Celebrating

There is much to celebrate as we continue to innovate and champion diverse initiatives. We expanded our affinity groups, created a new internal award that honors a DEI trailblazer, united the firm through intentional programming over the course of the year, and were inspired by Jenner alumna Carletta Higginson, our Diversity Dinner speaker. As long as we never settle in our drive for a more diverse legal landscape, we will have even more to celebrate in the years to come.

Jenner alumna Carletta Higginson, Global Head of Music Publishing at YouTube, joined us for our 22nd annual Diversity Dinner to discuss her career path and offer advice for young lawyers.   

Alumna Carletta Higginson Discusses Her Path from Jenner to Pioneer at YouTube

This summer, we hosted our 22nd Diversity Dinner, a tradition that celebrates the firm’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The dinner allows lawyers from across our offices to hear the unique story and experience of our guest speaker. Over the years, we have heard from a wide range of speakers, including mayors, judges, CEOs, civil rights activists, and even a once little-known state senator who went on to become the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

In 2023, we welcomed Jenner alumna Carletta Higginson, now Global Head of Music Publishing at YouTube. Carletta directs YouTube’s global music publishing licensing strategy and builds and maintains strategic relationships with major publishers, collection societies, and PROs. In addition, she oversees the development of various initiatives that help creatively support songwriters, producers, and publishers on the platform.

In a fireside chat with Partner Andy Bart, Carletta discussed her time at Jenner and her path to YouTube. Notably, she was the first Black woman to serve as Director of Music Publishing, one of her earlier roles before being promoted to her current one. She also discussed her experience being the “lonely only” and offered insights to young lawyers.

Ed Prokop: Celebrating Inclusive Leadership in the Legal Community

Not only has Partner Ed Prokop established himself as a leader in Jenner & Block’s Corporate Practice, but he also leads some of the firm’s most essential DEI initiatives. 

As a seasoned transactional lawyer, Ed champions innovation and inclusivity by being nimble and calibrating the way he and his teams collaborate to deliver legal services on a client-by-client basis. 

To do this well, Ed embraces his role as a Co-Chair of the Corporate Practice. “Burnout is common in our industry, but I think a good defense to burnout is maintaining strong trust and camaraderie on our teams,” Ed said. “That starts with the team leader, and for me that means making sure everyone has a role, feels included, and is motivated to stretch their limits with help and guidance along the way.” 

Ed also mentors SEO Fellows, who are incoming law school students from historically excluded backgrounds. The Fellows work at the firm the summer before law school. 

Partner Joe Gromacki, who serves alongside Ed as a Co-Chair of the Corporate Practice, describes him as a mentor to associates in the practice and across the firm. “He devotes significant time to ensuring that the firm recruits, retains, and supports diverse lawyers, and creates an inclusive and equitable home for talent,” Joe said. 

As a leader of the Multicultural Lawyers Affinity Group, Ed creates safe spaces for connection, networking, and mentorship for lawyers of different ethnicities in the Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC, offices. 

He is also a member of the firm’s DEI Committee and a Co-Chair of the New York office’s Summer Associates Committee. 

Outside of the firm, Ed advances diversity initiatives within the legal community. In 2018, he was a Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), a national organization that aims to create a diverse legal profession. Indeed, Crain’s New York Business recognized Ed’s commitment to mentorship and DEI when it named him among its Notable Diverse Leaders in Law in 2022. 

Chasel Lee: Bringing a Strong Commitment of Diversity to the Table

As a member of Jenner & Block’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Associate Chasel Lee helps advise the firm on its DEI initiatives. 

“I joined Jenner’s DEI Committee because I recognized the importance of having diverse voices and perspectives at the table,” says Chasel, who joined Jenner in 2022. “This is critical in order to be able to counsel our clients effectively and advocate for our communities.” 

Chasel is involved in several programs and initiatives at the firm that provide opportunities for diverse lawyers to connect and grow. For example, he helped plan the C3 Summit, the firm’s annual summit for lawyers of color that was held in March.

