Inclusion in Action
At Holland & Knight, we seek to further develop an organization and a culture where all talented individuals – including those traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession – can have, and can see, a path to long-term success.
We are committed to these efforts because diverse and inclusive teams reflect the world we serve and produce better results for our clients.
What We've Been Up To Lately
Holland & Knight hosted a webinar featuring world-class speaker and culture change expert Michelle Silverthorn titled "Authentic Diversity: How to Interrupt Bias and Build an Inclusive Workplace." This program discussed how individuals can shift their understanding on bias, help recognize the importance of contributing to the work of allyship and inclusion, and provide practical guidance on how to equip to build spaces of authentic diversity and belonging, where everyone is welcome to rise, thrive and succeed. (April 2023)
What you see in history is a kind of dialectic between the forces of silencing [women] and the forces of resistance.
To celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Holland & Knight’s Women’s Initiative invited Dana Rubin, author of Speaking While Female: 75 Extraordinary Speeches by American Women, to give a presentation titled “Women’s Voice in Law.” Dana's presentation discussed the many women in law whose speeches have been front and center on significant historical events and deserve greater recognition. These women included Clara Shortridge Foltz in 1893, who introduced the idea of a public defender system; journalist and suffragist Ida B. Wells, who campaigned against lynching laws; Congresswoman Patsy Mink advocating for Title IX in 1970; Congresswoman Barbara Jordan delivering the opening statement on the Articles of Impeachment against President Nixon in 1974; and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner in 1991 on the hurdles and progress of women in the legal profession. (March 2023)
This isn't Black history, this is American history. And it's the type of history we need to be paying attention to all over the country, with Rosewood as a primary example.
In honor of Black History Month, Holland & Knight proudly hosted a discussion titled “Lessons of Rosewood.” The life, death and legacy of Rosewood, Florida involves the destruction of a small bustling town, that primarily consisted of African Americans, by a mob of white Floridians and Klansmen in January 1923. Almost 70 years later, Holland & Knight helped spearhead the Rosewood Claim Bill in 1994. This was the first—and, to date, the only—instance where a legislature has compensated Black Americans for crimes of racial violence. (February 2023)
Additional Information
Leadership Commitment
Holland & Knight's commitment to diversity and inclusion starts at the top. The firm’s Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Robert J. Grammig, and Chair of the Directors Committee (the firm's highest policymaking body), Kelly-Ann Cartwright, both are members of the firm’s Diversity Council.
Diversity Council
Our Diversity Council leads diversity and inclusion efforts across the firm. Partner O'Kelly E. McWilliams III, serves as the Diversity Partner and Chair of the Council, and Partner Daniel T. Sylvester is Vice Chair. The Council also includes representatives from each office and the chairs of our nine Affinity Groups.
Local Office Diversity Committees
Our efforts to build an inclusive organization are found at all levels and in all offices. Most of our offices have a local office Diversity Committee, comprised of both lawyers and staff, as well as a local Women's Initiative group. These committees devise and implement programs and community outreach unique to their locations. The leaders of our local Diversity Committees meet regularly with the Diversity Council to discuss issues and share information on their various events, sponsorships and best practices. Similarly, the local coordinators of the Women's Initiative meet regularly with the national chair of the Women's Initiative to exchange ideas and discuss current issues and best practices.
Recruiting
Learn more about Holland & Knight's strategic recruiting efforts by visiting our Careers page.
Professional Development
Holland & Knight is committed to helping our attorneys achieve success at the firm.
Launched in 2003, the Rising Stars® program was developed by the firm's Women's Initiative. The firm annually selects a group of talented women lawyers to participate in this dynamic and intensive program of leadership, marketing, management and professional skills development, professional mentoring and experiential learning. Graduates of the program have become leaders of the firm. Learn more by visiting our Women's Initiative page.
