NATIONAL-Littler is the largest employment and labor law firm in the world, representing management. It has appointed new leadership for its two cornerstone programs, the Career Advocacy Program and SOAR Program.
Michelle Gomez, Shareholder and Senior Director for Onboarding and Integration Michelle Gomez are co-chairs of CAP. Ted Schroeder (Pittsburgh) is co-chair. Katie Blakey (Dallas), joins Joon Hwang (Tysons Corner), as Shareholder and cochair to lead SOAR. She succeeds Gomez.
CAP has been a cornerstone IE&D initiative at the firm since 2015. This program pairs diverse associates (Proteges), with shareholder advocates who support and foster their professional growth. Client Champions are corporate allies and a resource for our Proteges. CAP is an important initiative that helps diverse associates become shareholder. CAP was founded in 1999 and has been a huge success. In the nine years since its inception, Proteges have represented an average of 24% and as high as 40% of all new shareholder classes.
SOAR, which was created in 2017 as a precursor for CAP, connects a senior lawyer mentor with a diverse attorney mentee. Mentors share their knowledge and offer advice, from managing your workload to how to navigate the vast resources at Littler. The program’s goal is to create a positive environment for diverse new attorneys and help them succeed at the firm. The program graduated 25 associates in 2022. SOAR had 83 mentors and 83 mentees as of the end of 2018.
Littler has also been recognized for a variety of IE&D initiatives and programs. These include a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation 2022 Corporate Equality Index to LGBTQ+ workplace equality for 14 consecutive years, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s Thomas L. Sager award in the Labor and Employment category and a Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum, for more than a decade.
The post Lester Appoints New Chairs for Critical IE&D Mentorships and Sponsorship Programs originally appeared on Attorney At Law Magazine.