“Giving people the opportunity to be heard and express their ideas has significant value,” says Chasel. He is proud to be part of a firm whose culture supports and uplifts its people, while providing a safe space for them to be who they are. 

“A more inclusive Jenner is better suited to meet our clients’ needs and effectively fights for our communities’ aspirations,” says Chasel. “I have been fortunate to meet so many people at our firm that are working to build a more equitable legal world.”

Chasel is also a member of the Asian Forum and the LGBTQ Forum. As a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ issues, he was part of the pro bono team that filed two amicus briefs on behalf of preeminent medical organizations to defend transgender adolescent rights.

“Chasel approaches his work with a strong commitment, even at odd hours, and brings a much-needed lightness to our process,” says Partner Zeb Zankel. “Chasel is not afraid to put forward a point of view on complex policy and legal matters, which is uncommon for junior lawyers and critical to our process of crafting the best strategies for our clients.”

Inaugural DEI Champion Award Winner Susan Kohlmann Converts Talk into Action

While there are many at Jenner & Block who are champions for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Partner Susan Kohlmann stands out as a model for her deep and sustained commitment to making the firm a more diverse and equitable place. Susan was honored with the firm’s inaugural DEI Champion Award at a firmwide ceremony held on June 28.

While DEI is now part of our everyday lexicon, that was not the case when Susan joined the firm in 2007. At that time, many law firms were talking a lot about diversity but were stalled in how to make progress. 

Since joining the firm, Susan used her talents to skillfully convert talk into action. Described as “smart, creative, curious, kind, and extraordinarily tenacious,” her superpower is helping others see things from a different perspective. Susan is known as a leader who embraces new ideas, is unafraid to take risks, and is focused on elevating and helping others shine.

Always keeping DEI at the forefront of the conversation, she leveraged her numerous leadership roles—as a member of the firm’s Policy Committee, as a Steering Committee member for the Women’s Forum, as the New York Office Managing Partner, and as Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, a role she held for more than a decade, among others—to relentlessly champion DEI initiatives. In lieu of lofty talking points, she integrated DEI throughout the day-to-day operations of the firm.

Susan’s thought leadership on issues like female retention in Big Law are well known. She currently serves as President of the New York City Bar Association, where she helped establish the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Distinguished Lecture on Women and the Law. This annual lecture delivered by preeminent women lawyers, judges, and other champions—the likes of Justice Kagan, Madeleine Albright, and Gloria Steinem—honors Justice Ginsberg’s groundbreaking contributions to the advancement of women. Susan has also served as Chair of NYCBA’s Women in the Legal Profession Committee and its Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and as a member of its Nominating, Pro Bono and Legal Services, Lawyer’s Quality of Life, and Stimson Medal committees.

Susan maintains an active pro bono practice, often working with marginalized groups and championing issues involving civil rights, reproductive rights, and veterans’ rights. She also serves as Chair of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and is a past chair and board member of Legal Services NYC.

Jenner & Block’s DEI Champion Award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions toward creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community at Jenner, whether by spearheading policies, procedures, initiatives, and programs that reflect our core values; promoting a working environment that is free from bias and discrimination; supporting the recruitment, retention, and development of diverse candidates and employees; or supporting diversity programs and initiatives at the firm.

Partner David Singer, a Co-Chair of the Jewish Affinity Group, discusses the values that Jewish Americans share with all Americans, offering insight that is especially important at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise.

Firm’s Commitment to Affinity Groups Grows with Addition of Jewish Affinity Group

Jenner & Block’s newest affinity group is for lawyers and professional staff who identify as Jewish. Launched in January 2023, the group works across offices to find opportunities for community involvement and to share knowledge and experiences.

The group holds informal meetings, lunches, and outings in various offices. In our US offices, members celebrated Purim with delicious food and a hamantaschen tasting event. 

The group is led by Partners Louis Fogel, Sarah Weiss, and Gabi Gillett in Chicago; David Singer in Los Angeles; Alison Stein and Stephen Ascher in New York; Ben Halbig in San Francisco; and Matt Hellman and Matt Price in Washington, DC. 

