Venable was recognized by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) as both a 2019 "Top Performer" and a "Compass Award" winner for the second year in a row. Top Performers are LCLD's most active member corporations and law firms, and the Compass Award recognizes those members who personally attend LCLD's annual meeting and participate in the Fellows and Pathfinder programs, as well as at least one pipeline program. Earning both awards signals Venable's strong commitment to building a more diverse firm and more inclusive legal profession.
Dan Moylan, co-managing partner of Venable, said, "Participation in LCLD's programs is an integral component of our strategic initiative to promote diversity and inclusion. Our commitment to developing the strongest legal minds from a wide range of racial, ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds is foundational to our success as a firm. We are proud to work with LCLD to build on our own successful practices and to effect meaningful change throughout the legal profession as a whole."
LCLD is the premier organization focused on fostering equality in the legal profession for minorities, women, and LGBTQ lawyers. Venable has participated in LCLD since 2013, and its commitment to the organization's programs has grown steadily since. Each year the firm sponsors a mid-career lawyer to participate in the LCLD Fellows program and two mid-level associates to participate in the LCLD Pathfinder program. These programs provide diverse attorneys with opportunities to build their leadership skills and networks.
Venable annually hosts diverse first-year law students who have been selected as LCLD 1L Scholars after an application and interview process. The 1L Scholars become summer associates with Venable and work at a corporate partner to gain experience with and insight into working in a legal setting. In 2019, Venable added San Francisco as its fifth office to host 1L Scholars. Four of Venable's prior 1L Scholars joined the firm as first-year associates in the fall of 2019.