PracticePro Partners with the Chicago Committee to Improve Diversity in the Local Legal Community
Inaugural Chicago Career Conference to be Held June 10
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, April 5, 2016 – Despite demographics that show greater diversity in law schools across the country, students from minority groups still face unique challenges once they join the profession. To equip law students and summer associates with the soft skills they’ll need to advance, PracticePro is partnering with the Chicago Committee to bring its Career Conference to Chicago this spring.
The inaugural Chicago Career Conference will take place on Friday, June 10, 2016 at Barnes and Thornburg LLP. The Conference—also held in Houston, TX, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, CA this year—features two seminars that set the foundation for a successful legal career:
- Super Summer gives students and summer associates the information they need to excel during their summer clerkships.
- Career Management teaches aspiring attorneys how to proactively plan for a successful career, including professional development and branding, opportunities for leadership, and building relationships with clients.
The Conference will be followed by a diversity reception, an opportunity for Conference attendees and legal professionals in the Chicago community to celebrate diversity and network with their peers.
“I am passionate about teaching students the skills they need to succeed in their summer jobs and beyond,” said Niki Khoshzamir, PracticePro’s founder and CEO. “This is even more important for minority law students, who may not have the same resources as some of their peers. We can only improve diversity in the upper ranks of the profession if we provide the necessary support and programs from the start.”
Jennifer Reddien, Chicago Committee’s executive director, says the conference is a great program to be involved with. “We’re excited to partner with PracticePro, a committed program that can help our member firms with the professional development of their summer associates and further promote diversity and inclusion in large law firms in Chicago.”
This year also marks the official launch of PracticePro’s popular 1L Diversity Scholarship Program for law students in Illinois. Sponsored by law firm partners like the Chicago-based law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, the scholarship program is tailored to provide first-year students with skills training and career coaching to help them navigate law school and learn the competencies they’ll need in their early years of practice.
“First-generation high school graduates, veterans, and students who grew up in extreme circumstances are examples of the remarkable individuals who apply to be part of the scholarship program,” said Drew Neumann, diversity and scholarship relations for PracticePro and a past scholarship recipient himself. “Diversity programs like ours provide these students with the skills they need to succeed and opportunities they might not otherwise have.”
To learn more about PracticePro’s programs or register for the Chicago Career Conference, visit www.practicepro.cc.
PracticePro is a San Francisco-based legal education startup. Through a mix of training, coaching, and diversity programs, PracticePro aims to change the way new lawyers learn to practice law and bridge the gap between law school and law practice. The Chicago Committee is a member-based organization that seeks racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession through sustainable institutional change at law firms and corporate legal departments, providing professional development, and cultivating the community of minority lawyers through programming and leadership opportunities.
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Media Contact:
Niki Khoshzamir
Founder and CEO, PracticePro
niki@practicepro.cc
415-237-3703