Morgan Lewis Announces Inaugural Class of Diversity Fellows
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01/18/2008 -
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—Program awards $15,000 stipends and summer associate positions to top students—
PHILADELPHIA, January 18, 2008: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP—the 2007 winner of both the Hispanic National Bar Association's Corporate Partner of the Year Award and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s (MCCA) Thomas L. Sager Award for the Western Region—kicked off 2008 by announcing the first class of fellows in its Diversity Fellowship Program (DFP). The firm adopted the program last fall to promote diversity in the legal profession and to attract future leaders who are committed to the importance of diversity.
“In addition to impressive credentials and accomplishments, these students represent a variety of viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds,” said firm Chair Francis M. Milone, who made diversity the focus of the firm’s 2007 Annual Partner Meeting. “We are thrilled to welcome them to Morgan Lewis, where they will have an opportunity to make a tremendous contribution as the firm continues to emphasize teamwork, collegiality, and excellence.”
Four students will join the firm this summer in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The 2008 Morgan Lewis Diversity Fellows are:
Toya Carmichael, Georgetown University, San Francisco Office: Toya is President of BLSA at Georgetown. She received her B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley. Her extensive community service and leadership activities include various positions with BLSA and work with the Office of Admissions at Georgetown. She also worked with the Black Recruitment and Retention Center and the National Council of Negro Women during her time at Berkeley.
Aurelio Perez, UC Berkeley School of Law, San Francisco Office: Aurelio graduated with high honors from Swarthmore College where he received his B.A. in English Literature while he was on a full scholarship. He is fluent in Spanish and German and played soccer all four years of undergrad. He is also on a full tuition scholarship at Berkeley where he is Co-Editor in Chief of La Raza Law Journal and a member of Law Review. He has a broad background of humanitarian volunteer activities in several countries. Born in Nicaragua, he came to the United States as a child, and the story of his youth exemplifies his determination to overcome challenges to achieve excellence.
Marisa Tilghman, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Office: After receiving her degree in Business from Temple, summa cum laude, Marisa worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers. There she mentored diverse associates but quickly became the most senior African American female in the audit practice of her office. She saw the value of strong diversity recruiting and the need for earlier outreach for better retention. Also active in sports and extracurricular activities, Marisa is treasurer of BLSA and a member of Penn Law Basketball League. As a Philadelphia native, she is committed to preparing inner-city children to pursue opportunities in professional careers.
Juan Valdivieso, Harvard University, Washington, D.C. Office: A volunteer, humanitarian, and athlete, Juan will return to Washington, D.C. where he had worked in previous summers for senators and interned at Human Rights Watch. Juan was captain of the swim team at Princeton where he received his A.B. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He participated in the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004 as a member of the Peruvian team. His public service activities include immigration rights work, tutoring, hurricane relief work, and leading tsunami relief work.
About the Diversity Fellowship Program
The DFP awards salaried summer associate positions and $15,000 stipends to highly qualified second-year students to promote diversity within the firm. The stipends are paid to fellowship recipients who complete the Summer Associate Program and accept offers of full-time associate employment with the firm. Half of the stipend is paid when the summer associate accepts the offer of associate employment, and half is paid upon commencement of associate employment. The DFP is open to any second-year law student. Applicants must (1) successfully complete one year of law school, (2) demonstrate academic excellence, (3) have outstanding leadership skills, (4) have an interest in employment with Morgan Lewis, and (5) demonstrate an interest in promoting diversity.