With the addition of the Jewish Affinity Group, the firm now has 11 groups aimed at fostering connections among diverse personnel. They play a key role in our Diversity Speaker Series, host trainings for lawyers and professional staff, lead heritage month celebrations, and host quarterly meetings with the firm’s managing partners. 

Firm-Hosted Affinity Groups Include: 

  • The African American Affinity Group (AAAG) provides an opportunity for African American lawyers to connect across practices and offices. The group focuses on networking, recruiting, retention, and professional development. It meets on a regular basis and provides members with informal mentoring and opportunities to connect with professional organizations externally.

    Key contacts: Illyana Green, Christian Plummer and Loreal Rock

  • The Professional Staff African American/Black Affinity Group offers a safe space for members to share challenges and successes and brings together African/American/Black professional staff to share knowledge and experiences, build community, and develop professionally.

    Key contact: Isaac Pesseh

  • The Asian Lawyers Forum provides mentoring and networking for members through informal and formal meetings, lunches, and outings. Its members are involved with community and student organizations and bar associations.

    Key contacts: Raymond Sinnappan and Huiyi Chen

  • Open to lawyers and professional staff, the gender inclusive Caregivers Affinity Group shares knowledge and resources, brainstorms and promotes best practices, and designs and supports policies to empower all caregivers at Jenner & Block. The group includes parents who are single, expecting, adopting, those who are caring for sick or elderly family members, pets, and all other forms and experiences of caregiving.

    Key contacts: Michelle McAtee, Tali Leinwand, Matthew Gordon, and Matt Phillips

  • A subcommittee of the Caregivers Affinity Group and the Women’s Forum, The Mothers’ Circle focuses on issues relevant to expecting, new and seasoned mothers. The group meets regularly to share tips, information, stories and advice, with a particular emphasis on supporting each other as we navigate our careers at Jenner & Block.

    Key contacts: Jenny Beach, Jenna Ross, Kate Spelman, and Sarah Weiss

  • A subcommittee of the Caregiver's Affinity Group, the Dads’ Octagon provides an opportunity for male lawyers with an interest in issues relating to fatherhood to connect, share insights, and discuss utilizing firm resources to best help alleviate the challenges of working and caring for a family.

    Key contacts: Matt Gordon and Matt Phillips

  • The Hispanic Lawyers Forum provides networking, mentoring and social opportunities to its members through formal and informal lunches, dinners, and outings. It also works collectively to find opportunities for involvement with bar associations, civic/community and student organizations. For example, the Hispanic Lawyers Forum has worked with law school and high school student groups in the past.

    Key contacts: Joe Torres and Danielle Muniz

  • The Jewish Affinity group offers a space for lawyers and professional staff who identify as Jewish to connect through informal meetings, lunches and outings. This group works across offices to find opportunities for community involvement and share knowledge and experiences.

    Key contacts: David Singer, Ben Halbig, Matt Hellman, Matt Price, Alison Stein, Stephen Ascher, Louis Fogel, Sarah Weiss, and Gabi Gillett

  • The LGBTQ Forum is open to lawyers and professional staff. Through regular meetings and the sponsorship of firm programs and community events, it provides an opportunity for members to network and collectively contribute to the firm and the communities within which our offices are located.

    Key contacts: Gail Morse, Howard Suskin, Matthew Cipolla, Andrew Sullivan, and Ben Halbig

  • The Multicultural Lawyers Affinity Group allows members of the different ethnic affinity groups to connect within one group. Currently, there are Multicultural Lawyers Affinity groups in the Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC offices. Each office group has informal meetings to provide an opportunity for networking, mentoring and open discussion.

    Key contacts: Ishan Bhabha, Edward Prokop, and Miwa Shoda

  • The Muslim Affinity Group offers a safe space for Muslim lawyers and professional staff to share knowledge and experiences, engage in community involvement, and to promote professional development and networking opportunities.

