Ropes & Gray Hosts Young Leaders with Partner, Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America

In The News
August 18, 2022

Ropes & Gray’s New York office hosted students from the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young leaders from under-resourced backgrounds by supporting their higher education goals to create a more inclusive and equitable country. The program returned to an in-person format following two years of virtual conferencing.

During the visit, scholars were treated to a panel comprising two associates and three support team members, during which they discussed their background and experience at Ropes & Gray and beyond. The panel was followed by a lively Q&A session.

In a panel titled “Pro Bono at Law Firms,” litigation associate Phillip Kraft and corporate associate Richard Harris, along with corporate program paralegals Jared Pitser and Emily Eagleton provided the LEDA Scholars with insight on providing pro bono legal advice and support. Later in the week, litigation associate Baldemar Gonzalez and diversity, equity, and inclusion manager Ashley Julian spoke on a Ropes & Gray- sponsored panel concerning the “Future of Law,” and the extent to which the workplace is influenced by current socio-economic changes. The week culminated with a site visit where the fellows toured the New York City Office and had an open dialogue about “Life at a Law Firm” from a legal and business perspective, with associates Chidi Oteh, Krystal Vazquez and Trinidad Reyes, along with legal services supervisor Sharma Ross and client development manager Angela Vastey.

For more information on the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America, please visit https://ledascholars.org