DIVERSITY TRIAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM OPEN FOR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS

Tuition Free Program Focusing on Diversity in the Courtroom

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA (April 22, 2024) – The American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) is inviting diverse trial lawyers to participate in its highly anticipated fifth Diversity Trial Advocacy Program, to be held in Chicago on August 23-25, 2024 in the Chicago offices of Kirkland & Ellis. Prior programs, each capped at 50 participants, have generated a waiting list of qualified applicants.

Diversity in the Courtroom Program

The College has long been committed to increasing its ranks of talented, accomplished and diverse trial lawyers by including more women and persons of color, varying ethnicities, disabilities, and sexual orientation. Through this program, the College expands its commitment by helping to develop the next generation of diverse and inclusive trial advocates.

“Our society is diverse. Our courtrooms are diverse. We believe the talented lawyers trying cases should better mirror the diversity in our courtrooms,” said ACTL Teaching of Trial and Appellate Advocacy Committee Chair Thomas J. Heiden of Latham & Watkins LLP (Chicago, IL). “The emergence of a broader group of talented and diverse trial lawyers will benefit clients and our system of justice in general. We are delighted with the enthusiasm and talent of the participating lawyers and we will work to bring even more talented advocates of excellence to our courtrooms.”

After the first Diversity Trial Advocacy Program was enthusiastically endorsed by prior participants, faculty, and legal media, there was a universal plea that this program be continued as an annual event. “As a first-generation college student and new lawyer, your training was invaluable for my career,” said one participant.

According to a report by Ross Todd in AmLaw Litigation Daily: “After we heard rave reviews from faculty and participants, we offered up a pat on the back to organizers for pressing on through four COVID-related postponements to make the weekend program happen. But we also gave them a nudge to urge that the weekend not be a one-off.”

Since that time, two more programs have taken place, one in May 2023 and the other in October 2023. To meet the substantial increase in demand, a fourth program will take place in Toronto, Ontario on May 10-12, 2024 at the Toronto offices of McCarthy Tétrault. This will be the first College sponsored Diversity Trial Advocacy Program to be held in Canada.

The response to these subsequent programs has been even greater. “The participants were very engaged and worked so hard,” said one faculty member. “You could almost see them soaking up strategies and tactics, and they continued to get better and better throughout my time with them.”

Each event is organized by the ACTL Teaching of Trial and Appellate Advocacy Committee and hosted by a sponsoring law firm. ACTL Fellows will serve as faculty.

You can help ensure the continued success of this program by nominating diverse litigators that you believe would benefit from this opportunity. There is no tuition charge for the program, which will again be limited to 50 attendees; place will be reserved in the order of registration.

Please contact Tom Heiden (thomas.heiden@retiredpartner.lw.com) with questions. To nominate a lawyer or for direct registration, please contact Jagoda Rachwal (jagoda.rachwal@kirkland.com).

To read the entire press release, click here.