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

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 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

For those asking, ‘How can I help?’ and ‘What can I do?’ – the answer is that you can help by becoming an ally and an agent of change. Let us dare to be ambitious – we invite each of you to step up and effect such change through education, engagement and action. — Tanisha James, partner and chair of Cooley’s Black Attorney Affinity Group

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

Fortune

Best Companies to Work ForBest Workplaces for DiversityBest Workplaces for WomenBest Workplaces for FlexibilityBest Workplaces for Parents

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

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 Committee

TJ Graham Partner Palo Alto

Amie Santos Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Washington, DC

Mazda Antia Partner San Diego, Los Angeles

Orion Armon Partner Colorado

Joseph M. Burleson Associate Los Angeles

Luke Cadigan Partner Boston

Justine W. Chiu Associate Seattle

John Clendenin Partner Palo Alto

Chris Coulter Partner London

Georgina Dietrich Associate Brussels

Virat Gupta Associate Washington, DC

Jacob B. Hanna Associate San Francisco

Sarah Iftekhar Associate Chicago

Alicia Johnson-Cole Associate London

Jonathan Kim Partner New York

Randall R. Lee Partner Los Angeles

James Linfield Senior Counsel Colorado

Joshua Mates Partner San Francisco

Summer M. McKee Associate New York

Andres Medina-Jordan Associate Boston

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

Lei Shen Partner Chicago

Katie Stevens Associate Palo Alto

Michael Tollini Partner Washington, DC, New York

Michael Tuscan Partner in Charge – Washington, DC Washington, DC

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.

Women in Law Hackathon

Co-chair of Cooley’s Women Initiative, Kay Chandler, represented Cooley in the first-ever Women in Law Hackathon, a “Shark Tank”–style pitch competition.

Nine teams made up of male and female partners at US law firms worked together to devise innovative projects and initiatives to boost the advancement and retention of experienced women lawyers in law firms.

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.