NEW YORK (May 1, 2008) – Strengthening its already well-established diversity programs, law firm Morrison & Foerster LLP has added a full-time Professional Development and Diversity Manager to oversee its strategic diversity initiatives in its U.S. offices.

Filling the new position is Nadia R. Jones, who joins from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, where she was a litigation associate in the New York office and also actively recruited and mentored summer and first-year associates as part of that firm’s diversity efforts.  Ms. Jones will be based in Morrison & Foerster’s New York office. 

In her new role, Ms. Jones will help design and implement professional development and mentoring programs for the firm’s minority lawyers, including attorneys of color, women, disabled, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) attorneys.  She will also act as a resource and advisor to these attorneys and will assist in the coordination of the firm’s affinity groups.  Morrison & Foerster's affinity group program was created in 2008 to further the firm’s goals with respect to its recruitment, development, and advancement of diverse attorneys.  

Ms. Jones’s priorities will be set by the firm-wide Diversity Strategy Committee, a group of a dozen partners plus Morrison & Foerster Chair Keith Wetmore and two managing partners of operations. 

Morrison & Foerster has been well recognized for advancing diversity in the legal profession.  The firm has received a Number 1 rating on diversity from career information site Vault.com for five consecutive years.  Morrison & Foerster was also honored three times by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association for sustained commitment to hiring, retaining and promoting minority attorneys.  The firm was listed on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2007 “Best Places to Work” list for the LGBT community, receiving a 100 percent score.   Morrison & Foerster has also been recognized by Minority Law Journal and Multicultural Law for its workplace diversity.  In April 2008, the firm was awarded the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s inaugural Diversity Award.

“We have a long-standing commitment to respecting and promoting diversity across the firm,” said Laurie Hane, co-chair of the firm’s Business Department who also co-chairs the Diversity Strategy Committee, along with litigation partner Tony West.  “Together with our extensive pro bono legal work and community service activities, diversity in our workforce is something that has historically been important to our identity as a law firm.”

“At the same time, we recognize there is always room for improvement, especially with the emergence of so many communities who deserve greater representation in the legal profession,” Ms. Hane added.   “Nadia will play a key role in our efforts to broaden our professional development and advancement opportunities for a diverse population of attorneys, while helping ensure that as a firm we live up to our own high diversity standards.”

Ms. Jones said, “Morrison & Foerster has long been one of the law firms to watch on diversity and I hope to help contribute to the firm’s leadership role in this important area.”

Ms. Jones serves on the board of directors of Exalt, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides training and other support services to at-risk youth in New York City.

Nadia Jones received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, and her B.A. from Yale University. She was a law clerk for Magistrate Judge Frank Maas in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.