Community Engagement
Holland & Knight believes in the value of engaging with organizations outside of our law firm in an effort to build a more inclusive profession. We sponsor and participate in local, regional and national diversity associations, conferences and events, including:
- National Bar Association
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- National LGBT Bar Association
- Charting Your Own Course
Demonstrated Success
50%
Since 2017, 50 percent of our newly promoted partners are diverse, based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or veteran status
39%
Our Directors Committee – the firm's highest policy making body – is 39 percent diverse, based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or veteran status
12
Twelve of our U.S. offices – Austin, Boston, Century City, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. – are led by diverse Executive Partners
score of 100
on report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality
Top 10
Ranked in the Top 10 for most diverse equity partners
1st
Firm ranked first for Hispanic partners in the 2021 Diversity Scorecard
- Seramount: Recognized as one of Seramount's 2024 "Best Law Firms for Women and Diversity" for our achievements in recruiting, retaining and advancing women and underrepresented lawyers.
- Bloomberg Law: Recognized as one of Bloomberg Law's 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework members for our level of disclosure of diversity-related metrics and distinguished performance against six core pillars: demographics, leadership and talent pipeline, recruitment and retention, business innovation and strategy, marketing, and diversity and inclusion in the community.
- Disability:IN: Received a score of 90 on the 2024 Disability Equality Index earning the firm recognition as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.
- Yale Law Women: Recognized in the 2024 "Top Firms Report," receiving an honorable mention in the Culture category, which highlights firms that cultivate work environments where all attorneys can succeed without compromising their personality, values or identity.
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD): Received the 2023 Top Performer Award for our participation in LCLD programs and promotion of the LCLD's mission.
- Human Rights Campaign: Earned a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index from 2015 – 2023 for "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality."
- Lawyers of Color: Recognized by Lawyers of Color as a 2023 Aspire Diversity Award recipient.
- State Bar of California: Recognized by the State Bar of California as a 2023 Bronze Seal recipient for implementing research-driven actions that further workplace diversity, equity and inclusion.
- ABA Military Pro Bono Project: Received the 2023 ABA Military Pro Bono Project's "Outstanding Service Award." Holland & Knight is the only firm to receive the award every year since its inception in 2012.
- The American Lawyer: Consistently received high rankings by The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard, including in 2022, the last year for which The American Lawyer provided individual rankings, ranked first for most Hispanic partners, fifth for most African American partners, top 10 for most Hispanic non-partners and top 20 for most "other racial or ethnic group" partners.
- Veteran Jobs Mission: In 2022, the Veteran Jobs Mission honored Holland & Knight with a Marine Raiders Paddle, a wooden paddle carried throughout reconnaissance training – worn and scarred as the Marine does. Upon the Marine's end of service, the paddle is polished and garnished with adornments that represent that particular Marine's service and military history. The firm received this honor because of its commitment to veterans and service to the Veteran Jobs Mission.
- Chambers North America: Received the 2022 Chambers North America Diversity & Inclusion Veterans Advancement: Outstanding Firm Award. Also received the 2020 Chambers North America Diversity & Inclusion Award – Veteran Program of the Year.
- Street Law Inc.: Received the 2020 Excellence in Service Award from Street Law Inc. for the firm's exceptional commitment to Street Law and its NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program.
- Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA): Received the 2019 HNBA Corporate Partner of the Year Award for our longstanding support of the HNBA.
- Chambers USA: Received the 2019 Chambers USA Diversity & Inclusion Award — "Most Pioneering Law Firm for Female Lawyers" for the firm's commitment to increasing the opportunities for, and representation of, female lawyers. The firm was also shortlisted for "Outstanding Firm for Furthering Diversity and Inclusion."
- Client Recognitions: Received the 2022 Outside Council Diversity Award from a financial services client for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within the firm, the legal community and on the client's legal matters. Received the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Best In Class Law Firm Award from an electrical services client for our commitment and focus on diversity and inclusion. Received the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Award from a financial services client for focused attention on the training, development and promotion of attorneys, and staffing matters with diverse legal teams.