Grace Speights, the leader of Morgan Lewis’s labor and employment practice, has been elected chair of the board of trustees of The George Washington University. Grace, the first African American and first woman to hold the chair position, begins her three-year term on June 1.
“Being able to serve the university that set me on my career path is something I could have only dreamed of doing as a law student at GW,” Grace said. “I don’t take this honor lightly. I know how crucial the board of trustees is to the strategic vision and overall success of the university; I am going to do my best and give it my all.”
Grace has served on the university’s board of trustees since 2013, including as secretary and as chair of the committee on governance and nominations. She earned her law degree from The George Washington University Law School in 1982 and gave the keynote address at its diploma ceremony in 2017. Grace also has endowed a scholarship at the law school.