Our commitment to a better world.
We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels fosters an environment that supports innovation and creative problem solving to better serve our clients. Diversity, equity and inclusion provides a wide range of viewpoints and perspectives to the issues that our clients face, and helps contribute to innovative solutions.
It is our ongoing mission to create and maintain a firm-wide culture and environment that supports and promotes diversity so that all employees, regardless of their background, feel welcome, included, valued, supported and able to succeed and reach their potential of excellence at Procopio. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee has long worked hand in hand with our Racial Equality Task Force, Team Leaders and Management Committee to execute on that mission.
Our focus on retention and advancement is reflected in our certification Diversity Lab as a Mansfield Certification Plus law firm two years running. Procopio achieved Mansfield certification in 2020, recognizing that the firm considered at least 30% women, lawyers from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, lawyers with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ lawyers for top leadership roles, senior-level lateral hiring, promotions into the equity partnership, and participation in client pitches. Mansfield Plus certification in 2021 and 2022 confirms Procopio not only considered diverse candidates but also achieved at least 30% diversity in key leadership positions and billed attorney hours among those participating in client pitches.
Our Mansfield recognition was only the latest diversity accolade Procopio has received. Since 2017 the firm has been listed as among the top law firms in the U.S. for diversity by both Law360 and Law.com (compiler of the AmLaw list). Procopio ranked #6 among AmLaw 200 firms in the American Lawyer 2023 Diversity Scorecard, and in the 2022 Law360 Diversity Snapshot, Procopio ranked #7 among all U.S. law firms with 101-250 attorneys. Our diversity efforts were also recognized in 2020 by the San Diego Business Journal with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award, the first year Procopio achieved Mansfield Rule recognition.
Learn more about the external recognition we’ve received for our DEI efforts in the posts at the bottom of this page.
At Procopio we take action towards a more diverse and inclusive future. We start with aspiring attorneys:
- We sponsor annual scholarships and internships to inspiring Black law students at California Western School of Law and the University of San Diego School of Law.
- We participate in the Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program (DAPP), offering an annual summer clerkship to at least one woman of color law student.
- We have participated in the diversity internship program with the San Diego County Bar Association since its inception.
- We have recruited and hosted Native American Law summer interns for nearly a decade.
We are also committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the legal community:
- Many of our attorneys serve in leadership roles in diverse bar associations.
- Procopio is a partner in the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance.
Our actions also occur within the firm:
- We have active mentorship programs to ensure all attorneys have a path to success in their careers.
- We mandate Elimination of Bias training for all attorneys and staff.
- We host internal discussions in which equity partners share their own experiences with racism in their careers and their lives.
We’re not resting on our laurels. Procopio continues to focus on advancing progress in diversity, equity and inclusion within our firm as well as the broader legal community.
Procopio’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are led by Mindy Morton, chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee; Kevin Davis, the DEI Committee vice-chair; and Dave Deonarine, leader of the firm’s Racial Equality Task Force.
