CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thompson Hine is proud to announce the winners of its ninth annual Diversity Awards, established to commemorate the firm’s long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion. The awards were presented at a firmwide luncheon, held annually to highlight the importance of advancing diversity, committing to equity, embracing inclusion, and honoring the achievements of diversity champions inside and outside the firm.
The firm presented its Diversity Achievement Award to Kelly Services® (Kelly®), whose legal department is led by Hannah Lim-Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Thompson Hine litigation associate Jamar King received the firm’s Diversity Champion Award.
“We are honored to recognize a valued Thompson Hine client that shares our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Kelly has demonstrated exceptional efforts and leadership in advancing the values of diversity and inclusion in its industry and the greater community,” said Managing Partner Deborah Z. Read. “Our firm is focused on innovation. Fostering a culture that prioritizes diversity and inclusion enhances our creative abilities. Having a team of individuals who come from different backgrounds and bring a wide variety of perspectives to the table fuels innovation and pushes us in new directions.”
Among the ways Kelly demonstrated its commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, both internally and externally, was partnering with Thompson Hine on a 1L Diversity Fellowship. The collaboration highlights both organizations’ belief that successfully developing a pipeline of strong, diverse legal talent requires a cooperative effort between business partners. Thompson Hine and Kelly jointly offered a diverse 1L law student practical and valuable work experience to help strengthen his legal and professional skills. The selected student completed a 10-week internship, during which he worked at Thompson Hine as a summer associate for six weeks and in Kelly’s legal department for four weeks.
“We are proud to partner with Thompson Hine on enriching the diversity talent pipeline,” said Lim-Johnson. “Kelly places a premium on creating a culture of inclusion to attract, retain and develop a diverse talent pool. Like Thompson Hine, we are committed to cultivating diverse ideas and perspectives to promote greater innovation and the best business solutions for our customers and community. Our belief that diverse and inclusive teams are critical to success extends to our partners.”
King received the Diversity Champion Award for best exemplifying Thompson Hine’s commitment to diversity and inclusion within the firm and in the community at large. He has led several efforts in the Dayton area, including spearheading the revival of the region’s summer diversity clerkship program and increasing participation by judges, law firms and law students. King is also active in the Greater Dayton Area Diversity & Inclusion Legal Roundtable, an initiative developed by Thompson Hine and local judges. He oversaw the group’s 2019 Minority Mock Interview Program, held in conjunction with the University of Dayton School of Law Black Law Students Association (UD BLSA). The program welcomed more than 20 diverse law students to Thompson Hine’s Dayton office, where they had their résumés reviewed and practiced interviewing skills. King was the recipient of the UD BLSA 2019 Joseph Cinque Award. He also serves on the board of Wesley Community Center, a non-profit community center that provides wrap-around social services to residents of a predominately African-American neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio.
“Jamar was instrumental in organizing the UD BLSA mock interview program. He took his time and his talent to advance the careers of diverse law students. He engages community leaders, members of the bar, and Thompson Hine lawyers to find solutions to pipeline issues. His important work more than earned him the Firm's Diversity Champion Award,” noted Read.
About Thompson Hine LLP. Thompson Hine LLP, a full-service business law firm with approximately 400 lawyers in 8 offices, was ranked number 1 in the category “Most innovative North American law firms: New working models” by The Financial Times and was 1 of 7 firms shortlisted for The American Lawyer’s inaugural Legal Services Innovation Award. Thompson Hine has distinguished itself in all areas of Service Delivery Innovation in the BTI Brand Elite, where it has been recognized as one of the top 4 firms for “Value for the Dollar” and “Commitment to Help” and among the top 5 firms “making changes to improve the client experience.” The firm’s commitment to innovation is embodied in Thompson Hine SmartPaTH® – a smarter way to work – predictable, efficient and aligned with client goals. For more information, please visit ThompsonHine.com and ThompsonHine.com/SmartPaTH.
