Akerman’s First Diversity Chief Wants Inclusion a Daily Focus

Akerman’s first full-time diversity chief wants to bring a renewed, daily focus to the century-old law firm’s equity and inclusion initiatives.

Cassandra Caldwell, officially tapped for the job May 15, has advised on DEI efforts for Visa Inc., General Electric Co., and the US Census Bureau, among others. At Akerman, she’s looking to centralize those efforts, she said in an interview.

“The culture is great,” said Caldwell, who has worked in corporate diversity and equity training for three decades. “We just need to have more people who actually know about the culture who want to come and work with us.”

Major law firms have mandated new goals to diversify hiring pools and boost retention rates, but many have fallen short of those self-imposed measures.

Law firms, regardless of size, are overwhelmingly White and male. Less than 20 percent of lawyers are non-White, according to a 2023 report by the National Association for Law Placement. Roughly 10 percent of those lawyers identify as women, according to the survey of more than 800 offices.

Cassandra Caldwell

Courtesy of Cassandra Caldwell

“I think the struggle stems from not having a focus on it for so long,” said Caldwell, now in her first full-time role advising a law firm. “It seems like the law industry is kind of the last one to the table as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Akerman, which was founded in Florida, has more 600 lawyers across the country. It raked in nearly $540 million in gross revenue last year, according to data from The American Lawyer, ranking among the 100 largest law firms nationwide.

It’s one of more than 100 firms implementing the Mansfield Rule, a voluntary measure to boost the ranks of lawyers from marginalized backgrounds in law firms and legal departments. The rule mandates that for promotions, leadership roles, at least 30 percent of considered candidates are diverse.

“By embracing DEI, we create a more equitable, thriving, inclusive, and successful law firm environment,” Scott Meyers, Akerman Chairman and CEO, said in a statement announcing Caldwell’s hire.