For decades, women — especially women of color — have faced barriers in reaching leadership roles, especially within the legal profession. According to a National Association of Law Placement study, women of color make up less than 10% of all lawyers and an even smaller percentage of leadership roles.
However, Sacramento’s Arnold Law Firm (ALF) is shattering that mold and glass ceiling. Under the leadership of COO Cheyanne Anquoe, the firm has seen women step into managerial positions at a rapid pace — including Keoni Johnson and Shané Cartwright.
Both Johnson and Cartwright were hired at ALF in different roles in different departments — office reception and accounting, respectively. Yet, through the initiative they showed, both were promoted into managerial positions in under a year, and they have already begun to make major impacts on the day-to-day life at ALF.
“Under Cheyanne’s direction, Keoni and I are able to thrive as leaders fostering real change within the organization.”
— Shané Cartwright, HR Manager
“After getting hired on initially as a receptionist, I could see there were needs to be filled and began taking the initiative to make progress in those areas. Cheyanne and ALF saw that and now I’m in the position to make real change,” says Johnson, now the administrative services manager. Through Johnson’s Culture Committee initiative, ALF began placing a major focus on DEI training as well as bringing new ideas to amplify the collective needs of employees.
Meanwhile, Cartwright, manager of the newly formed HR department, ensures smooth operations by fostering a supportive atmosphere. Her open-door policy and empathetic approach not only encourage employees to feel heard and valued, but also they go against the grain of the typical vision of how a male-dominated law firm would typically function.
By choosing to focus their efforts on diversity, equity, and inclusion, ALF — under the strong leadership of women like Cartwright, Johnson and Anquoe — has seen those efforts translate into progress. “It’s truly a great place to work,” Cartwright says. “Plus, it’s really great to be in the position to actually see the changes happen.”
Change can be challenging, especially in male-dominated fields. But through their work, these powerful women leaders at a decades-old law firm are not only breaking the glass ceiling but also reshaping its foundations, creating a more inclusive future for the firm and the legal industry as a whole.
