Attorneys of Color Affinity Group
Initially formed to promote the professional development of its diverse membership, Attorneys of Color has become a strong force for outreach and pro bono work in a number of under-served constituencies.
Meeting every other month, the group is an internal resource for its members to address career growth issues through peer networking and interaction with senior partners of various diverse backgrounds. With the understanding that cultural differences can affect both perceptions and realities in any workplace, the opportunity for young attorneys to consult with those who have dealt with such differences in the past has proved invaluable.
The affinity group organizes a variety of internal networking events, including quarterly dinner meetings for its members and floor receptions for the entire firm.
Members actively support minority law students in a number of ways, including:
- Serving as mentors, debate coaches, and judges in support of the firm’s efforts on behalf of Legal Outreach Inc.’s College to Law School Pipeline Diversity Program, aimed at helping minority students prepare for law school
- Hiring a minority college graduate as a summer legal assistant prior to his or her first year of law school, under the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) program
- Sponsoring mock interview programs and resume review workshops
- Participating in job fairs such as Northeast BLSA Job Fair and Harvard’s Minority Job Fair
- Sponsoring minority law student association events
While other groups of its kind may buy a table at a fund raiser or otherwise support a cause financially, the Attorneys of Color group prefers direct engagement with its causes. Accordingly, they perform a variety of pro bono activities in the wider community, including the Microenterprise program, an initiative started within the firm that promotes seed financing of minority-owned business start-ups.