    Key contacts: Amr Aly, Ali Alsarraf, and Nura Maznavi

  • The Veteran and Military Families Affinity Group provides support to veterans and military families, through informal meetings, lunches, and outings. Open to both lawyers and professional staff, this group works to collectively find opportunities for community involvement.

    Key contacts: Marc Warren and Lauren Watson

  • The Women's Forum fosters opportunities for the professional, social, and personal growth of the firm’s women lawyers. The Women's Forum Summit gathers more than 70 lawyers from every Jenner office for informal networking time, guest speakers, small group discussions, and social events.

    Key contacts: Jessie Amunson, Elizabeth Edmondson, Rebekah Goodheart, Michelle Kallen, Anne Cortina Perry, Megan Poetzel, Melissa Root, Elizabeth Shimmin, Kate Spelman, and AnnaMarie Van Hoesen

Robust Portfolio of DEI Training and Events Drives Commitment

October 2022

Hispanic Heritage Month Diversity Speaker Series, Griselda Vega Samuel 

The firm’s Hispanic Lawyers Forum hosted a conversation with Griselda Vega Samuel, Regional Counsel for the Mexican American Legal & Education (MALDEF). A Chicago native, Griselda is responsible for overseeing daily operations and helping to set the litigation and public policy priorities for MALDEF’s Midwest regional offices. Partner Joe Torres and Associate Danielle Muniz moderated the discussion, which focused on the power of the Hispanic vote. 

december 2022

LGBTQ+ Communities and Allyship Training Program, The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, Dru Levasseur

Dru Levasseur of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association joined us for conversations about what it means to be an ally, even when you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community. These fireside chats with Partner Gail Morse and Senior Systems & Data Analyst Sean Gill and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director Courtney Carter provided attendees with thoughtful tips and new ways to engage with the LGBTQ+ community as allies. 

february 2023

Black History Month Diversity Speaker Series, Wesley Lowery

To celebrate Black History Month, DEI Director Courtney Carter moderated a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, 60 Minutes+ correspondent, and author Wesley Lowery. The pair discussed issues of race, law enforcement, and social justice.

march 2023

Hollywood on Trial: Images of Women in Law, Elizabeth Weitzman

To recognize Women’s History Month, bestselling author Elizabeth Witzman offered a historical look at how women in law have been portrayed and redefined in popular culture for a century. She also explored the ways that contemporary artists are teaching us to reject and reframe the biases still entrenched in professional narratives.

march 2023

Microaggressions Virtual Training, Paula Edgar

Highly sought-after speaker and facilitator Paula Edgar led a firmwide training on microaggressions. Microaggressions are brief statements or behaviors that communicate a negative message about a non-dominant group. Paula helped attendees learn how to recognize potential pitfalls and how to respond when committing, witnessing, or experiencing microaggressions with law firm colleagues.

may 2023

Forgotten, Invisible and Blamed: Facial Reckoning for Asian Pacific Americans, Professor Jerry Kang 

Professor Jerry Kang shared his insight about the experiences of Asian Pacific Americans for a program aligned with Asian American Pacific Islander Month. Dr. Kang shared strategies that Asian Americans and their allies can use to disrupt bias and promote inclusion and provided attendees with an analytical, evidence-based understanding designed to promote honest dialogue and transformative change.

june 2023

The History of Drag in America and the Hope for the Future, Dr. TJ Billard

To launch Pride Month, Dr. TJ Billard headlined the firm’s Diversity Speaker Series. An assistant professor and William T. Grant Scholar at Northwestern University, Dr. Billard discussed the history of the drag community and anti-drag movement in the United States. Dr. Billard also addressed recent attacks facing the drag community across the nation. To close the program, Partner Rémi Jaffré shared his experience supporting the drag community on pro bono matters.

Members of the African American Affinity Group (AAAG) gather for dinner in Chicago following the C3 Summit.

