Diversity

Trailblazer in the legal profession

Directly Supporting Diversity Efforts

We are champions of diversity and inclusion efforts, committed to creating a law firm that is representative of our client base and the community in which we practice law.

In 2023, Higgs Fletcher & Mack was proud to earn Mansfield Certification. The Mansfield Certification, facilitated by Diversity Lab, recognizes the structural changes and actions HFM has taken over 18 months to diversify leadership by broadening the slate of talent considered for internal leadership roles and increasing transparency with written and accessible advancement processes and role descriptions. The Mansfield framework helps law firms consistently approach succession planning for the next generation of leaders in an inclusive, structured, and intentional manner across practice groups. Learn more about the Mansfield Certification process here.

There are innumerable ways in which we support local and national diversity efforts, organizations, and pipeline programs. From being a founding law firm for the San Diego County Bar Association’s annual Diversity Fellowship Program and being one of the first signatories to their diversity pledge, to providing sponsorship support to multiple minority bar associations.

HFM supports education, minority retention and recruitment, mentorship programs, and a variety of other diversity initiatives. We have hosted large diversity and inclusion-related annual events, including the San Diego County Bar Association’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion’s annual mixer, the Ethnic Relations and Diversity Committee’s Spring Mixer and co-sponsorship of the organization’s annual Dialogue on Diversity event.

HFM is also the proud recipient of the Corporate Diversity Award from the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, the largest association of African American judges, attorneys, and legal professionals in San Diego. As we begin the next chapter in our over 80-year history, we will ensure that diversity and inclusion continue to shape the fabric of our law firm now and into the future.

A Culture of Inclusion

Leaders in our Community

HFM attorneys actively participate in or hold leadership positions in organizations that promote diversity including the Lawyers Club of San Diego, the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, and the Tom Homann LGBTQ+ Law Association.

Helping the Next Generation

Scholarships and Support

HFM's diversity scholarship program has awarded nearly $88,500 to law students at the University of San Diego School of Law and California Western School of Law. Additionally, internships and mentor programs provide students with financial support and a hands-on educational experience. After a decade of granting scholarships annually for diverse law students at the University of San Diego School of Law, HFM endowed its Diversity Scholarship in honor of the Firm’s former partner, Craig Higgs. In 2021, the endowment was matched by the University of San Diego’s Board of Trustees’ Horizon Project, multiplying HFM’s endowed investment and increasing the level of annual scholarship support that will be generated by the endowment.

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