Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Contributions and Sponsorships
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) – Member and Founding City Lead of the Cleveland LCLD "Success in Law School" Mentoring Program, 2018 to Present
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Gender Equity in the Legal Industry (GELI) Forum – Founding Member, Inception to Present
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association 3Rs Program – Inception to Present
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Minority Clerkship Program – Inception to 2016
- Columbus Bar Association Minority Clerkship Program – 2012 to Present
- St. Martin de Porres Work Study Program – Inception to Present
- Shaw High School Mock Trials – 2007 to 2016
- College Now, Greater Cleveland
- Delta Sigma Theta
- Norman S. Minor Bar Association Annual Trailblazers Luncheon
- City of Cleveland Hispanic Heritage Month
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Seminar (formerly known as Cleveland Bar Association Diversity Networking Conference) - 2011 to Present
- Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA) Midwestern Chapter
- The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio
- The Links, Incorporated
- Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- Women for Economic Leadership Development
- Columbus Women's Commission
- United Way Women's Leadership Council
Community Involvement
The Firm’s commitment also entails dedicating our time and efforts to investing in our community.
Calfee employees are actively involved with College Now Greater Cleveland, a mentoring program for predominately diverse students with the goal of providing guidance and encouragement to graduate high school and get to and complete college. College Now’s mission closely aligns with Calfee’s continued pledge to community investment and improving diversity and inclusion in the legal industry. College Now’s mission is to increase post-secondary educational attainment through college and career access advising, financial aid counseling, and scholarship and retention services.
In addition, Calfee is proud to participate in the Columbus Bar Association (CBA) Minority Clerkship Program. The program is a collaboration of the CBA, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and Capital University Law School. The program provides legal experience and education for African American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American law students through summer placement at local law firms, government and corporate offices. The program focuses on arranging clerkship positions primarily for first year students because a student's placement in a law firm after their first year of school increases their competitive advantage in vying for clerkships for the second more critical summer.
We believe it’s never too early to get people interested in the field of law. That’s why several of the programs Calfee is involved with focus on the development of high school students through Starting Early – Pipeline Programs.
Calfee is a corporate member of the St. Martin de Porres Work Study Program and has been since the program’s inception in Cleveland in 2004. Four students from the school job-share one full-time position at Calfee. This program allows high school students to earn money toward their education as well as exposing the students to a business environment. In addition, some students also have been offered full-time positions at Calfee following graduation. Our attorneys have also participated in Professionals Night at the school, where they speak with students about their own career paths (e.g., practicing intellectual property law) and the legal industry. To find out more about Calfee’s involvement in this program, contact Director of Office Services, Ron Stupka.
The 3Rs: Rights, Responsibilities, Realities Program, a Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association-led program partners the local legal community with high school students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and East Cleveland City Schools. Volunteer attorneys go to 10th grade social studies classes and use a real-world curriculum to work with the students to enhance their knowledge of the rules of law and the U.S. Constitution, increase passage of the Ohio Graduation Test, provide career counseling and insights into possibilities after high school, and improve the number of minorities who choose legal careers in the region.
Shaw Mock Trial Team participation offers high school students the opportunity to improve critical thinking, reading and public-speaking skills; deepen their understanding of the judicial system; and develop an understanding of legal rights and responsibilities. It also gives the students a sense of camaraderie, exposes them to competition and team environments, and offers students a safe place to spend their time. Calfee attorney, Jim Lawniczak, had taken a defunct program at an inner-city high school and, in eight years, turned the team into district champions seven times over and state contenders multiple years. He and the Shaw teacher who coordinated the program, Ms. Eiller, had more than 100 students participate in Mock Trial since its reinception.
For additional information on Calfee's diversity and inclusion activities and commitments, please contact our Diversity & Inclusion Committee Co-Chairs, Jen Torres Spieth and Josh Sanders.