First In-Person C3 Summit Since the Pandemic Nurtures Relationships and Opportunities

In 2017, the firm’s DEI Department hosted the first C3 Summit—a multi-day, in-person conference designed to provide lawyers of color from all offices with the opportunity to cultivate relationships and enhance business opportunities. The 2023 C3 Summit was the first in-person summit since the pandemic. The opportunity to engage in person meant more to attendees than ever before. 

The summit started with a representative from GrowthPlay, a consulting firm that helps law firms achieve growth, presenting a session about core tactics to grow business development skills. Associate Director of Coaching & Lateral Partner Integration Shannon George led a session about high performance and wellness coaching. 

On Day Two, attendees joined the firm’s Black History Month Diversity Speaker series program. They also attended a personal branding session led by Paula Edgar, a highly sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator who specializes in diversity and professional development. 

Alumna Michelle Speller-Thurman joined virtually on the final day for an alumni panel. After practicing at Jenner for four years, Michelle had several different roles before taking her current position as Vice President, Head of Legal Mergers & Acquisitions, Licensing and Securities at Organon.

Read an excerpt of her comments here: 

  • I've been in-house since '09—so it’s been a while. I did spend about 10 years at law firms to pay off my law school loans…But all jokes aside, I love being in-house because I only have one client as opposed to multiple. As a corporate lawyer, I can get in depth on our matters and am part of the soup-to-nuts on acquiring and growing business. I’ve also had the opportunity to have an impact in the women’s healthcare space, which is incredibly important to me personally. 

  • As a law firm partner or associate, I spent most of my time liaising with my client’s in-house counsel. In my current role, I support all aspects of the business and spend most of my time working alongside and advising teams outside of the legal department. There is a cross-functional nature to my work, focused on running the company and serving our patients. 

  • Everything. At Jenner, I had the opportunity to develop and nurture mentor and sponsorship relationships. I’m grateful to still maintain those great relationships. I also gained an understanding of how a law firm worked and how I fit into it. Jenner’s commitment to their clients also taught me the importance of understanding my client and their business. 

    I remember a partner once saying, “Does the client want a Yugo or a Cadillac?” I suppose I’m dating myself by sharing that, but their point was that I needed to ask the client want they want. Don’t send a white paper when they really needed a handful of bullet points. That’s an essential lesson that I still use every day. 

  • I miss the people and the training. I also miss being able to walk down the hallway and get advice from someone with a completely different set of expertise than me. 

    Jenner’s commitment to pro bono and community service is unparalleled and something that has stuck with me throughout my career. I miss being part of that and the growth I experienced while doing that work. 

Women Leaders Form Connections and Forge Deeper Relationships at Summit

When women partners and special counsel from all offices gathered in Chicago for the second Women Partners Summit, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Courtney Carter greeted them with a warm welcome and a charge: meet, make new connections, and generate ideas for helping others succeed. 

Partner Caroline Cease led the first session, “Making Connections,” where she encouraged the group to learn more about each other, collaborate, and connect. This was followed by a business development focused session, “The Myths and Truths of Collaboration and Cross-Selling,” presented by Tasneem Khoka, managing director of GrowthPlay, a strategic partner of the firm. The aim was to inspire the attendees to re-engage and strengthen key relationships as the pandemic fades into the background. Before the first day closed, Partner Angela Allen facilitated a conversation between Partners Shoba Pillay and Susan Kohlmann, where they discussed best practices for leading a client team and serving in broader leadership roles. 

On day two, DEI Manager Eva Landers led a “Best Practices” session where attendees had an opportunity to share ideas and collaborate with their colleagues. That was followed by “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How to Prepare NOW for Your Next Role,” led by Elise Holtzman, founder of The Lawyer’s Edge. Before closing remarks, Partner Anne Cortina Perry moderated an open conversation with Co-Managing Partner Katya Jestin on “How Women Can Leverage the Firm Strategy to Advance Together.”

“I am confident that I was not the only one who left the Women Partners Summit with a renewed sense of responsibility to my colleagues and a commitment to make sure to lift others as I climb. I encourage everyone to do the same,” Partner Camillie Landrón said in remarks to the firm partners.