Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Hurwitz Fine

Hurwitz Fine P.C. is committed to diversity, equity and justice in the legal system, in the workplace, and in our community. At the firm, diversity encompasses a variety of characteristics, lifestyles and perspectives; including race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, education, veteran status, disability, socio-economic status, family and marital status. A diverse and inclusive environment—where individual differences are recognized and valued—is essential to both the quality of our client service and the daily lives of our lawyers and staff.

As a woman-led law firm for multiple generations, Hurwitz Fine has a long history of encouraging, supporting and hiring women and minority lawyers and advancing them to the ranks of partner and equity owners. In fact, our current President/Managing Partner, Jody E. Briandi, began her legal career at the firm as an associate attorney, as did her predecessor, Ann E. Evanko.

MIDSIZE MANSFIELD RULE

Hurwitz Fine has achieved Midsize Mansfield Certification “Plus” Status after a rigorous 18-month collaboration with Diversity Lab to track and measure diversity in leadership. The overall goal of the Midsize Mansfield Rule is to increase the representation of diverse lawyers in leadership by broadening the pool of women, LGBTQ+ lawyers, lawyers with disabilities, and/or racial/ethnic minority lawyers who are considered for entry-level and lateral attorney job openings, leadership opportunities, equity partner promotions, and opportunities to connect with clients. In addition to Midsize Mansfield Certification, Hurwitz Fine went a step further and received Certification “Plus” status, which indicates that the law firm has successfully achieved 30% diverse representation in current leadership roles and pipeline activities. Hurwitz Fine is the first Buffalo-based law firm to achieve this national certification.

This certification is another positive step we are taking as a firm toward achieving our goals of creating and maintaining a diverse team of attorneys to partner with our clients. Our participation also demonstrates Hurwitz Fine’s deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within our firm culture, client service teams, and in recruiting efforts. 

Hurwitz Fine is currently renewing its Mansfield Certification diversity commitment by participating in the 2023 – 2024 Midsize Mansfield Certification class.

Internal Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Hurwitz Fine maintains a Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which provides recommendations to the Board of Directors targeted at diversity and inclusion initiatives including the recruitment of diverse job candidates, retention of a diverse workforce, community outreach and giving back, the use of women and minority owned vendors, and the promotion of an inclusive work environment based on respecting the experiences and perspectives of others.

External Community & Charitable Organization Involvement

As part of our firm’s commitment, we look for ways to get involved in, and serve our community and beyond. As a firm, we appreciate that involvement in community and charitable organizations is fundamental to personal and professional development. Hurwitz Fine has a longstanding history of supporting local and national organizations who share our core values. We actively encourage and mentor those interested in getting involved. 
 

Additional Initiatives

Our attorneys and staff contribute to and strengthen our Firm’s culture of giving back. We have held firmwide holiday drives in collaboration with the Minority Bar Association, the “Stone’s Buddies” program at Oishei Children’s Hospital, Child & Family Services, and WNY Heroes. We also regularly host firmwide drives and events, which have supported such charitable organizations as the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund, FeedMore WNY, the International Institute, Friends of Night People, Hospice of Buffalo, Ride for Roswell and the Buffalo City Mission. We have hosted internal volunteer opportunities such as “Birthday in a Bag” to support Child & Family Services and the United Way, partnered with ConnectLife to host a blood drive, and sponsored a firmwide drive for the Buffalo United for Afghan Evacuees, which provides household items to help Afghan refugees who have recently resettled in in WNY. In 2023, our Buffalo office participated in two Habitat for Humanity service days, working on a modular home, completing many different tasks such as siding, framing, painting, installing hardware, and minor roofing. 

We regularly attend and sponsor fundraisers for community and diverse organizations such as the Minority Bar Foundation, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, the Women’s Bar Association of WNY and WNY Women’s Foundation.

In 2022, Hurwitz Fine was selected as a Legal Excellence honoree for "Law Firm Diversity" by The Daily Record and Rochester Business Journal.

We were also a proud sponsor of the 2022 Empire State Legal Diversity Career Fair and an upcoming sponsor for the 2023 event.

Most recently, Hurwitz Fine President/Managing Partner Jody E. Briandi and Member Anastasia M. McCarthy were honored as 2023 ATHENA Award^(R) finalists. The ATHENA Awards are an international event, celebrated in more than 500 communities and 8 countries, which recognizes the professional accomplishments of exceptional individuals dedicated to the advancement of women. 

Pro Bono Program

In addition, Hurwitz Fine maintains an active pro bono program partnering with civil legal service providers such as the Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Center for Elder Law and Justice. We are also on the panel for the Federal Court Pro Bono Program and regularly accept assignments. We recognize the importance of serving all members of our community, including those who lack access to legal representation to which they are entitled. As a law firm of over 50 lawyers, we have the ability to bridge that gap.

DIversity Clerkship Program

Hurwitz Fine's Diversity Clerkship Program is intended to provide a meaningful and hands-on private practice experience for law students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the legal profession. Each law clerk will receive one-on-one mentoring from firm attorneys, be exposed to the firm’s numerous practice areas, and will develop a portfolio of tangible work product for use in the hiring process. On a day-to-day basis, law clerks support the firm’s attorneys with a variety of tasks, including research, writing projects and case preparation. The firm will also provide meaningful opportunities to learn about the practice of law, to connect with local attorneys and the judiciary, and to publish legal articles on topics of interest.

Forum for Women Lawyers

The Forum for Women Lawyers is a newly created group at Hurwitz Fine, intended to provide the firm’s women lawyers with social and professional opportunities to build sustaining careers and strengthen relationships among colleagues and peers in the community. The group focuses on creating conversations and activities tailored to the unique challenges that women lawyers face in private practice. The Forum’s inaugural year has focused on four key priorities—self-advocating, work-life balance, educational opportunities for professional development, and advancement and promotion.