DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Diversity is embedded in Cooley’s culture. We are dedicated to maintaining a truly diverse workplace that values and celebrates differences.

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan sets forth specific objectives, metrics and actions to articulate and deliver on our pledge to oppose racial injustice and address its deleterious effects.

Our commitment also includes active and creative partnerships with clients and in local and national minority law organizations, diversity pipeline projects, law school diversity programs and community outreach.

True workplace diversity means offering all employees the tools, training and mentoring they need to succeed. It means embracing the importance of diversity on our client teams. It looks beyond our four walls, fostering community involvement and participation in local and national diversity initiatives. It means leading by example in our profession.

Read Cooley’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan

Our Fight for Racial Justice

We recognize that we all share a responsibility to effect change in our fight for racial justice. We commit to publicly sharing and maintaining accountability for Cooley’s progress and to work toward systemic change within the firm, the broader industry and our communities.

Learn more

Diversity and inclusion are at the core of Cooley and all we do – they’re our fuel for innovation. We’re passionate about building a culture that respects, values and celebrates differences, and we’re relentless to drive real change. — TJ Graham, partner and diversity committee chair

Diversity Fellowship Program

In our dedication to fostering a truly diverse workplace that values and celebrates differences, we offer diversity fellowships to outstanding law students who share this commitment.

Award recipients will receive paid summer associate positions a year sooner than students are typically eligible to participate and monetary awards to assist with law school tuition.

US fellowship

UK fellowship

Working Mother Magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers

Best Law Firms for Women

Law360

100 Best Law Firms for Minority Attorneys50 Best Law Firms for WomenTop 25 Law Firms for Asian-Americans

MultiCultural Law Magazine

Top 100 Law Firms for WomenTop 50 Law Firms for PartnersTop 25 Law Firms for Asian-Americans

Human Rights Campaign

Perfect score on Corporate Equality Index

Women in Law Empowerment Forum

Gold Standard Certification

The American Lawyer

Consistently ranked on Diversity Scorecard

Affinity Groups

Cooley's affinity groups are open to all Cooley lawyers and were formed to be a forum and resource for support and awareness within the firm. The groups work to enhance recruiting, retention, training and promotion initiatives; sponsor professional and business development programs; and identify client and community partnering opportunities. Cooley's affinity groups include:

Diversity Committee

Orion Armon Partner Colorado

Luke Cadigan Partner Boston

Justine W. Chiu Associate Seattle

Sarah Choi Associate Los Angeles – Santa Monica, Los Angeles – Downtown

John Clendenin Partner Palo Alto

Chris Coulter Partner London

Georgina Dietrich Associate Brussels

TJ Graham Partner Palo Alto

Virat Gupta Associate Washington, DC

Germaine Habell Associate San Diego

Jacob B. Hanna Associate San Francisco

Sarah Iftekhar Associate Chicago

Alicia Johnson-Cole Associate London

Barry Kuang Associate Boston

Randall R. Lee Partner Los Angeles – Downtown, Los Angeles – Santa Monica

Won Lee Associate Colorado

Joshua Mates Partner San Francisco

Summer M. McKee Associate New York

Beatriz Mejia Partner San Francisco

Kimberly Nguyen Special Counsel Reston

DéJeune O'Garro Associate Reston

Amanda Pacheco Associate Palo Alto

Rama Padmanabhan Partner San Diego

Ferish Patel Partner in Charge – Singapore Singapore, Hong Kong

Carlos Ramirez Partner San Diego

John Robertson Partner in Charge – Seattle Seattle

Michelle Garcia Schulman Partner Reston

Sara Semnani Partner Los Angeles – Santa Monica, Los Angeles – Downtown

Lei Shen Partner Chicago

Katie Stevens Associate Palo Alto

Michael Tollini Partner Washington, DC, New York

Michael Tuscan Partner Washington, DC

Rupa Briggs Partner New York

Women’s Initiative

Cooley's Women's Initiative was created to attract, retain and mentor a strong network of women lawyers.

We provide women at Cooley with the tools necessary to achieve professional success and personal fulfillment through counseling, professional development and networking. See members of the Women's Initiative

Kay Chandler Partner, San Diego

Sascha Grimm Partner, London

Our women are inspiring others to change the status quo and we couldn't be more proud to be at the forefront. — Shira Nadich Levin, founder of Cooley’s Women’s Initiative

Connection Circles

Women lawyers across the firm are engaged in Connection Circles, which facilitate mentorship opportunities within each Cooley office. This initiative came about as a result of feedback from our associates and relies heavily on the involvement of partners and senior associates to build and strengthen relationships among our women lawyers.

Committees

Cooley’s Women’s Initiative consists of two central committees to address relationship building, personal and professional development, and progress and accountability in support of our strategic DEI goals.

The Representative Committee focuses on maintaining a welcoming and inclusive firm, while the Strategy Committee focuses on advancing efforts to recruit, retain and promote women in each office.

Family Liaison Program

Cooley's Women's Initiative runs a Liaison Program for men and women taking a leave of absence exceeding four weeks. The liaison provides support leading up to the leave and serves as a primary contact during the leave. The liaison also helps to re-acclimate the lawyer following his or her return to work.

The diversity of opinion, personalities, ages, backgrounds and lifestyles is refreshing, welcoming and a key reason why we’re successful as a firm.

— Cooley employee quoted in Fortune

On Ramp Fellowship

Cooley was one of only four law firms to pilot a one-year fellowship program aimed at replenishing the talent pipeline in law firms with experienced women lawyers who have taken an extended hiatus from the practice of law.

Cooley continues to actively participate in the national program.