Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the addition of Carolyn L. Mitchell as senior counsel in the Houston office’s Healthcare practice group. Carolyn joins Lawton P. Cummings, Corporate & Securities senior counsel, as the second attorney to enter the Firm through the OnRamp Fellowship. With the goal being to increase the number of women in leadership roles, OnRamp matches experienced women lawyers re-entering the legal profession with yearlong paid fellowships.

“At Jackson Walker, hiring attorneys who are as diverse as our clients and our communities makes us a better, healthier, and more inclusive place to work,” Managing Partner Wade Cooper said. “Our partnership with the OnRamp Fellowship enables us to become even more diverse and inclusive while also providing women lawyers returning to the workforce a chance to demonstrate their potential as leaders.”

In 2016, the Firm began partnering with the re-entry platform as part of the Jackson Walker Women (JW²) initiative to attract, retain, and promote female professionals. By participating in the re-entry program, Jackson Walker creates opportunities for women attorneys to redevelop legal skills and build strong networks. Once the fellowship concludes, Fellows who do excellent work receive professional references or, if a relevant position becomes available, may interview for a longer-term role. Such is the case for previous OnRamp Fellow Lawton Cummings, who accepted a permanent position with Jackson Walker last year and has become an integral part of the Austin office.

“We are excited to welcome Carolyn to the ranks of the impressive women attorneys practicing at Jackson Walker,” said Michelle Moore Smith, JW² Committee Chair and Austin partner. “Our participation in the OnRamp Fellowship brings us promising attorneys who have the potential to advance into leadership roles while they reinvigorate and sustain successful legal careers. We have every belief that Carolyn will do the same.”

Our participation in the OnRamp Fellowship brings us promising attorneys who have the potential to advance into leadership roles while they reinvigorate and sustain successful legal careers. We have every belief that Carolyn will do the same.

For Carolyn, the prospect of returning to the legal field and employing her significant past experience in healthcare law and administration was the driving factor in her decision to join OnRamp.

“Working for a law firm like Jackson Walker, which has one of the premier healthcare practices in the state of Texas, is a fabulous opportunity to expand my legal knowledge and skills in an environment that values and supports working mothers,” Carolyn said. “After taking some time away from the field, I am excited to have the chance to learn from the many talented lawyers in Jackson Walker’s Healthcare practice and work with the broad range of clients the Healthcare practice group serves.”

With top rankings in Chambers USA, Jackson Walker’s attorneys possess a broad range of experience in the healthcare industry representing providers and related entities.

“We are thrilled to have Carolyn join the Healthcare practice group,” said Virginia Alverson Mimmack, Healthcare practice group chair and Dallas partner. “She has a strong background in regulatory and transactional matters and is a valuable addition to our team.”

Meet JW

Since our founding in 1887, our attorneys have represented some of the most influential companies in the state in key industries that shaped the course of Texas history, including railroads, the media, healthcare, and oil and gas exploration. Jackson Walker systematically focuses on creating an environment where women attorneys can be successful personally and professionally. By actively recruiting, retaining, and advancing a workforce that reflects our society and by working with attorneys to balance work and personal life, we are better equipped to improve the surrounding communities and more effectively serve our clients.