Welcoming 54 1L students from law schools around the country, Jones Day's Dallas Office hosted the Fifth Annual Perspectives and Pathways 1L Diversity Conference on April 8 and 9.
Twenty Jones Day partners and associates from a wide array of offices connected with the students through presentations, workshops, and mentoring sessions. A Friday night reception was followed by a full day of programming on Saturday from 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
"It was an energizing weekend," said Yvette McGee Brown, the Firm's Partner-in-Charge of Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement. "Traci Lovitt presented a writing workshop; Bryan Brown and Maureen Bennett conducted a negotiations workshop. We had panels with young associates talking about bringing your authentic self to work, former SCOTUS clerks, mentoring, and networking."
"At Jones Day, diversity is not a slogan or a catchphrase, it is part of our culture," said McGee Brown and Sharyl Reisman, Firmwide Hiring Partner, in their joint welcoming statement to students. "Our lawyers bring their authentic self and lived experiences to the Firm, creating a richer and more vibrant community dedicated to the rule of law and to each other. … Inside the Firm, you will see diverse lawyers leading major client matters, offices, and practice groups."
Feedback from the student participants was quite positive.
"I had an amazing time at the Jones Day Diversity conference this weekend in Dallas, and I adored the repartee between all the Jones Day partners and associates," wrote one law student in an email. "It's shown me what a value Jones Day puts on diversity and how comfortable its people are with welcoming and embracing different stories."
Another student posted on LinkedIn: "It was such an honor to join Jones Day in Dallas for their 5th Annual Perspectives and Pathways 1L Diversity Conference. Being able to learn from and connect with such established attorneys was an incredible experience."
Jones Day paid all expenses for the conference, bringing students from 20 different law schools. The Firm received 345 applications. Students were required to submit a resume, transcript, and 500-word essay on why diversity is important to them.
Original source can be found here.