Alicia Vaz

Partner & Chief DEI Officer
Cox, Castle & Nicholson

Alicia Vaz , chief diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) officer and chair of the DEI Committee at Cox, Castle & Nicholson, has been instrumental in advancing the firm’s DEI initiatives and fostering a more inclusive legal community. Her leadership has significantly increased DEI awareness within the firm through programs like a DEI speaker series and DEI challenges. Vaz played a crucial role in Cox Castle’s participation in Diversity Lab’s Midsize Mansfield Rule certification, leading the firm to achieve Midsize Mansfield Certification Plus status by meeting goals for diverse representation in leadership. Her initiatives include establishing an endowment at UCLA to support students facing significant obstacles and creating the Mario Camara 1L Diversity Scholars Program, which aids first-year law students from underrepresented groups. Vaz’s commitment extends to increasing the diversity pipeline by hiring and mentoring college graduates as law clerks.