Higgs Fletcher & Mack understands the importance of diversity and is proud of its commitment to diversity within the firm and the San Diego legal community.
Higgs’ attorneys actively participate in several minority bar organizations, seek minority applicants for firm positions, provide mentoring programs which foster minority retention, and focus on live/work balance. Higgs is an ongoing sponsor of minority bar group events, including Lawyers Club of San Diego, Tom Homann Law Association, Earl Gilliam Bar Association, Jackie Robinson Y, and the Iranian American Bar Association.
To further promote diversity in the legal community, Higgs established a $10,000 Diversity Scholarship at the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law in 2010. This is the first scholarship of its kind at USD. The scholarship is provided to one USD student to help lessen the financial burden of law school during the academic year. The scholarship will be awarded to a student who has demonstrated commitment to serving diverse communities. Individual attorneys at Higgs personally fund this scholarship, some of whom are USD Law School alumni.
Higgs was one of the first law firms in San Diego to sign the San Diego County Bar Association Diversity Pledge. The SDCBA created a Diversity Pledge in 2007 to serve as a guideline for fostering diversity within the legal profession in San Diego. The Diversity Pledge was created to re-focus efforts within the legal profession on promoting diversity in the hiring, retention and advancement of attorneys within law firms and corporate legal departments and emphasizing diversity in leadership positions.
After signing that pledge, Higgs established a Diversity Committee to ensure that Higgs was not only honoring the pledge but also remaining mindful of the importance of an increasingly diverse law firm and support for diversity within the legal community. Partner Susan Hack took over as chair of the committee in 2010. Senior partner Craig Higgs, who is a former president of the San Diego County Bar Association, chaired the committee initially. The committee meets regularly to set diversity goals and discuss progress towards those goals.
While Higgs is one of the oldest law firms in San Diego, it has also been a trailblazer in its diversity efforts and looks forward to supporting and retaining diversity within the legal community.
San Diego County Bar Association ERDC Spring Mixer Held at Higgs
On April 11, 2013, Higgs Fletcher & Mack hosted the San Diego County Bar Association Ethic Relations/Diversity Committee’s annual Spring Mixer. This committee is comprised of the minority and specialty bar organizations in the San Diego legal community–the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego, Iranian American Bar Association, La Raza Lawyers Association of San Diego, Lawyers Club of San Diego, Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego, San Diego Chinese Attorneys Association, South Asian Bar Association, and the Tom Homann Law Association. The event was well attended by members of the bench and bar. This event truly celebrates diversity in our legal community, and Higgs is honored to have sponsored this event for the past five years. Higgs’ sponsorship of this event and others, including its participation this year in the Ethic Relations/Diversity Committee’s Summer Fellowship Program, demonstrates its ongoing commitment to promoting diversity within Higgs and the legal community.
Higgs Awards $3,500 Scholarship to Second-Year Law Student
Thomas Wang, a second-year law student at California Western School of Law and an Asian immigrant, has received a $3,500 scholarship from the Higgs Fletcher & Mack Diversity Scholarship fund. This scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate ethical and/or civic leadership, as well as a commitment to providing services to underrepresented groups in the community. “This scholarship is particularly special because it is made possible by generous contributions from the firm itself and several Higgs attorneys – not only Cal Western alumni but non-alumni as well,” said Rahil Swigart, member of the Higgs Fletcher & Mack Diversity Committee and a California Western School of Law alum. Wang was selected from a number of outstanding students. He is involved with a number of organizations including the Pan Asian Lawyer Association and Chinese Attorney Law Association. Thomas is currently an intern at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office and is slated to graduate from California Western in 2014.
Higgs Receives Corporate Diversity Award
On November 3, 2012, Higgs was presented with the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association’s Corporate Diversity Award during their annual scholarship and awards dinner. Higgs’ Diversity Committee chair Susan Hack accepted the award on the firm’s behalf. “Receiving this award is a tremendous honor for Higgs,” said Hack. “Being recognized by this fine organization is a testament to the hard work of our committee and a continued devotion to fostering a culture of inclusion. I’m very proud of the firm’s continued commitment to diversity not only within the firm but also in the legal community.”
Established in 1976, this organization is named in honor of the late Earl B. Gilliam, the first African-American San Diego County Superior Court Judge and United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of California. This Association preserves the highest standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession, and has worked to represent the interests of African-American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students in San Diego.
Higgs is proud of its commitment to diversity and its sponsorship of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association, as well as several other diverse organizations in the San Diego legal community.
Higgs Hosts San Diego Chinese Attorneys Association MCLE Seminar
Higgs Fletcher & Mack was recently a venue sponsor for an MCLE seminar hosted by the San Diego Chinese Attorneys Association, Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego and the Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego Associations The seminar, titled “Roadmap to a Successful Legal Career,” was a panel discussion featuring in-house counsel and law partners providing insight to a productive legal career. The panel members featured speakers from Pfizer, Qualcomm, Morrison & Foerster, Venture Counsel Group. The seminar was attended by over 50 people.
Higgs Fletcher & Mack Awards Diversity Scholarship
For the third straight year, Higgs Fletcher & Mack awarded a $10,000 scholarship to a diverse student at the University of San Diego School of Law. The scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated commitment to serving diverse communities. Individual attorneys at Higgs personally fund this scholarship, some of whom are USD School of Law alumni. The selection for this year’s recipient will be made before the end of the year. Higgs is proud of its commitment to promote diversity in the legal community. To learn more, contact the USD School of Law, Office of Financial Aid, lawaid@sandiego.edu for more information about applying for the scholarship.