Joseph K. West
Partner and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer – Duane Morris
Description of field of expertise
Joseph K. West is Trial Partner, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer and a Member of the Partners Board at Duane Morris LLP. West is an experienced trial lawyer having successfully handled hundreds of matters to conclusion in jurisdictions throughout the country. He manages Duane Morris’ comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program and he chairs the firm’s DEI Consulting Practice. He is an internationally recognized authority in DEI, having worked, lectured and written extensively on the subject. He is the inaugural recipient of the Chambers Lifetime Achievement Award for Equity and Inclusion. West was awarded the National Bar Association’s (NBA) Champion of Diversity Award, the highest DEI specific award issued by the National Bar Association, as well as the Cora T. Walker Corporate Partnership award, a recognition by the president of the NBA for his outstanding contributions to the entire organization. In 2024 he was inducted into the Tulane Law School Hall of Fame and Savoy Magazine named him one of the nation’s 100 Most Influential Lawyers.
Prior to Duane Morris, West was Associate General Counsel and Head of Global Outside Counsel Management at Walmart Stores Inc.; President and CEO of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association; Assistant General Counsel in the Litigation Group of Entergy Corporation; and spent over 13 years as a litigator and partner in Louisiana.
In addition to serving as co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, West also served as Chair of the ABA Council for the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. West is a member of the Xavier University of Louisiana Board of Trustees. He was recently played by Laurence Fishburne on stage in New York in the play “Like They Do In the Movies” which portrayed his real-life heroics during Hurricane Katrina.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?
There are two currencies that will serve you well over the duration of your career and both of them take time to develop. The first is your skill set. Devoting time to learn as much as you can, to seek opportunities to gain practical experience, to perfect your craft; these are all absolutely necessary to distinguish yourself from your competition. The second currency is a well-developed network. I have often said that relationships are the coin of the realm. Without a doubt, talent and experience are the great equalizers, but contacts are the great distinguishers. The fact is, people want to do business with others who they like, respect, and with whom they enjoy a good working relationship. Most importantly, people want to work with someone they trust and whom they are convinced have their best interests at heart. It is important to remember that relationship development is a skill that is rooted in reciprocity. The most fruitful relationships I have enjoyed over the course of my career began with my being willing to support, guide, mentor or just get to know others without any expectation of recompense. That type of genuine and organic relationship building is critical to long-term success.