On June 15th, in a 6-3 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court held that firing an individual merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII’s prohibition against sex discrimination.
💡To explore the Court's landmark ruling in Bostock, click here »
In this video, Dallas partner Brad Nitschke describes the Firm's commitment to equality and our respect for the diverse backgrounds and values of each individual—regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, or creed.
To learn more about Jackson Walker's Diversity & Inclusion initiative, visit JW.com/Diversity.
// News & Notes
In the Spotlight // NBL Top 100
This year, Houston attorneys Dawn Holiday and Courtney White have been named to The National Black Lawyers' list of the "Top 100 Black Lawyers in Texas."
An invitation-only network of the top black attorneys from each state, The National Black Lawyers (NBL) supplies members with professional resources for increasing their knowledge and building referral connections.
Jackson Walker proudly congratulates the following women and minority attorneys on their recent notable achievements:
Stephanie Chandler was featured in Startups San Antonio's list of "San Antonio Women in Tech Who Can Speak at Your Next Event."
Josué Galván was honored with the President's Award of Merit for his work as a director of the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA).
Monica Lopez and her fellow chairs of the First Generation Attorneys Committee were presented with the Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA) President's Award for Outstanding Committee Chairs.
Brad Nitschke named among D Magazine's "Best Lawyers Under 40," which recognizes outstanding young attorneys in the North Texas area.
Wasif Qureshi was named a 2020/21 IP Star for Texas in Managing IP's IP Stars guide.
Christian Triantaphyllis was named among EB5 Investor Magazine's "Top 25 Immigration Attorneys" of 2019 for the third consecutive year.
We're pleased to share that this year's new partners class was our most diverse yet. Of the 11 attorneys elected to partnership, nine are women and/or minorities.Get to know our new partners »
Elevating Firm Leadership
During the first quarter of 2020, Jackson Walker saw two women attorneys step into citywide and committee leadership positions:
Notably, Priya is the third woman—and the first woman of color—to serve as an office managing partner in the Firm’s history, and Suzan is the first woman to lead the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Developing Future Leaders
Every year, the Firm selects attorneys who show high potential to become firmwide and community leaders to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows and Pathfinder programs. This year's participants include partner Jamila Brinson and associates Amanda Crouch and Jeremy Sheng. Learn more about LCLD »
// Community Impact
In the Spotlight // Women's Business Conference
Through Retta Miller's leadership as Founding Chair of the Women's Business Conference, Jackson Walker served as a presenting sponsor of the Dallas Regional Chamber's 23rd annual conference held on March 10. During the conference, Retta's mentee Amy Osberg Roberts was featured in a video discussing Retta's impact. Watch the video here »
As a Genesis Young Leaders board member, Serene Ateek led the Firm's support of the Masquerade event to benefit women and children who have experienced domestic violence.
During the MLK Day of Service, Jamila Brinson steered the Houston office's efforts to donate more than $1,200 worth of pantry goods and products to the West Orem Family YMCA.
Courtney Carlson coached two South Texas teams at the William B. Spong Jr. Invitational Moot Court Tournament in February. Summer associate Javier Gonzalez was on one of the teams and advanced to the semifinals.
Through Amanda Crouch's involvement as Vice President of Fund Development for the Junior League of San Antonio, the Firm sponsored the Unstoppable: Passion for a Purpose Luncheon, which featured special guest Kendra Scott.
In addition to serving as a TYLA director, Josué Galván was named a director of the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association.
Erica Benites Giese was elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Trustees of Meals on Wheels San Antonio. In addition, Erica was nominated to serve as a member of the Texas State University Development Foundation Leadership Council Class of 2020.
As a director of AVANCE-North Texas, Willie Hornberger hosted the kickoff breakfast leading up to Latino Street Fest held on September 20 in Dallas.
Mahira Khan joined the Board of SABA Houston, serving as Vice President of Fundraising.
As a Co-Chair of the HYLA First Generation Attorneys Committee, Monica Lopez helped produce The Stories of First Generation Attorneys podcast. Explore Monica's story, which was featured on the podcast here »
James McFall was nominated to serve as an At-Large member of the Governing Committee of the ABA Forum on Communications Law. Since 2015, James has co-chaired its Diversity Moot Court Competition Committee.
Meredith Silliman has been appointed to the Board of Directories of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas.
Robert Soza assumed the role of Board President of the San Antonio Legal Services Association (SALSA). Through Robert's leadership, JW attorneys participated in wills clinics to help frontline workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nate St. Clair was invited to join the National Sports Law Institute's Board of Advisors.
Beginning July 1, Amanda Van Deusen will serve as 2nd Vice President of the Houston Association of Professional Landmen (HAPL). Amanda is also Chairman of the 51st Annual HAPL Technical Workshop.
// Sharing Insights
"Change Agents in HR"
On January 28, Jackson Walker's Dallas office hosted a Women in the Know panel event featuring four local HR leaders as they discussed topics ranging from strategies and tactics to employ during a merger to navigating a nationwide relocation.
"Behind the Hiring Curtain"
On February 13, the Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA) First Generation Attorneys Committee presented a panel discussion featuring Sang Shin as the moderator and Luke Gilman as a panelist.
Photo courtesy of the Houston Young Lawyers Association and Dennis Walls Photography
"Leaders of Color: The Changing Landscape"
On March 11, Dawn Holiday spoke on a panel during the Women in Legal & Corporate Leadership Summit.
// Coming Up
August 15, 2020
APIS 25th Annual Conference
During this conference presented by the Asian Pacific Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas, JW attorney Sang Shin will be presented with the Best Under 40 Award. Learn more »
August 26, 2020 | 10 AM
Texas Women's Foundation's Leadership Forum Virtual Event
Join as JW attorney Kathleen LaValle, president and CEO of Dallas CASA, is honored with the Maura Women Helping Women Award. Register here »
September 20, 2020 | 12 PM – 5 PM
AVANCE Latino Street Fest
Co-sponsored by Jackson Walker, the free family event celebrates the vibrant Latino culture in North Texas and will take place at Klyde Warren Park in Dallas. View event details »
These materials are made available by Jackson Walker for informational purposes only, do not constitute legal advice, and are not a substitute for legal advice from qualified counsel. The laws of other states and nations may be entirely different from what is described. Your use of these materials does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Jackson Walker. The facts and results of each case will vary, and no particular result can be guaranteed.
