Ropes & Gray Establishes Diversity Scholarship in Memory of Roscoe Trimmier Jr.

In The News
August 11, 2015

On August 11, Ropes & Gray announced the creation of the Ropes & Gray Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship in honor of Mr. Trimmier, who died July 30. Mr. Trimmier was an accomplished trial lawyer, the firm’s first African-American partner and a pioneering leader of the firm’s diversity efforts.

“We remember Roscoe Trimmier as a wonderful colleague and friend—a distinguished lawyer, possessed of great character and integrity, and a mentor to countless young attorneys at the firm,” said R. Bradford Malt, chair of the firm. “The Ropes & Gray Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship perpetuates Roscoe Trimmier’s legacy of support for talented young attorneys of diverse backgrounds.”

Starting this year, the Ropes & Gray Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship will provide up to five outstanding second-year law students with a $25,000 award to offset the expenses of their legal education. Scholarship recipients will also get a paid summer associate position at the firm following the completion of their second year.

Recipients of the Ropes & Gray Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship will be students who exemplify the accomplishment, leadership and dedication that were the hallmarks of Mr. Trimmier’s life, and who are members of populations historically underrepresented in the legal profession. 

To learn more about the scholarship and its criteria, click here. Applications must be received by September 15, 2015, in order to be considered for the summer of 2016.

About Roscoe Trimmier Jr.

Roscoe Trimmier Jr. practiced at Ropes & Gray for 35 years, from 1974 until his retirement in 2009, serving as chair of the litigation department and head of the environmental practice group.  His professional distinctions include induction as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and recognition on lists of the Best Lawyers in America and Massachusetts Super Lawyers.

Mr. Trimmier was a mentor to many young attorneys during his tenure, and served on both the hiring and associates committees. An early leader of the firm’s highly regarded diversity efforts, Mr. Trimmier was a member of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the Boston Bar Association, as well as one of the founders of the Boston Lawyers Group and chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

To read Mr. Trimmier's obituary in The Boston Globe, click here

About our commitment to diversity

At Ropes & Gray, diversity has long been an essential part of our firm identity. We are committed to fostering an inclusive community of professionals of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations and family structures. We see our individual differences as an asset that enhances the quality of life for each of us and strengthens what we can accomplish as a firm.

The firm works hard to promote the recruitment, retention and advancement of people of diverse backgrounds at all levels.  We are proud of the policies we have put in place and the culture we have fostered to ensure that talented people of all backgrounds can thrive and succeed here.

Ropes & Gray has consistently been recognized as one of the nation’s leading law firms in the area of diversity overall, as well as with respect to minorities, gays and lesbians, and women.  For example, this year, the firm ranked #3 for diversity in the annual Vault rankings, the seventh consecutive year the firm has ranked among the top five U.S. law firms, and received a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.  The CEI score is based on policies aimed at making the firm a welcoming workplace for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees. 

Ropes & Gray was also recognized in 2012 and 2013 with a Thomas L. Sager Award by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association for the firm’s sustained commitment to improving the hiring, retention and promotion of women and diverse lawyers; the firm is a finalist for the award in 2015.