<<<BACK

PRESS RELEASE

Pepper Hamilton Announces Diversity Initiative With Villanova University School of Law Aimed at Increasing Diversity in Legal Profession

(BLACK PR WIRE) PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2006--The law firm Pepper Hamilton LLP today announced a major initiative with Villanova University School of Law aimed at attracting and promoting diversity in the legal profession. The partnership program, which will include two full scholarships each year for minority law students, is believed to be the broadest ever launched between a law firm and a law school.

"This is a tangible representation of Pepper's overall commitment to diversity. It not only will help enhance diversity in the legal profession, but also will ensure that additional minority students will have the opportunity to receive an education from one of the finest law schools in Pennsylvania," said Robert E. Heideck, Pepper's executive partner.

"Pepper's diversity initiative will provide much-needed support to Villanova Law School's minority students, for which we are sincerely grateful," said Mark A. Sargent, dean of the law school. "It also demonstrates the firm's commitment to achieving greater diversity within the legal community and Pepper itself, and will provide the firm with the opportunity to identify outstanding minority students at an early stage. It's a win-win for us all."

The unique initiative consists of four distinct components:

2 Three-Year, Full-Tuition Pepper Hamilton Scholarships Each Year - Recipients will be racial or ethnic minorities. Scholarships will be awarded based on a combination of merit and financial need.

Pepper Hamilton Pathway Program - Pepper will hire two Villanova Law School minority students each year, initially as first-year summer associates and then as part-time law clerks during their second or third academic years.

Pepper Hamilton National Summer Program for Minority Undergraduates - One of only six such programs in the nation, Pepper and Villanova Law School will conduct an annual six-week summer program for sophomores and juniors from historically black colleges and universities to introduce them to the possibility of a legal career.

Annual Pepper Hamilton Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture - Villanova Law School has renamed its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. lecture in recognition of Pepper's commitment to diversity and scholarship.

"Pepper's Diversity Committee is unaware of any other law firm/law school partnership of this type, scope and potential impact," said April M. Byrd, of counsel with Pepper Hamilton and immediate past president of the Villanova University School of Law Minority Alumni Society, who will serve as Pepper's liaison for the initiative. "As a Villanova Law alum and attorney of color, I am thrilled that Pepper has put this much muscle into its commitment to diversity."

Pepper Hamilton LLP (www.pepperlaw.com) is a multi-practice law firm with 400 lawyers in seven states and the District of Columbia.

The firm provides corporate, litigation and regulatory legal services to leading businesses, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout the nation and the world. The firm was founded in 1890.

Villanova University School of Law (www.law.villanova.edu) was founded in 1953 as part of Villanova University to offer law study to a broad spectrum of people. The School of Law is a Catholic and Augustinian institution that seeks to reflect the spirit of St.

Augustine by the cultivation of knowledge, by respect for individual differences and by adherence to the principle that mutual love and respect should animate every aspect of the law school's life.

Contact Information

Pepper Hamilton LLP
Polly W. Coxe, 215-981-4528
866-737-7372, ext. 4528 (toll free)
coxep@pepperlaw.com
or
Villanova University School of Law
Maureen McDonald
610-519-6470
mcdonald@law.villanova.edu

  |  Careers  |  Job Fairs & Events  | Press Releases  |  Announcements  |  The Disabled Workforce  |  Glossary of Diversity Terms  |  EEOC & Title VII  | ADA  |  OFCCP   |  Assistive Technology  |  Featured Employers  | 

 |Send this Site to a Friend  |  Post Jobs   |  Diversity In Companies  |  Diversity In Universities  |  Diversity In Service Organizations  |  Diversity Training  |  Supplier Diversity  |  Diversity Statistics  |