At Stoel Rives, we understand that cultivating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce is key to providing superior client service and enhancing firm and community engagement. Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee (DE&IC) helps lead these efforts, with firmwide support from our Executive Committee, Firm Managing Partner, Practice Group Leaders, and Office Managing Partners.

From certification with the Mansfield Rule Program—the goal of which is to diversify law firm leadership positions—to our role as one of the founding law firms of Diversity Lab's Move the Needle Fund, we are committed to the advancement and retention of talented and diverse lawyers and business professionals across the firm.

Recruiting 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Recruitment at Stoel Rives

At Stoel Rives, our goal is to amplify the quality of our firm by nurturing a team that encompasses the variety of talents and backgrounds available in the communities we serve. Our partnership with Diversity Lab, as one of the originating Move the Needle Fund firms, and our certification under the Mansfield Rule, exemplify our dedication to attracting, retaining, and promoting attorneys from underrepresented groups.

We enhance the richness of our team's experiences and skills through our recruitment process. Importantly, a considerable segment of our attorney hires bring diverse talents and include, but are not limited to, women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals identifying as LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities.

Our commitment to an inclusive workforce is showcased through numerous recruiting and outreach activities.

Summer Associate Program

Every year, Stoel Rives actively seeks out 1L and 2L law students from law schools across the country through On-Campus Interviews, Interview Programs, Job Fairs, our online application process, and inclusivity programs in our markets. We recognize 1L students for their unique talents and perspectives, academic achievements, and experiences by providing opportunities through several partnership programs: 

Additionally, the firm supports the California Lawyers Association’s Environmental Law Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship Program, which helps foster inclusivity within the environmental law bar.

Please visit our summer associate hub to learn more about our program and job opportunities.

Lateral Recruiting

Through our partnership with Diversity Lab, we have implemented new, research-informed tools to promote DE&I in our lateral attorney recruitment process. These include developing more inclusive and equitable job descriptions and refining applicant screening and evaluation tools, such as structured panel interviews that remove opportunities for implicit bias and focus on objective indicators for success.

Stoel Rives regularly advertises job vacancies across a broad range of organizations, local bar associations, community-based inclusivity job boards, and student organizations, to attract a wide spectrum of attorney talents.

News and Events

In October 2024, Stoel Rives achieved Mansfield Certification Plus for 2023–2024. A program of Diversity Lab, the law firm certification demonstrates that we have considered at least 30% diverse attorneys (specifically women, racial/ethnic minorities, individuals identifying as LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities) for leadership roles and promotion into equity partnership, among a dozen other activities that focus on the path to leadership. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Achieves 2023–24 Mansfield Certification Plus.

In August 2024, Stoel Rives’ DE&IC Chair Karen O’Connor participated in a Portland Business Journal roundtable, “Staying the Course: DEI is the Long Game for Business.” The panelists discussed what their companies do in regard to DE&I and the challenges the companies face, recommended some critical first steps for organizations early in their DE&I journey, addressed common myths and misperceptions about DE&I, and more. To read a transcript of the conversation, click here.

In November 2023, Stoel Rives was named a Tipping the Scales law firm for the third time by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance—in recognition that of the most recent group of attorneys promoted to the firm’s partnership, more than 50% are women. The firm’s 2023 partner class of nine attorneys included six women. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Receives 2023 ‘Tipping the Scales’ Recognition; Honored for Third Straight Year for Promoting More Than 50% Women to Its Partnership Class.

In July 2023, Stoel Rives once again received Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF). WILEF’s Gold Standard Certification is the only initiative directed toward certifying, recognizing, and broadly publicizing eligible law firms where women are integrated into the highest leadership positions in the firm. This marks the 12th year Stoel Rives has made the select list, and the firm is one of just 28 in the U.S. to be honored with the certification this year. More information can be found at Women in Law Empowerment Forum Awards Stoel Rives with Gold Standard Certification for 2023.

In January 2022, Stoel Rives received a perfect 100% rating on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, CEI is the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Stoel Rives is one of 842 major U.S. businesses that earned top marks this year. More information can be found at Corporate Equality Index 2022 and Stoel Rives Earns Top Score in Human Rights Campaign’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index.

In December 2021, Stoel Rives received an “Innovations in Diversity Award” from Profiles in Diversity Journal for the firm’s involvement in founding the Move the Needle Fund. The awards program, now in its 18th year, honors corporations, organizations, and institutions that have developed innovative solutions to build workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity for all individuals. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Receives 2021 ‘Innovations in Diversity’ Award for Move the Needle Fund.

In January 2021, Karen O’Connor was appointed chair of the firm’s DE&IC. The committee is responsible for developing strategies and tools to help the firm achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce. O’Connor has been a member of the DE&IC since 2018.  As chair, she oversees the implementation of the firm’s long-term DE&I initiatives. For more on O’Connor and the DE&IC, click here.

