PHILADELPHIA, March 9, 2016: Morgan Lewis is pleased to announce its participation in the inaugural Women in Law Hackathon, a new Shark Tank-style pitch competition aimed at generating innovative ideas to close the gender gap in law firms. The competition was created by Diversity Lab in collaboration with Stanford Law School and Bloomberg Law.
Morgan Lewis partner David Gerson is representing the firm throughout the competition. He is joined by 54 managing partners, practice group chairs, or other high-level leaders from law firms across the United States. Participants began working together virtually in teams in January to devise initiatives that will help retain and advance experienced women in law firms. Each team is composed of six partners from across the country, two talent/diversity thought leaders, and a Stanford law student. The teams will present their ideas to a panel of judges at Stanford Law School on June 24, 2016. The top three teams will grant the prize money – $10,000 for first place – to a nonprofit of their choice that is committed to advancing women in the legal profession and beyond.
“We are honored and delighted to partner with Diversity Lab and the other participants on this important initiative and to work together as a team for six months on ideas to catalyze the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women lawyers,” said David Gerson of the firm’s participation in the Hackathon. “The exciting ideas that we all generate together will help us to achieve our own goals as a firm, and bring about meaningful and lasting change.”
Recently, Morgan Lewis was awarded the prestigious Gold Standard Certification by Women in Law Empowerment Forum, signifying the firm’s success in elevating women into its leadership ranks. Led by Firm Chair Jami Wintz McKeon, the firm’s ML Women leadership initiative harnesses the strength of the women at Morgan Lewis through partnerships with clients, creating opportunities for them to come together around a shared industry or practice.