Shumaker is committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting individuals of diverse backgrounds to ensure that our firm reflects the clients we represent and our values of inclusion. We believe that embracing differences in ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, religion, and other characteristics helps us consider the full range of perspectives our clients face and the goals they seek to achieve, allowing us to provide more creative, insightful, and complete guidance and counsel. By affirmatively embracing and appreciating those differences, we create a supportive working environment at Shumaker for all individuals of the firm.

    The firm is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), which is an organization of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners—the leadership of the profession—who have dedicated themselves to creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession. As a member of LCLD, the firm’s highest management has committed to attending the LCDC annual conference.

The firm has achieved Mansfield Rule certification for 2023-2024, joining more than 360 law firms dedicated to creating a more inclusive legal profession and an environment where all lawyers feel they can thrive. Overseen by Diversity Lab, the Mansfield Rule seeks to increase and sustain diversity in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. To achieve Mansfield Rule certification, participating firms must affirmatively consider at least 30 percent historically underrepresented lawyers—specifically, women lawyers, underrepresented racial and ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities—for the aforementioned roles and opportunities. Participating firms must also develop and publish leadership job descriptions and election/appointment guidelines to ensure transparency in historically opaque advancement processes.

Consistent with our commitment to diversity and inclusion, Shumaker maintains a policy of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. No aspect of recruitment, hiring or employment with Shumaker will be influenced in any manner by race, color, sex/gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, religion, age, disability status, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, work assignments, overtime assignments, compensation, training, transfers, leaves of absence, layoff, recall and termination.

Shumaker also strictly prohibits discrimination in the provision of employment opportunities, benefits or privileges, work conditions, or evaluation standards in employment if the basis of that discriminatory treatment is, in whole or in part, a protected category as described above. Discrimination in violation of this policy will be subject to severe sanctions up to and including termination.

Meet our Council on Diversity and Inclusion

David F. Axelrod
Partner
614.628.4427 direct

Stacy RC Berliner
Partner, Financial Institutions and Insurance Business Sector Co-Chair
216.377.7012 direct

Diversity in Action

Shumaker’s commitment to diversity is reflected in the following measures

1. Appointment of nine partners to our Council on Diversity and Inclusion to coordinate and direct our diversity initiatives.
2. Creation of Shumaker’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, a firm-sponsored group dedicated to promoting, developing, and fostering the potential of our female lawyers, helping them to navigate a path to a successful and satisfying legal career at the Firm, and to serve as leaders within the legal and business communities.
3. The firm is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), which is an organization of more than 400 corporate chief l legal officers and law firm managing partners—the leadership of the profession—who have dedicated themselves to creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession. As a member of LCLD, the firm’s highest management has committed to attending the LCLD annual conference.
4. The firm is a seeking Mansfield Rule certification in 2023-2024, which is overseen by Diversity Lab. As a Mansfield Rule participant, the firm has committed to achieving certification by considering at least 30 percent historically underrepresented lawyers for designated leadership roles and activities that lead to advancement, as well as increasing transparency by internally publishing the criteria and processes for advancement to leadership.
5. Membership and active participation in organizations that support diversity initiatives in our communities. Such organizations include, without limitation, racial, ethnic, disability, gender/LGBT, and age initiatives, including, without limitation, the Sarasota County Bar Association Council for Diversity and Inclusion, Equality Florida, Prevent Blindness Ohio, and the Ohio State Bar Association's Advisory Council on Diversity Initiatives.                
6. Diversity in our hiring, advancement, and leadership practices for lawyers, as well as staff members, including our Summer Associate Program, Shumaker Diversity Scholarship, and the Shumaker Undergraduate Diversity Science Scholarship.
7. Annual participation in the Toledo Bar Association’s Minority Clerkship Program.
8. Annual participation in the Ohio State Bar Foundation Law and Leadership Program, a program to establish a pipeline into the legal profession for disadvantaged students from underserved schools.
9. Cultivation of leadership opportunities among all lawyers and staff, recognizing the importance and benefit of diversity in leadership.
10. Firm-wide participation in periodic diversity education seminars or training programs.
11. Informal programs implemented firmwide to enhance our awareness and understanding of the importance and benefits of diversity among our workforce and promote inclusion.