Sponsor Spotlight: Wiley Rein LLP - NBA-CLS | National Bar Association Commercial Law Section

Silver Sponsor

About Wiley Rein LLP

www.wiley.law

Wiley possess a focused mindset, a single location, and elite collection of practices, and a total mastery of all things Washington, D.C. Wiley has more than 240 attorneys and public policy advisors. Our firm has earned international prominence by representing clients in complex, high-stakes regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters. Our location and practices may be focused, but our impact is felt everywhere. It reverberates in headlines, is quoted in precedents, and most importantly for our clients, it is reflected in their advancement. Many of the firm’s attorneys have held high-level positions in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in federal agencies. Since the firm’s inception, our lawyers, and policy advisors have established a record of success predicated on their experience and judgment.

Wiley operates at the intersection of politics, law, government, business, and technological innovation, representing a wide range of clients—from Fortune 500 corporations to tax-exempt organizations—in virtually all industries. We achieve consistent and successful results by building true partnerships with our clients. We do this by understanding the industries and economic climates in which they operate, and the legal issues that impact their organizations. Most importantly, because Wiley remains a Washington, DC-based firm that largely operates out of a single office, we can control costs and billing rates in a manner that is nearly impossible in large, multi-office or multinational law firms.

Why did you decide to become a NBA-CLS sponsor?

Wiley is proud to be a Gold sponsor of the National Bar Association – Commercial Law Section in promoting its mission of increasing the opportunities for Black lawyers in growing their legal practices elevating their expertise not only at our firm, but also expanding the pipeline to increase the representation of Black lawyers in the legal profession. NBA-CLS has demonstrated a commitment to deliver a unique and world-class programing that aligns with our commitment to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across all aspects of the legal industry.

Additional Information

Wiley is home to a diverse group of people, who share a passionate commitment to our clients, our work, and our community. We credit our firm’s growth and success to our collaborative culture and our initiatives to attract talent. Our goal is to integrate and provide professional development opportunities to create an ongoing pipeline of talented, diverse and female attorneys. Wiley currently engages in multiple diversity outreach programs designed to increase the diverse talent pipeline to the legal profession. We credit Wiley’s firm’s growth and success to our collaborative culture and our initiatives to attract talent. We recognize that inclusion is the key to building successful and fulfilling careers and creating an innovative and supportive culture.

In 2020, recognizing the racial and gender disparities that persist in the legal pipeline, Wiley created a 1L Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship, awarded annually in the amount of $25,000 with a guaranteed summer associate position, for first-year law students who are members of historically under-represented groups in the legal profession. Wiley awarded three of these scholarships in 2020. Most recently, we also launched a Pre-Law DEI scholarship in the amount of $10,000 to support costs associated with enrollment in a Juris Doctor program, additional funds up to $2500 for LSAT preparation course and a Project Assistant position in the firm’s paralegal program.

Our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion has also been widely recognized by others in the legal community. For example, the Diversity Lab named Wiley a 2019 “Inclusion Blueprint Champion” for achieving 30% representation of women, 15% representation of racial and ethnic minorities, and 5% representation of LGBTQ lawyers at the firm leadership and practice group levels. For the past six years, including 2021, Wiley has achieved a perfect score of 100% on the Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on LGBTQ workplace equality administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Additionally, for the past several years, Working Mother has identified Wiley as one of the Best Law Firms for Women, and Law360 has named Wiley as one of the Best Firms for Women and Minority Attorneys. Last year, Wiley was one of 46 law firms to receive the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance’s (DFA) “Tipping the Scales” Award, which recognizes law firms having partnership classes that include at least 50% women.

Today, over 61% of Wiley’s attorneys, paralegals, and other timekeepers are non-Caucasian, female, LGBTQ+, veterans, or individuals with disabilities, and 50% of the firm’s partnership falls into one or more of those categories. Over 70% of the firm’s total employees belong to one or more of these diversity categories. Our firm is further enhanced by our diversity of religion, political afflation, and social-economic background. Wiley has eight diversity-focused Affinity groups. that provide strategic leadership in further the firm’s efforts in the retention and advancement of attorneys. Our Affinity Groups are listed as follows: Asian American Pacific Lawyers, Black Lawyers, Latinx Lawyers, LGBTQ & Allies Lawyers, Minority Lawyers, Parents-in-the-Law, Veteran Lawyers & Allies, and the Women’s Forum.

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