Moore & Van Allen fosters a culture of diversity, belonging, and inclusion at our firm and in the many communities we serve. Diversity is embraced and promoted across the firm in our recruiting, development, and promotion programs for lawyers and staff with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. There is unequivocal strength in diversity, and we believe different perspectives enable us to better serve our clients.
Message from Leadership
We remain steadfast in our belief that in order to achieve the best outcomes we must remain open and supportive of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are proud to support a culture where we work hard to welcome, include, value, and listen to everyone.
Tom Mitchell, Chair, Management Committee
Amy Johnson, Co-chair, Diversity Committee
Valecia McDowell, Member, Management Committee; Co-chair, Diversity Committee
Highlights
- Moore & Van Allen’s 5th annual Diversity Conference was held virtually in January 2023. This conference is designed to introduce 1L law students to leaders and career opportunities in the legal industry.
- Our Diversity Scholarship Program is a summer employment opportunity for students finishing their first year in law school. 1L Diversity Scholars participate in the firm’s 10-week summer associate program.
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Moore & Van Allen provides associates, counsel, and staff attorneys with up to 50 hours of billable credit on an annual basis for diversity and inclusion activity. The goal of the policy is to recognize firm attorneys who are individually and collectively supporting efforts that foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.
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Moore & Van Allen’s Black Attorney Resource Group (BARG), led by MVA Litigation Associate Jules Carter, places building personal and professional relationships at the center of its resource-building strategy.
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Our Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association (APALA) business resource group is led by MVA Financial Services Member Sonny Ha and MVA Litigation Member Nader Raja.
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Moore & Van Allen’s business resource group known as the Hispanic and Latino Lawyers Association (HaLLA) is led by MVA Intellectual Property Counsel Becky Harasimowicz and MVA Litigation Associate Raquel Macgregor Pearkes.
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The Women of Moore & Van Allen (WoMVA) business resource group is led by MVA Financial Services Member Meredith Reedy and MVA Litigation Member Mary Katherine Stukes. In addition to hosting networking events throughout the year, WoMVA provides support to expecting mothers through the WoMVA Advocate Program, a peer-to-peer mentoring initiative that offers encouragement and guidance to women before, during, and after their parental leave.
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Our business resource group for LGBTQ+ lawyers is led by MVA Financial Services Senior Counsel Jonathan Murray.
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The firm regularly hosts cultural celebrations open to all employees. These efforts offer an opportunity to increase cultural awareness among attorneys and staff and also serve as an opportunity to foster deeper connections among one another. Programs offered throughout celebrate events such as Black History Month, International Women’s Day, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and National and Charlotte Pride Months. Additionally, the firm hosts an annual event in honor of Charlotte Civil Rights Attorney Julius Chambers which gives recognition to other civil rights champions like South Carolina Judge Matthew Perry, Jr. who have helped to increase equity and opportunity both within the legal industry and broader community.
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Moore & Van Allen is a participant and founding organization of the Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship Program (CLDC). MVA looks forward to participating with Nucor Corporation in the 2023 installation of the CLDC program.
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Moore & Van Allen continued its partnership with PFLAG Charlotte in 2022 by hosting a summer seminar, “Fostering LGTBQ+ Allyship and Advocacy: A Mental Wellness Conversation.” MVA Financial Services Member Amy Johnson serves on the Board of Directors for PFLAG Charlotte.
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We are proud to serve as a recurring sponsor and participant of the Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade, Charlotte’s largest street festival and annual parade.
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Moore & Van Allen celebrates its longstanding commitment to public service by hosting an annual Sally & Bill Van Allen Public Service Award luncheon to celebrate the achievements of our employees and community partners who are making significant service contributions. In 2022, we added an award for the Outstanding Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Champion. MVA Litigation Associate Jules Carter was the first recipient.
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MVA was the first Carolina-based law firm to join the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) when the effort was established in 2020. LFAA is committed to leveraging the resources of the private bar in partnership with legal services organizations to amplify the voices of communities and individuals oppressed by racism. MVA Financial Services Member Kimberly Zirkle serves on LFAA’s banking working group.
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In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, 24 law firm leaders, including MVA Chair Tom Mitchell, came together in Charlotte to discuss how to harness their energy and resources to address racial disparities and social injustices. This group eventually formed the Carolinas Social Impact Initiative. The program is now known as the Charlotte Legal Initiative to Mobilize Businesses (CLIMB). MVA is proud to co-lead CLIMB, which focuses on supporting business entities whose ownership consists primarily of people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans or people with disabilities.
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We serve as a sponsor of Women Lawyers of Charlotte and ensure membership to the organization for our female lawyers who wish to participate.
