Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Maslon was founded in the face of pervasive religious discrimination.

Formally created by the merger of two law firms in 1956, the firm’s roots trace back to namesake Samuel H. Maslon, a Harvard Law School graduate and U.S. Supreme Court clerk who built his own practice in the 1920s when anti-Semitism prevented him from finding work at an established Minneapolis firm. It is with this background that the firm’s founders made respecting and fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and community service an expected practice within the firm.

Maslon proudly carries forward these values today. Along with providing exemplary legal services, we know that fostering an inclusive environment where attorneys from all backgrounds will stay, progress, and succeed is essential to serving our clients and the community with excellence. Our commitment to inclusion starts at the top, is reflected throughout our ranks, and involves a wide range of actions.

Most importantly, we ensure fairness in our recruiting, hiring, professional development, and advancement practices. Our attorney recruitment philosophy is to seek candidates who share our mission, have outstanding academic records, and exhibit the potential for excellence in the practice of law. Maslon has twice obtained Mansfield Midsize Certification Plus Status after demonstrating over two certification periods ending in 2023 and 2024 that we consider broad pools of talent when hiring or promoting and make our advancement requirements transparent. And in addition to recruiting from leading law schools, we regularly participate in events focused on reaching students from underrepresented groups throughout the Midwest.

Additionally:

• Our attorneys may count up to 100 hours of time spent on pro bono work and/or work that supports principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion toward their billable hour goals.
• Our DEI Committee of attorneys and professional staff is responsible for leading a broad range of initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at Maslon, in the legal profession, and in the community.
• Our internal affinity groups provide resources to attorneys from underrepresented groups and their allies.
• We offer all our firm members the opportunity to participate in training that will help them identify and address unconscious bias, as well as promote understanding of issues that may disproportionately affect colleagues and clients from underrepresented groups.

In the Profession

Maslon attorneys proudly serve in leadership positions at impactful organizations and have been appointed to official commissions working to make the legal profession more representative of the clients and communities it serves. Notably, Maslon is an active member of the following:

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP), a nonprofit association of more than 70 law firms and corporate legal departments who share a vision to create a vibrant and inclusive legal community. In addition to serving on committees and participating in training, Maslon participates annually in TCDIP’s 1L Clerkship Program, created to promote a diverse pool of first-year law students to the Twin Cities legal community.

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), an organization of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners nationwide who are committed to creating an environment where all talent can thrive. The firm participates in a number of LCLD programs, including regularly nominating high-potential, mid-career attorneys for the Fellows program.

Maslon attorneys serve on diversity committees of state and federal bar associations and are active participants in affinity bar associations like Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, Minnesota Lavender Bar Association, and Minnesota Women Lawyers. Several of our attorneys have also served as members of merit selection committees for state and federal judges.

And because the legal profession has long excluded people from underrepresented groups, Maslon is committed to addressing disparities in the legal talent pipeline. This includes programs like UPLIFT Legal Institute for Teens, a nonprofit that we founded in 2017 that provides free after-school mock trial programming to middle and high school students. We have supported similar programs through the Federal Bar Association, including Open Doors to Federal Courts Program and the Minnesota Chapter’s Court Camp. Maslon also provides paid summer internships to high school students interested in legal careers through the Step Up Youth Employment Program offered by Achieve Twin Cities.

In the Community

Our firm's founding story is one of humble beginnings, considerable challenges, determination, and dedication—anchored by a profound commitment to Minnesota. In addition to our pro bono work, we have long supported organizations aimed at strengthening our community through more equitable access to legal services, housing, education, and more. In recent years, these have included the following:

• Achieve Twin Cities*
• Advocates for Human Rights
• American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota & ACLU-MN Foundation*
• Ann Bancroft Foundation
• Children’s Law Center of Minnesota*
• Division of Indian Work
• Equal Justice Works
• Gender Justice*
• Great North Innocence Project
• Human Rights Campaign
• Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis
• Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
• LegalCORPS*
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid*
• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
• OutFront Minnesota
• Page Education Foundation
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services*
• Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity*
• United Way
• Volunteer Lawyers Network

* Current or recent Maslon board member