Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Our diversity makes us better.

Across the firm we work together to create an open, inclusive and flexible workplace where everyone can achieve their full potential.

We value a workplace where all can thrive and be themselves, reflective of today’s inclusive society, and recognizing the needs of our own diverse group of clients.

Our priorities include a focus on a culture where all feel they belong, engaging with colleagues, clients and external organizations to drive change, and providing a platform where everyone can excel.

Our long-standing efforts have been on recruiting, engaging and sustaining a truly inclusive community of diverse professionals at all levels of our firm. In doing so, we can attract the best talent, build the most effective teams, and deliver exceptional service to our clients. Accordingly, the firm’s culture and policies value the unique abilities and perspectives of every individual and support diversity in its broadest sense, including race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability and religious affiliation.

How we support diversity

We have implemented a number of initiatives and continue to identify additional steps we can take to further build a diverse and inclusive workplace. Along with our focus on the firm's employees and internal programs,  our Diversity Committee works to promote diversity in support of our clients, the broader communities in which we live and work, and the institutions from which we recruit our talent.

We are excited about our work with several organizations who share our focus and have made a number of commitments to diverse representation and inclusion, including Diversity Lab, which designed the Mansfield Rule Certification program to ensure all talent at participating law firms has a fair and equal opportunity to advance into leadership. We are proud to achieve Mansfield Certification for the fourth year in a row and look forward to continuing to work with Diversity Lab. Mansfield supports our efforts to build a more inclusive firm and profession.

Some of our other initiatives include:

• Diversity Committee. The Diversity Committee reviews, recommends and implements policies and initiatives which put into practice our overarching goal of building a diverse team of attorneys and professional staff.
• DEI Advocates Committee. The DEI Advocates Committee operates as a think tank providing advice and insights to the Diversity Committee, while developing, promoting and supporting DEI initiatives at Archer. DEI Advocates include those who have expressed interest in DEI initiatives and provide perspective as individuals within Archer representing a diversity of identities.
• Archer Women Lawyers’ Network. Archer actively supports female lawyers with formal mentoring, business development coaching, leadership coaching, and internal and external professional development opportunities to cultivate and foster the growth and development of our female lawyers and business professionals.
• Pro Bono Program. We’re proud to donate our time and legal experience to people and organizations in our community who need our help. In addition to providing pro bono services directly to individuals, charities and other not-for-profit organizations, Archer provides services directly to individuals through organizations such as Cyrus Vance Center for International Justice, Philly VIP,  and Volunteer UP.
• Law School Diversity Scholarships. Each year, Archer helps support the development of under-represented attorneys in the area’s law schools by offering several scholarships along with the opportunity to work as summer associates at the firm. Over the years, we have hired dozens of law students through the firm's summer associate program, many of whom remain with Archer throughout their career. We are honored to be partnering with these schools for this initiative:
           -   Temple University Beasley School of Law
            -   Rutgers Law School
            -   Seton Hall University School of Law
• Rutgers Minority Student Program at Rutgers Law School Partnership. Over the years, Archer has partnered with Rutgers Law School providing support for their Minority Student Program. Each year, we offer a 1L scholarship recipient an opportunity to interview for a summer associate position following their second year of law school and have offered scholarships for 2L and 3L students. Archer has provided support to Rutgers Law for more than 20 years, including funding the Archer Moot Courtroom, the MSP Judicial Internship Program, sponsoring a variety of events, and mentoring students.
• Philadelphia Diversity Law Group (PDLG) Summer Internship Program Partnership. Archer is a long-standing and founding member of the PDLG. The PDLG creates programs to enhance recruitment and retention of lawyers of under-represented backgrounds by law firms and corporate law departments in the Philadelphia region. Over the years, many first-year students have spent their summers working at Archer, been hired back for a second summer and received offers to join the firm.
• Affinity and Community Organization Support, Membership and Leadership. Archer’s attorneys are leaders and active members of affinity, charitable and civic organizations that support our diverse community. Within the legal profession, our attorneys have held leadership roles in affinity organizations such as the Hispanic National Bar Association, Asian American Bar Associations of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, the Women’s Law Project, the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, the Garden State Bar Association, and the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, among others.

We believe that putting diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of our efforts creates a better workplace for everyone in the firm, is a better way to serve our clients, and better for the broader community. Our work to be more diverse and inclusive continues each day and grows in importance. We are proud of our collective efforts. And even prouder to tackle the work that lies ahead and the opportunity it presents.