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Moore & Van Allen is a sponsor of the annual North Carolina Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Gala in Charlotte. In 2022, for the sixth consecutive year, we maintained a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report administered by the HRC. This distinction earned Moore & Van Allen a “Best Places to Work” title as designated by the HRC.
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We are a proud sponsor of the annual YMCA MLK Holiday Breakfast benefitting the McCrorey YMCA in Charlotte.
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Moore & Van Allen is a sponsor of the annual Mecklenburg Bar Foundation's annual McMillan Dinner which recognizes a diversity champion within the local bar. Funds from the event help underwrite summer clerkship opportunities at local legal services and nonprofit institutions.
Diversity & Inclusion Report: 2022 A Year in Review
The Diversity and Management Committees are proud to present our Diversity & Inclusion Report: 2022 A Year in Review. The annual publication highlights the firm’s ongoing initiatives and future goals, and can be found here.
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At Moore & Van Allen (MVA), we understand that it’s important to embrace cultural and personal differences for many reasons. It allows us to compete successfully in today’s marketplace, builds rapport and understanding, and ensures a respectful workplace for practicing law and serving clients. In 2022, we continued to demonstrate our commitment to building a more inclusive, diverse culture where every individual can feel valued and thrive professionally. MVA remains on a journey to drive profound change in equity and inclusion — something we consider to be akin to an art form. Every work of art takes time, collaboration, thoughtfulness, and vision. On behalf of the Diversity and Management Committees, we are thrilled to celebrate our collective contributions to our 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report. |
Recruiting & Retention
Moore & Van Allen is committed to recruiting, developing and promoting lawyers and staff with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Working closely with the firm’s Management, Diversity and Recruitment committees we have adopted several initiatives designed to support these values. We believe there is unequivocal strength in diversity and remain unwavering in efforts to leverage that power for our clients.
Moore & Van Allen’s annual Diversity Conference is designed to introduce 1L law students to leaders and career opportunities in the legal industry. Students are selected through a competitive application process and gain exposure to the climate of diversity in the legal industry through various networking opportunities, interactive panels, and presentations.
Launched in January 2019, Moore & Van Allen’s Diversity Scholarship Program is a summer employment opportunity for students just finishing their first year in law school. Open to all 1L students, we evaluate candidates based on their demonstrated leadership qualities, ability to overcome challenges, academic performance, work experience, communication skills and community involvement. Selected students have the opportunity to participate in the firm’s 10-week summer associate program and may receive up to $35,000 in additional scholarship money.
Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship
Moore & Van Allen is a founding participant and longstanding partner of the Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship (CLDC). Established in 2006, the CLDC program operates with one basic goal — to improve diversity in the Mecklenburg County Bar by attracting top first-year law students with diverse backgrounds to Charlotte through corporate and law firm summer internships.
Community Partners
The Diversity Committee strives to cultivate and maintain relationships with several community partners including, but not limited to, the following:
- Community Building Initiative, a nonprofit organization established in 1997, advances its mission to provide people and organizations with the knowledge, skills, and courage to fight bias, remove barriers to opportunity and build a more equitable and just Charlotte-Mecklenburg. MVA Litigation Members Valecia McDowell and Josh Lanning have supported the organization through service on the CBI Board of Directors. A number of Moore & Van Allen attorneys have participated in CBI’s leadership programs.
- Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship, a highly competitive summer program that identifies and exposes qualified students with diverse backgrounds to the Charlotte legal community. Moore & Van Allen served as one of the founding organizations of the program.
- Moore & Van Allen is proud to serve as a Diversity Champion sponsor of the Mecklenburg County Bar’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
- We serve as a sponsor of the Women Lawyers of Charlotte and make membership to the organization for our female lawyers who wish to participate.
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PFLAG Charlotte supports families, allies and people who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, to educate about issues important to LGBTQ+ community, and to advocate for a more equitable future for all. MVA Financial Services Member Amy Johnson serves on its Board of Directors.
Diversity Statement
Together We Can Do More
At Moore & Van Allen, representation extends beyond traditional legal services to help our clients achieve their goals. Our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion at our firm and in the many communities we serve directly advances this mission. We strive to build a team where different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives are not only embraced but celebrated. Only then can people bring their authentic selves to work and deliver the best outcomes for our clients. Our commitment to diversity is not just a business imperative but a core value.
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MVA receives Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality recognitionFor the sixth consecutive year, MVA earned a perfect 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index. The survey rates businesses on their commitment to LGBTQ inclusion practices in employee benefits, professional development and accountability, as well as public commitment. |
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