Diversity
Our Commitment to Diversity
At Maslon, we emphasize excellence in the practice of law while maintaining our cherished values of informality, diversity and friendship. Maslon is committed to achieving a diverse workplace of attorneys and staff with respect to, among other things, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic background, disability, lifestyle and political views. We believe that the diversity of our employees not only enriches our firm culture, but advances the community around us. By reflecting a wide variety of perspectives, Maslon is better positioned to serve our clients.
Maslon’s commitment to diversity includes reaching out to and identifying diverse candidates, retaining the attorneys and staff we have already hired and promoting them inside and outside our firm. Our commitment also includes participating in diversity issues in our surrounding community.
For further details on Maslon's Diversity Initiative, please review the sections below:
Strategic Diversity Committee
Maslon’s Strategic Diversity Committee is comprised of 15 firm members, with Terri Krivosha currently serving as Chair. The members represent a true cross-section of the firm, including partners, associates and staff, each tasked with formulating and implementing a firm-wide strategic plan for diversity. Maslon has also enlisted diversity consultants to help identify and address areas for growth, measure progress, and evaluate results. Maslon’s Strategic Diversity Committee is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued, differences are welcomed, and all employees are treated with the utmost dignity and respect.
Fostering Diversity – Building Excellence
Maslon’s goal is not only to recruit a diverse group of attorneys and staff, but also to foster an inclusive environment where our attorneys and staff will stay, progress, and succeed. Maslon has had success recruiting, retaining and promoting people of diverse backgrounds.
We believe the key to retaining all talented attorneys is to help them develop to their full potential by giving them responsibilities and leadership opportunities within the firm and in the outside community. We have structures in place that ensure that all of our associates have equal access to clients and equal opportunity for challenging work assignments. These structures include a centralized work assignment system. In addition, each Maslon associate is paired with a training partner who takes on the responsibility of 1) making sure that the associate receives an appropriate mix of practical experience; 2) advocating for the associate in reviews; and 3) giving consistent feedback to the associate about his or her development progress.
The inclusiveness of our culture and the effectiveness of our practices were recognized in 2005, when Maslon was the first ever recipient of the Minnesota State Bar Association SAGE (Self-Audit for Gender Equity) Best Practices Recognition Award. The SAGE award is granted to legal employers who have made significant contributions to the achievement of gender equity in the workplace. We pride ourselves in having a culture that has enabled all of our attorneys and staff to develop to their greatest potential.
In our effort to recruit a diverse field of attorneys, Maslon actively sponsors and/or participates in opportunities such as:
- MSBA 1L Minority Clerkship Program
- Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference (MMRC) – Participating employer, sponsor, and contributor to The Frederick L. McGhee Scholarship to assist minority students in attending the Minnesota Minority Recruiting Conference
- Cook County Bar Association’s Annual Minority Student Job Fair
- Lavender Law Career Fair
Maslon – Making a Difference
At Maslon, we not only strive for diversity, we develop our diverse attorneys and staff to accomplish landmark achievements:
- Maslon Founder, Marvin Borman, awarded the Minneapolis Jewish Federation's first Amos S. Deinard Award.
The Amos S. Deinard Award recognizes outstanding leaders who have made significant contributions to both the Minneapolis Jewish Community and the Minneapolis general community or the State of Minnesota.
- Maslon attorney, Ranga Nutakki, serves as Treasurer for Twin Cities Committee on Minority Lawyers in Large Law Firms (TCC).
- Maslon Law Firm receives the first ever SAGE Best Practices Award.
The SAGE Award is granted to legal employers who have made a significant contribution to the achievement of gender equity in the workplace. The nominees were reviewed based on the following factors: equal access, workday issues, governance, evaluation and promotion, retention and compensation.
- Maslon attorney, Jon Parritz, named chair of 2006-07 campaign for the United Jewish Fund and Council of St. Paul
The United Jewish Fund and Council of St. Paul raises funds from the greater St. Paul Jewish community to support a wide range of projects, including education, social services, senior care, refugee resettlement, and disaster relief, both locally and around the world.
- Maslon attorney, Mark Lee, recipient of MN Advocates for Human Rights 2005 Volunteer award for his work on behalf of asylum seekers.
- Maslon attorney, Mary Vasaly, named President-elect of MN Women Lawyers.
