valued at $5,000 and includes paid summer associate positions for two law students. All eligible law students will be considered for this scholarship, but our primary objective is to aid two 1L and/or 2L law students who demonstrate a commitment to enhancing equal opportunity, mutual respect, fairness and inclusivity in the legal profession.  Applicants are required to submit an essay describing your reasons for pursuing a legal career, your interest in private practice, and a personal narrative highlighting any unique background or life experiences (i.e., socioeconomic status, first-generation professional, multicultural background, geographic diversity, and any unique skills) and describing any obstacles the Maynard Nexsen Scholarship will help you overcome in pursuing a legal career.  All 1L recipients who successfully complete a summer and demonstrate their capabilities are offered the opportunity to join us again for their 2L summer.

INVOLVEMENT

Maynard Nexsen actively sponsors and participates in professional programs and activities that promote diversity, including: 

• Calibrate ID

• Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council

• Diversity in Law and Leadership Summit (Atlanta, GA)

• Minority Corporate Counsel Association

• Vital Records Project 

COMMUNITY

Our commitment to diversity extends beyond the workplace to the legal profession, our nation, and our communities. Our lawyers are active participants in local and national organizations and initiatives focused on DEI. Maynard Nexsen invests financial and human resources in national and local organizations that promote and empower individuals from diverse backgrounds, including:

• Advancing Justice Los Angeles
• Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
• Black Law Student Association, University of Alabama School of Law and Vanderbilt Law School
• CampFire USA
• Cornerstone Schools of Alabama
• Equal Rights Advocates
• Grace House Ministries 
• Hispanic National Bar Association
• Impact America - SpeakFirst
• Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Magic City Bar Association
• Metropolitan YMCA
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
• National Conference for Community and Justice
• National LGBT Bar Association
• Restoration Academy
• South Asian Bar Association
• Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
• United Way of Central Alabama
• Workshops Empowerment, Inc. 
• YWCA of Central Alabama

Maynard Nexsen PC® was recognized in 2022 as a leader in DEI among the top four corporations in Birmingham, AL. Maynard's Chief Talent Officer, Stephanie Mays, was also recognized among 19 individual honorees for her efforts and success in promoting DEI at Maynard and in the legal profession and larger community.