News

Latham Names Four Diversity Scholars for 2007

Annual Scholarships Promote Equal Opportunity in the Global Law Firm Environment

January 17, 2007…Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce the recipients of the annual Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars Program, marking the second year in which the firm is awarding $10,000 scholarships to four US law school students.

The 2007 Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars are:

• Grace Chu of University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall)
• Donesha Dennis of New York University School of Law
• Ronald Newman of Yale Law School
• Helen Ogbara of Columbia University School of Law
  See below for biographical sketches of the four recipients.
  
  

Following the call for applications for the Diversity Scholars Program, which was open to second-year law students for use of the awarded scholarships during their third year of law school (2007-08), Latham received applications from students attending 79 US law schools. Factors considered in choosing the Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars include their ability to contribute to the diversity objectives of global law firms; their success in overcoming obstacles or challenges faced in deciding to choose law as a profession; academic and/or leadership achievements; and their desire to practice in a global law firm environment.

"The applicants to the Diversity Scholars Program represented a cross section of law students of diverse race, gender and sexual orientation, each with particular strengths that made the selection process tough," said Sharon Bowen, Vice Chair of Latham's Diversity Committee, who served on the scholarship selection panel.  "The enthusiasm for this year's scholarship was overwhelming and the caliber of applicants was exceptionally strong.  The response to this initiative over the past two years reinforces the need for the profession to promote diversity, and we are delighted to be playing a role in advancing equal opportunity."

"We are proud of our tradition that promotes equal opportunity and fosters a diverse environment.  Initiatives such as our Diversity Scholars Program help to build and sustain this commitment," said Robert M. Dell, Chairman and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins. 

Global Recruiting Committee Chair Juli Wilson Marshall noted: "We are steadfast in our belief that both our collaborative firm culture and the counsel we provide to clients are enhanced by involving people of all backgrounds. Putting a premium on equal opportunity is key to our ability to recruit and retain the best attorneys."

The Latham & Watkins Diversity Scholars Program is among several firm initiatives designed to promote diversity in the legal profession.  Ongoing programs include Latham's annual Diversity Weekend attended by law students receiving employment offers from the firm, professional training and mentoring programs, and additional outreach efforts in the area of recruitment.

Candidates for the Diversity Scholars Program submitted written applications, and several short-list finalists met with a selection panel consisting of partners and associates of the firm.  The applicants were required to be enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school, with intent to practice in a global law firm.

Biographical Sketches of the Scholarship Recipients

• Grace Chu - Grace graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in government concentrating on comparative politics.  She also took courses in Asian Diaspora studies at Wesleyan to help her understand her family's culture and to appreciate the career opportunities available to her.  She has done research abroad in London, where she worked with non-profit organizations that serve the British-Chinese community in obtaining healthcare benefits, receiving assistance for the elderly, and resolving immigration and asylum issues.  Her most recent work at the Asian Law Caucus has allowed her to serve immigrant communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she currently attends the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). At Boalt Hall, Grace is a Social Chair of the Asian American/Pacific Islander Law Student Association and a member of California Law Review, Berkeley Business Law Journal, and Asian American Law Journal.
• Donesha Dennis - Witnessing the daily challenges within the African-American community in her home town of Seattle, Washington sparked Donesha's interest in the law at a young age.  She is driven by a passion for justice and has channeled that energy into supporting programs geared towards crime reduction and education. Donesha is an active member of her community as Chair of the Black Allied Law Student Association at New York University and as a mentor for the Acorn High School Mentoring Program.  She graduated with honors from Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and economics in 2000, becoming the first member of her family to graduate from college.   She also is a recipient of the AnBryce Scholarship awarded by the New York University School of Law to students of high merit who have experienced challenging economic circumstances.  
• Ronald Newman - Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Ronald graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. in Business Administration in 2001.  He was valedictorian of his 500-person graduating class.  Proficient in Mandarin Chinese, Ronald spent two years prior to law school in China, one of which working for Beijing-headquartered Broad Air Conditioning as International Affairs Representative.  He was the only non-Chinese employee in the company of approximately 4,000 employees.  He found the experience immensely rewarding, and it helped him gain a better perspective on various cultural and business issues.  Among his extracurricular activities during law school, Ronald tutors at Elm City Charter School, serves as Political Action Chair for the Yale Black Law Students Association, and is on the litigation team in a landmark education adequacy lawsuit in the State of Connecticut (CCJEF v. Rell).
• Helen Ogbara - Helen has taken on leadership roles to enhance diversity in legal settings and within the community.  In 2005, she received her A.B. in Government from Harvard College, where she was also President of the Association of Black Harvard Women.  While at Harvard, Helen facilitated mentoring programs, organized cultural celebrations of African-American achievements, and participated in campus dialog related to race and gender advancement.  Before her first year at Columbia Law School, Helen worked as a SEO Career Program summer intern at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.  While there, Helen worked on a Togolese asylum case and used her proficiency in French to assist in the legal research of the Togolese government.  Currently at Columbia Law School, Helen's interest in domestic violence prevention and diversity has influenced her extracurricular activities; for example, she participated in the Courtroom Advocates Program and helped domestic violence survivors seek orders of protection from their abusers.  Helen is a Staff Editor on the Columbia Law Review, a member of the Columbia Law School Student Senate and the NY-Metro Sub-regional Director for the Northeast Black Law Student Association.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with more than 1,900 attorneys in 24 offices, including Barcelona, Brussels, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Northern Virginia, Orange County, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo und Washington, D.C. For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the Web site at www.lw.com.

Notes to the Editor

¹ Latham & Watkins operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide with an affiliate in the United Kingdom and Italy, where the practice is conducted through an affiliated multinational partnership.

Contacts

Sharon Bowen, Vice Chair of Latham's Diversity Committee, 212-906-1332
Juli Wilson Marshall, Global Chair of Latham's Recruiting Committee, 312-876-7738
Skip Horne, Global Recruiting Manager-Diversity and Law School Outreach, 858-523-5459