LEADING

Pipelines Lead the Way for Diverse Young Lawyers to Join Jenner & Block and Make an Impact 

Jenner & Block supports pipelines providing paths for diverse candidates into the legal profession, as part of our work to make the legal profession more closely resemble the communities in which we live. 

Fifty-four law students participated in the 2022 summer associate class, including 14 diverse fellows from a variety of pipeline programs. Seven of these fellows were students about to begin their first year of law school who participated through the Seizing Every Opportunity (SEO) Law Fellowship program. The remaining fellows recently completed their first year of law school and were former SEO Fellows returning for a brief visit at the firm or participated through the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s (LCLD) 1L LCLD Scholars Program or the Federal Communications Bar Association’s Diversity Pipeline Program. Through this program, which was a new partnership for the firm, diverse law students are helped with internship placements, academic enrichment, and mentoring with leading law firms, companies, trade associations, and non-profit organizations in the technology, media, and telecom sector. Jenner & Block is among 13 participating law firms.    

In addition to LCLD’s 1L LCLD Scholars Program, Jenner & Block also participates in the organization’s Pathfinders Program to advance and support diverse mid-level associates and their flagship Fellows Program, which connects diverse junior partners with leaders at companies and provides opportunities for business development and professional growth.  

In 2021, we expanded our pipeline work to the UK by joining NOTICED, the UK’s first inter-firm diversity network aimed at promoting networking opportunities to integrate, celebrate, and educate on diversity across the legal sector. Nic Patmore, a NOTICED steering committee member, said Jenner & Block is “committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and building a work environment where everyone feels respected. The firm’s participation in discussions on how we can improve ethnic diversity in the legal profession and promote a better understanding of race will be a great benefit.” 

Helping Our Clients Create Safe and Inclusive Workplaces  

Even before the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, Jenner & Block was counseling organizations on how to create a culture that fosters gender and racial equity and inclusion, and how to reset after challenging problems arise. Now, with increasingly intense scrutiny from employees, shareholders, regulators, and the general public, we have launched a new team to help companies and their boards assess and fix their cultures.   

“We figure out what’s really going on in an organization, rather than narrowly assessing whether there is a legal claim,” said Partner Christine Braamskamp, who co-chairs the new Culture Risk and Sensitive Investigations Practice with Partner Anne Cortina Perry.  

The group conducts sensitive, complex, and highly confidential investigations with thoroughness and sensitivity, and then helps the organization change its culture to prevent future incidents.   

“It is our goal to provide companies and their leaders with pragmatic, actionable advice to promote a positive corporate culture – one that is not only compliant, but also healthy, inclusive, and productive,” Anne said. Listen to Anne discuss the new practice on the Jabot podcast. 

National Law Journal Ranks Firm Best in Nation on LGBT Scorecard and Boosts Diversity Ranking

Jenner & Block secured the top spot nationwide in the National Law Journal’s LGBT Scorecard and jumped 25 places to rank 57th in their Diversity Scorecard. Our rankings show the success of our committed and deliberate diversity, equity, and inclusion work over recent years.