Meyers Nave Proudly Endorses Proposition 16 – First Law Firm to Announce Its Support
Meyers Nave proudly announces the Firm’s endorsement of Proposition 16 on California’s November ballot. The Firm has made a substantial financial contribution toward the effort to pass this historic Proposition. “Meyers Nave is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion within our firm, throughout the legal profession and across the communities where we live, work and serve. Supporting Proposition 16 is how we are helping to achieve our goal to affect real change and meaningful progress wherever we can have an impact,” explains David Skinner, Meyers Nave’s Managing Principal.
Meyers Nave Takes Action to Lead Change
Statistics show that the legal profession remains one of the least diverse professions in the U.S. Increasing diversity in the legal profession is both a moral and business imperative. Importantly, the legal profession supplies elected officials, lawmakers, judges, prosecutors, general counsels, and leaders of corporate, government, non-profit and legal organizations. Its membership needs to be as inclusive as the populations it serves.
Proposition 16 can help reverse systemic obstacles and create a more inclusive and better future for all Californians. Proposition 16 helps underrepresented communities access educational and employment opportunities and launch and grow businesses through better access to State contracts. “We as attorneys understand and witness firsthand the disproportionate underrepresentation of attorneys of color in the State Bar and in California law schools, and Proposition 16 can help address this problem that has existed for decades in the legal profession,” explains Eric Casher, Chair of Meyers Nave’s Diversity Committee and Chair of the Municipal and Special District Law Practice. “Meyers Nave is proud to both support Proposition 16 and be the first California law firm to publicly announce its support. This is the right thing to do for the legal profession and for California.”
Meyers Nave Advances Diversity in the Legal Profession
Meyers Nave’s commitment to improve diversity in the legal profession includes the Firm’s pioneering history as the first California majority law firm to be led by a Black woman. Today, women and diverse attorneys make up approximately 60% of our lawyers and eight of the Firm’s Practice Groups are led by women and/or diverse attorneys. From 2015-2020, Meyers Nave elevated eight attorneys to Principal, seven are women and/or diverse and two have also been elected to chair Practice Groups. Also, our new Diversity Fellowship Program has already helped advance the careers of six law students and in 2020 we welcome our first Fellow hired as a full-time Associate. And on August 31, 2020, Meyers Nave announced its merger with Brown Law Group, a nationally prominent woman- and minority-owned employment and business litigation firm in San Diego. Reflecting Meyers Nave’s commitment to diversity in leadership, the founder of BLG, Janice Brown, will join Meyers Nave as an owner.
Proposition 16 Webinar
On September 14, the Alameda County Bar Association is hosting a Zoom program about Proposition 16 from 12:00-1:30PM. The program is part of ACBA’s Affirmative Action Racial Equity Series and is sponsored by the ACBA Barristers Section and the Charles Houston Bar Association. The presenters are Meyers Nave Principal Eric Casher and Vincent Pan, the Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. Register here on the ACBA website.