MWL works to support the professional and leadership development of women lawyers, to advocate on behalf of women lawyers within the legal profession, and to support social action initiatives to end discrimination in the justice system and promote equality of women in society.
- Maslon attorney, Mary Vasaly receives Ramsey County pro bono award for her service to Ramsey County residents with Children’s Law Center of MN.
Children’s Law Center of MN is comprised of volunteer attorneys, social workers, and staff who work to represent foster care children in court.
- Maslon attorney, Terri Krivosha named '2006 Women Industry Leader' by Twin Cities Journal 9th Annual “Women in Business Awards”.
Supporting Diversity through Sponsorship
Maslon has been a sponsor of, and continues to participate in, organizations such as:
- Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO)
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast
- Equal Justice Works Fellowship Sponsor
- Habitat for Humanity
- Meritas-sponsored scholarship/Minority Corporate Counsel Association
- (MCCA) Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program
- Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
- Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA)
- Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference (MMRC)
- Participating employer, sponsor, Contributor to The Frederick L. McGhee Scholarship to assist minority students in attending the Minnesota Minority Recruiting Conference
- Minnesota Women Lawyers
- MinnesotaLegalDiversity - Designed to showcase a vibrant Minnesota community of diverse practitioners and law students across the spectrum of practice areas.
- Multi-Cultural Forum (Hosted by the University of St. Thomas and the National Black MBA Association – Twin Cities Chapter)
- MSBA 1L Minority Clerkship Program
- MSBA Diversity Committee
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
- Twin Cities Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms (TCC)
- United Way
A Foundation of Diversity
Long before it was strategic, the founders of Maslon made it an expected practice to respect and adopt an openness to diversity and community involvement within the firm. Today, the character of the firm is still true to the dreams and visions of its founders. The broad range of contributions made by members of the firm to the arts, education, social services, and other vital community partnerships is distinctly reflective of our diverse firm culture. We are proud of our strong commitment to integrity and excellence in the practice of law as well as serving our community.
One of our most significant community service activities is our annual building project for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Every Year a team of Maslon attorneys, staff, and clients work together as part of a construction crew on a Habitat home. Participation in the project creates a sense of community among Maslon volunteers and strengthens relationships within the firm and our community at large. In September 2006, we helped with our 10th Habitat for Humanity Volunteer work project.
Pro Bono Work
The Maslon Firm has a long-standing commitment to pro bono work by its attorneys. Our attorneys provide pro bono legal services to a broad range of individuals and organizations without discrimination, including civil rights cases. Maslon has represented and will continue to represent a broad spectrum of clients, including work through or for the following organizations:
- Catholic Charities
- Center for Individual Rights
- Children’s Law Center
- Chrysalis Safety Project
- Common Bond
- Council on Crime and Justice
- Federal Public Defenders Office
- Groves Learning Center
- Harriet Tubman Center
- Innocence Project
- Jewish Community Center of Greater Minneapolis
- Lawyers Committee of Volunteers for Immigrants Project
- Legal Aid
- Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
- Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts
- St. Paul Talmud Torah
- Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services
- Volunteer Lawyers’ Network
- University of Minnesota Foundation
- Wills for Heroes
Our attorneys continue to be recognized for their pro bono work. Most recently, Mark Lee received the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights 2005 Volunteer Award for his work on behalf of immigrants seeking asylum. Mary Vasaly received the Ramsey County Bar Association 2005 Pro Bono Award for her service to Ramsey County residents with Children’s Law Center of Minnesota.
Women’s Initiatives
At Maslon, we strive to create a culture that supports and enables all members to develop to their greatest potential. As a result of this commitment, we are proud to list the following achievements:
- Maslon was the first ever recipient of the Minnesota State Bar Association SAGE (Self-Audit for Gender Equity) Best Practices Recognition Award. The SAGE award is granted to legal employers who have made significant contributions to the achievement of gender equity in the workplace.
- Maslon was one of the first Twin Cities law firm to appoint a woman as Managing Partner.
- Maslon Attorney, Mary Vasaly named President of MN Women Lawyers (2006). MWL works to support the professional and leadership development of women lawyers, to advocate on behalf of women lawyers within the legal profession, and to support social action initiatives to end discrimination in the justice system and promote equality of women in society.
