Arnold & Porter Announces New Diversity Initiatives
New Partnerships Aimed at Retention and Advancement of Black Lawyers; Increasing Pipeline of Students of Color; and Addressing Equity in Education
Washington, DC, December 17 — Arnold & Porter announced the following new initiatives in the areas of: (i) retention and advancement of black attorneys at law firms; (ii) increasing pipeline of students of color pursuing legal careers; and (iii) promoting equity in education.
Partnership with the National Bar Association to Support the Retention and Advancement of Black Attorneys at Law Firms
Arnold & Porter and the National Bar Association (NBA) will develop and implement an attorney advancement program specifically designed to support the retention, and accelerate the advancement, of Black attorneys at the nation's largest law firms. With a financial contribution from the Arnold & Porter Foundation, and programmatic support from Arnold & Porter, the NBA will develop a tailored career program through a new Associate Advancement Academy.
A key component of the partnership includes a new Arnold & Porter fellow position at the NBA that will help design and implement the Academy's programs.
Arnold & Porter and the NBA believe that the first few years of a Black associate's career are pivotal. The Academy, which will draw associates from various law firms, will address three critical areas: career advancement, business development, and mentoring. The first class of the Associate Advancement Academy will be launched during NBA's 2021 National Convention.
See joint Arnold & Porter and NBA announcement for additional information.
Partnership with A Better Chance to Promote Interest in Legal Profession among Students of Color
Arnold & Porter and A Better Chance will launch a three-year partnership to help promote interest in legal careers among diverse students. Arnold & Porter will provide financial and programmatic support to A Better Chance's efforts to substantially increase the number of young people of color who can assume positions of responsibility and leadership in American society. Founded in 1963, A Better Chance has provided life-changing educational opportunities for nearly 17,000 students in our nation.
According to the American Bar Association's National Lawyer Population survey, Black, Latinx, Native American and Asian Americans each represent 5% or less of active lawyers. A Better Chance works with talented students of color and their families to access and succeed in first-class college preparatory education, and to form a support network that provides guidance, awareness, skill-building, and enrichment opportunities. 96% of A Better Chance graduates enroll directly in college, compared with 24% of students of color nationwide; 50% of the Alumni go on to earn graduate or professional degrees. Through its partnership with Arnold & Porter and funding from the Arnold & Porter Foundation, A Better Chance will help its Scholars and Alumni learn about and engage with the broad range of opportunities in the legal profession.
See joint Arnold & Porter and A Better Chance announcement for additional information.
Partnership with the Advancement Project National Office to Address Equity in Education
Arnold & Porter and the Advancement Project National Office have established a three-year partnership to address systemic inequalities in the United States education system. The partnership will support the Advancement Project National Office's mission to fight systemic racism in schools, which continues to disproportionately impact students of color, as well as low-income students.
Advancement Project National Office has been dedicated to strengthening social movements and achieving high impact policy change for over two decades. Since its inception, Advancement Project has worked with grassroots organizations to pursue educational equity. In addition to providing pro bono support to the Project's legal advocacy, the Arnold & Porter Foundation will fund a full-time staff attorney position focused on educational civil rights.
See joint Arnold & Porter and the Advancement Project National Office announcement for additional information.
About Arnold & Porter
With nearly 1,000 lawyers practicing in 14 offices around the globe, Arnold & Porter serves clients across 40 distinct practice areas. The firm offers 100 years of renowned regulatory expertise, sophisticated litigation and transactional practices, and leading multidisciplinary offerings in the life sciences and financial services industries.
The Arnold & Porter Foundation was set up to further advance our efforts toward equality and justice, is a tax-exempt private foundation that provides scholarships to minority law students, funds fellowships for recent law school graduates at tax-exempt organizations, and awards grants to other charitable and educational organizations.