Reinhart’s diversity commitment starts young

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A years-long commitment to diversity has spurred success at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren.

The law firm supports diverse people on their journey through the legal profession, whether they’re high school students considering a career in law or attorneys with decades of experience.

“Best practices in diversity through mentoring and professional development translate to a universal good for everyone,” said Mark Cameli, a shareholder at Reinhart. “A demonstrated commitment to diversity allows us to recruit and retain the best talent.”

Much of Reinhart’s commitment to diversity starts with young people. The firm invests in minority middle and high school students through scholarships and job opportunities. It joined a work-study program with Milwaukee’s Cristo Rey High School and, in 2018, launched the Reinhart Academic Year Minority Clerk Program. The part-time clerkship employs minority students, giving them opportunities that they might not otherwise have had to work in a large firm.

Reinhart gets in touch with law school students through the Reinhart Buddy Program, pairing minority students with attorneys at the Milwaukee and Madison offices. Its offices also play host to receptions and mixers for minority law students throughout the year.

At the professional level, Reinhart formed a Diversity Committee to recruit, retain and support people from groups that still tend to be not frequenty found at large law firms. Reinhart is involved in the Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers, the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association and the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. A Reinhart attorney helped found Wisconsin’s first LGBT Bar Association, and another attorney is part of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber’s Business Leadership Academy inaugural class. The class works to foster the next generation of LGBTQ and allied leaders in the workplace.

“We understand that our profession has some ground to cover in terms of getting to a point where we’re truly inclusive and representative,” said Andy Narrai, chief marketing officer at Reinhart. “We understand it’s a journey, but we’re doing what we can to move the needle.”

Staff employees have also participated in events to help minority- and women-owned businesses. They advise clients on carrying out supplier-diversity programs, including finding ways for non-minority-owned companies to work with minorities and women.

“Our diversity efforts are critical to the long term success of our firm and clients,” said Cameli. “Diverse perspectives often provide an important key to solving some of our clients’ most challenging problems.”