In June 2020, Stoel Rives joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA). LFAA has more than 125 firms committed to working together to devote pro bono resources to addressing racism in a long-term, high-impact, and collaborative way. The charter for LFAA is available here. 

In June 2020, partner Kirk Maag was elected president of the board of directors for the Cultivating Change Foundation, a national nonprofit whose mission is to value and elevate LGBTQ individuals in the agricultural industry. Maag has served on the foundation’s board of directors since the organization’s formation. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Partner Elected President of Cultivating Change Foundation Board.

In December 2019, Stoel Rives announced its commitment to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Well-Being Pledge. Launched by the ABA Working Group to Advance Well-Being in the Legal Profession, the campaign provides a framework to address the legal profession’s high rates of mental health and substance abuse issues.

In September 2019, Stoel Rives announced its participation in Diversity Lab’s Move The Needle Fund, a five-year model program intended to help five law firms nationwide achieve better diversity. The firms will work in collaboration with each other and more than two dozen general counsels, as well as an advisory group of influential leaders from the legal community. More information can be found at  Move the Needle Fund.

In September 2019, Andrea Canfield was selected to The National Black Lawyer’s Top 40 Under 40 Black Lawyers in Alaska. Membership in The National Black Lawyer’s organization is by invitation only and is limited to the top 40 attorneys under the age of 40 in each state who have demonstrated excellence and have achieved outstanding results in their careers. More information can be found at The National Black Lawyers Top 100.

In June 2019, Tim Taylor was named to Lawyers of Color’s inaugural Nation’s Best List, which recognizes law firm partners and senior-level corporate counsel who have achieved prominence and distinction in their fields and demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Lawyers of Color is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to promote diversity in the legal profession and advance democracy and equality in marginalized communities. Tim and the other honorees were celebrated at a reception on June 13, 2019, in San Francisco. More information can be found at Tim Taylor Named to Lawyers of Color’s Inaugural Nation’s Best List.

In December 2018, Joan P. Snyder received the Oregon State Bar Environmental and Natural Resources Section’s Annual Award, which recognized her for leadership, service, and outstanding contributions in the areas of environmental and natural resources law. Snyder was honored at the section’s annual meeting on December 11, 2018, in Portland. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Partner Receives OSB Environmental and Natural Resources Section Annual Award.

In November 2018, Willa B. Perlmutter received the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association 2018 “Associate Member of the Year” award, which recognizes “dedication to the association, commitment to the membership, and outstanding support of the industry.” Perlmutter was honored at the Association’s awards banquet on November 13, 2018, in Anaheim, CA. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Attorney Receives ‘Associate Member of the Year’ Award from California Construction and Industrial Materials Association.

In November 2018, Ramona L. Monroe received the Alaska Miners Association’s 2018 Advocate of the Year award, which recognizes an individual who contributes her time, talent, and subject-matter expertise to further the organization’s goals. Monroe was recognized at an awards banquet on November 8, 2018, in Anchorage. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Partner Receives ‘Advocate of the Year’ Award from the Alaska Miners Association.

In October 2018, Wendy J. Olson received Concordia University School of Law’s 2018 Leaders in Action award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to improving Idaho and the lives of its residents. Olson was recognized at an awards reception on October 24, 2018, in Boise. More information can be found at Wendy Olson Receives Concordia University 2018 “Leaders In Action” Award.

In September 2018, Stoel Rives received a Diversity Law Institute (DLI) Law Firm Diversity Award. The awards are given annually to a select number of law firms and companies that have advanced, promoted, or supported diversity and inclusion in the profession of law and share in the DLI’s commitment to promoting a more diverse, equal, and inclusive legal profession. Firm partner and Construction Lawyers Society of America (CLSA) Fellow Tami Boeck accepted the award at CLSA’s 2018 International Conference & Induction of Fellows. More information can be found at Stoel Rives Receives 2018 CLSA Law Firm Award and DLI Law Firm Diversity Award.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee (“Committee”) at Stoel Rives plays a pivotal role in formulating and implementing strategies aligned with the DE&I objectives set forth by our Executive Committee. This includes continuous assessment of our progress in broadening the pools from which we select our outstanding cohort of attorneys and business professionals, along with our initiatives for attracting, nurturing, and retaining diversity within this group.

The Committee supports the design and implementation of DE&I initiatives across subcommittees and departments. Members of the Committee serve as key liaisons, facilitating discourse between attorneys, business professionals, firm leadership, and diverse external organizations within the legal sector.

Under the leadership of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee, the firm's long-term DE&I initiatives are executed, and close collaborations with other committees and departments are established. Additionally, the Chair and Vice Chair take the lead in Committee meetings, setting action items and spearheading efforts to achieve the firm's strategic DE&I efforts. The Committee's dedication to fostering an inclusive environment strengthens the firm’s commitment to providing exceptional client service and advancing our vision for an equitable future.


DE&I Committee

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