The DEI Leadership Seal recognizes legal employers with California attorneys that commit to and implement research-driven actions that further workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The seal is available to all legal employers with California-licensed attorneys, including law firms of all sizes, in-house legal departments, legal academia, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies with attorney staff.
A core component of the State Bar’s mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal system and legal profession. Having a diverse legal profession positively impacts the administration of justice, ensures fairness, and promotes the rule of law.
As part of its 2022 Diversity Report Card, the State Bar published Calls to Action that legal employers and attorneys can implement to support greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. With a goal to encourage public commitments to advance DEI in the legal profession, the State Bar has launched the DEI Leadership Seal program.
Participating organizations could include an entire organization–such as a nonprofit legal aid provider or a local law firm–or a smaller unit or department within an organization–such as the in-house legal department of a corporation. A nationwide law firm can choose to implement the Action Items and therefore receive the DEI Leadership Seal, for their entire firm or for only their California office(s).
Organizations that commit to pursuing at least 5 of the 10 Action Items listed below will be recognized as participating employers and listed on this website.
Participating employers will have one year after applying to the program to implement the Action Items. Once an organization implements the Action Items, it will be recognized as a DEI Leadership Seal recipient. Seal recipients will be recognized in the following tiers:
DEI Leadership Seal recipients may use the seal on their own website and materials to signal their participation and recognition.
In future years, DEI Leadership Seal Action Items will change to encourage employers to commit to additional, more ambitious steps toward diversity, equity, and inclusion to continue participating in the program.
We are excited to announce that the application for the second cohort is now available. To apply for the State Bar DEI Leadership Seal program, please complete a DEI Leadership Seal Application by March 29, 2024.
All seal recipients must submit an annual attestation for continued DEI Leadership Seal Program participation. The short attestation form asks employers to confirm continued implementation of their selected Action Items. Please complete a DEI Leadership Seal Attestation by February 16, 2024.
Employers that are currently committed participants have until June 14, 2024, to implement their selected Action Items. Committed participants that have already implemented their Action Items and would like to receive the seal before June, or seal recipients who have implemented additional Action Items since applying and would like to advance tiers should complete a DEI Leadership Seal Tier Advancement Application by February 16, 2024.
Please see the DEI Leadership Seal FAQs if you have additional questions on requirements for continuing program participation. If you have any feedback or questions on the State Bar's DEI Leadership Seal program, please email us at DEILeadershipSeal@calbar.ca.gov.