Nossaman Named A Best Law Firm For Minority Attorneys By Law360 For Second Year In A Row

Nossaman is pleased to have been named to Law360’s annual list of the 100 Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys for the second year in a row. Nossaman ranked #44 on the list this year. Law360 noted that firms included in the list have made some headway in shaking up a stubbornly bleak picture of diversity in the legal industry, and stated that the Law360 2016 Diversity Snapshot revealed that less than 15 percent of attorneys at U.S. law firms that responded to the survey are minorities.

This is a great recognition for Nossaman, and a wonderful testament to the progress we’ve made in creating a welcoming, inclusive and exciting workplace where attorneys from different backgrounds can succeed, said Alfred Smith, Chair of Nossaman’s Water Practice Group and leader of its Diversity & Inclusion Committee. This type of environment allows us to better serve our clients and ensures that we attract the best and the brightest talent to the Firm.

As part of its initiative to build a welcoming workplace for diverse individuals, Nossaman annually hosts a Diversity Day for its attorneys, policy advisors, and senior management with a focus on developing key skills and performance that leads to advancement, both inside and outside the Firm. Additionally, Nossaman sponsors or hosts educational programming for a number of groups dedicated to diversity issues in the workplace--including the Bay Area Women of Color Attorney Network, UC Hastings LGBT Alumni, Lavender Law, AIDS Legal Referral Panel, and the Hispanic National Bar Association, and plays an active role in dozens of other organizations that promote diversity in the legal profession, such as the Asian American Bar Association, California Association of African American Advocacy Professionals, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Lambda Legal, National LGBT Bar Association, and California Minority Counsel Program. 

To compile these rankings, Law360 surveyed over 300 U.S. firms, or international firms with a U.S. component, about their overall and minority headcount numbers as of Dec. 31, 2015. Only U.S.-based attorneys were included in the survey. Firms are ranked based on three factors: 1) the percentage of partners, both equity and non-equity, who self-identify as minorities; 2) the percentage of non-partners who self-identify as minorities; and 3) the number of attorneys at the firm who self-identify as minorities.