Amaryah Bocchino is living proof that MG+M seeks diverse voices in management and on the client’s largest engagements. "Diversity of thought and perspective is essential for any group, team, or organization, including law firms,” she says. After opening the firm’s Delaware office in 2009, Amaryah became a partner in 2014—her 7th year of practice and 4th with the firm. Today, in addition to serving as the firm’s managing partner, a member of the firm’s executive committee and as the firm’s chief diversity officer, she serves in a co-national coordinating counsel role for the firm’s largest client. She is also a valued practicing lawyer on many of the firm’s other national accounts and engagements. In these national litigation management roles, she encourages her clients to initiate diversity programs for their outside engagements and hire firms that promote diversity.
Internally, Amaryah works tirelessly to ensure that women and minorities are not only represented—but equally contributing—on the firm’s most important client engagements and on firm governance committees. Toward this end, she most recently led the firm’s efforts to achieve Mansfield Rule 5.0 Plus Certification for the second year in a row after completing Diversity Lab’s twelve-month certification process. Learn more about the Mansfield Rule.
While recruiting is a key initiative of the firm, she believes equity, inclusion and retention efforts are also exceptionally important. In her role as Chief Diversity Officer, Amaryah founded the firm’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging Partner Committee, the firm’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging Roundtable, the firm’s pro bono committee, and the national Women’s Forum, which she also co-chairs. Most recently, she worked with the executive committee to develop a non-attorney Diversity and pro bono firm management coordinator position, whose role it is to improve the firm’s diversity and pro bono efforts. On a daily basis, she works closely with this individual and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging partner committee to develop additional firm-wide programs and resources for MG+M’s employees, such as a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging resource depository and CLE bank. She encourages regular diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging internal surveys, and sends a monthly firm-wide communication to all MG+M employees regarding the firm’s initiatives so that every individual in the firm can voice their opinions on the issue. She further looks for and encourages the firm to join organizations that work to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging activities in the broader legal community, such as the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance and the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). And, as a former LCLD fellow, she encourages senior associates and junior partners to also participate in the LCLD program.
MG+M’s emphasis on teamwork supports the firm’s diversity culture, says Amaryah. “To have a strong team, you need people with different strengths and perspectives. A diverse team is a competitive advantage, and one of my chief goal’s as managing partner, a member of the firm’s executive committee and Chief Diversity Officer is to sustain a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. As a firm, I believe we’ve built a great culture, but we can never be satisfied with the status quo; we constantly need to evolve by continually listening to our employees, peers and clients. By doing so, we will better our firm’s culture while providing exceptional service to our clients.”