Diversity in Recruiting & Retention

Add value, feel valued

Diversity is a core value at Nilan Johnson Lewis.

We recognize that all talented people can lend value to our organization, and we are committed to affording opportunities not only for women and minorities but for those with different backgrounds or lifestyles, to share their talents productively.

Our firm has made a strong commitment to recruiting, hiring, advancing, and retaining qualified candidates from a diverse array of backgrounds, including women, people of color, and members of other groups who have historically been underrepresented in the legal profession. We seek meaningful ways to retain and support our people in developing a rewarding career.

What We Are Doing:

NJL is dedicated to expanding our recruiting pipelines and retention practices to ensure we reach and retain talented professionals from communities who have historically been underrepresented in the legal profession.

We have established relationships with local diverse bar organizations, including Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, Minnesota American Indian Bar Association, Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, National Asian Pacific Bar Association, the Lavender Bar Association, as well as the diverse student organizations at the Minnesota law schools.

We joined the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) to further our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in the legal profession. LCLD is made up of more than 300 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners, working to build a more open and diverse legal profession. As part of our LCLD membership, we also participate in the LCLD Fellows Program. The LCLD Fellows Program is designed to connect high-potential attorneys with General Counsel and Managing Partners from preeminent organizations for a year-long, multi-tiered professional development series. The Fellows Program is leadership-oriented, providing mid-career attorneys opportunities to network with and learn from leaders in the legal field, during the Program and into the future.

NJL is a member of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, a coalition of in-house law departments and private law firms focused on championing the collective contributions of attorneys from diverse races, genders and backgrounds, removing barriers, and creating environments where every attorney has an opportunity to advance and succeed.

NJL established a University of Minnesota Law School Scholarship fund in 1999 to support annual scholarships for qualified second and third-year law students. Students must demonstrate financial need, outstanding academic achievement and commitment to entering and enhancing the private practice of law.