Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, today announced Sara Mandelbaum as its first OnRamp Fellow. She joins Akerman's Litigation Practice Group through the firm's participation in the OnRamp Fellowship Program, an innovative re-entry platform for experienced women lawyers.
Mandelbaum is a trial lawyer and a former leader of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Women's Rights Project, the principal group responsible for advancing women's equality and economic rights through the court system. She is best known for her representation of Shannon Faulkner in her historic challenge as the first woman to attend the all-male Citadel Military Academy. Mandelbaum also successfully defended Maryland State Trooper H. Kevin Knussman in the first-ever sex discrimination verdict in a federal Family and Medical Leave Act case.
"Akerman's participation in the OnRamp Fellowship Program is an opportunity to help pioneer a re-entry model for experienced women lawyers and empower them to advance in their careers. The program also provides Akerman greater access to an untapped group of incredible talent and sends a powerful message to women lawyers that there are many pathways to success," said Carol Faber, chair of the Akerman Women's Initiative Network. "Sara is a tremendous addition to our firm and we are proud to participate in this program."
Mandelbaum will focus her practice on commercial litigation with an emphasis on handling insurance, employment and commercial contract disputes. She has extensive experience in both federal and state court, representing clients in employment discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, and sexual harassment matters, as well as criminal and constitutional law.
"Sara is an accomplished litigator whose victories have made a national impact in the areas of employment and education equality," said Lawrence Rochefort, chair of Akerman's Litigation Practice Group. "She will be a tremendous advocate for our clients."
Prior to Akerman, Mandelbaum spent nearly 10 years with the ACLU Women's Rights Project, founded by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, where she led a docket of nation-wide impact litigation. She previously practiced at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, focusing on complex commercial litigation and pro bono service. She also has devoted a significant amount of time as a volunteer lawyer for Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO), advocating economic empowerment in low-income communities.
In recognition of her work in the areas of civil rights and constitutional law, Mandelbaum was named byJane Magazine as "One of the 15 Gutsiest Women" and was recognized by the National Organization for Women (NOW) as a "Woman of Power and Influence." She also was presented with the ACLU "Great Women of the 20th Century" award by former New York City Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi.
Mandelbaum serves on the board of directors of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at Brandeis University. She previously served on the New York City Bar Association's Committee on Civil Rights; Committee on Sex and Law; and Committee on Gays and Lesbians in the Legal Profession. She also previously taught Feminist Jurisprudence at New York Law School.
"Akerman is proving — once again — that they are a leader in both diversity and innovation by participating in the first "returnship" ever launched in the legal field," said Caren Ulrich Stacy, founder of OnRamp Fellowship. "By hiring Sara, they have signaled to their clients and the legal profession as a whole that they care deeply about finding and retaining great talent and are willing to invest the time and energy needed to support these returning women as they ease back into the profession after an extended career break."
Akerman is one of the most diverse and inclusive law firms in the United States, ranked no. 19 among the top law firms for female partners by The American Lawyer. As one of the first national law firms to join the OnRamp Fellowship, Akerman also is recognized by Law360 as one of 10 BigLaw firmsthat are taking active efforts to achieve gender parity. Akerman most recently joined a select group of law firms to launch the Women in Law Hackathon, a SharkTank style pitch competition created by the Diversity Lab in collaboration with Stanford Law School and Bloomberg Law. The program brought top legal leaders from across the country together to exchange innovative ideas for retaining and advancing women lawyers in law firms.
About Akerman LLP
Akerman LLP is a leading transactions and trial law firm known for its core strengths in middle market M&A, within the financial services and real estate industries, and for a diverse Latin America practice. With more than 650 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network of 24 offices, it is ranked among the top 100 law firms in the United States by The American Lawyer (2016). Akerman also is ranked among the top 60 law firms for diversity in The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard (2016).
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