News & Knowledge

DRI recently held their annual Diversity for Success Seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Vernon McFarland served on the Law Student Forum Panel designed to give open and straightforward answers to future attorneys on what to expect in the profession.  The discussion included creating a career path, best practices during job interviews and navigating obstacles unique to attorneys from underrepresented backgrounds. University of Mississippi Law FWK Summer Associate, Hope Thompson, attended the seminar and enjoyed the panel and connecting peers and panelists.

FormanWatkins is proud to announce our Diversity Pipeline Program, a three and a half day program for Tougaloo College students interested in pursuing a career as a civil litigator. Our Jackson team hosted Clifford Benton, Ayanna Hill, and Tia Patrick in April for the 2021 Program. The students attended seminars each of the three days to provide an overview of “firm life.”

On January 25, 2021, Forman Watkins & Krutz hosted renowned diversity and inclusion and leadership expert Dr. Arin Reeves (@DrArinNReeves1), from Nextions, to speak to the Firm regarding effective leadership. 

The gravity of the events over the past weeks resulting from the unjustified killing of George Floyd weighs heavily on our collective hearts and minds.  We hold in the highest regard the civil rights that should and must be afforded to everyone.  As business leaders, and as individuals, we bear a responsibility to speak out and act against injustice. We stand in solidarity with those who are protesting throughout the world to ensure the realization of the inalienable rights held by all global citizens without regard to the color of their skin.  We are proud of those in the FormanWatkins family who have individually spoken out for change. To our African-American and diverse colleagues, clients and community, FormanWatkins reaffirms its commitment to the core values of diversity and inclusion.  We acknowledge that a public statement, such as this one, is only one of many acts necessary to live up to those values.  We promise to continue to listen, speak and act in support of those values.

FormanWatkins is proud to recognize and honor International Women’s Day.

FormanWatkins is a proud sponsor of the Bessie Young Council Summer Social! The event will take place on Thursday, June 20, at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.  Come mingle and have a beverage with fellow students, law clerks, alumni, and Jackson’s top lawyers!  More details on the event can be found on the attached flyer.  We hope to see you there!

FormanWatkins Partner Malissa Wilson participated in the mini-mentoring session at the 2019 Bessie Young Council Mentoring Conference on Friday, March 29, 2019, at the University of Mississippi School of Law.  The session involved attorneys meeting with students to discuss their respective area of legal practice, work/life balance, what they look for in an associate, and what impresses firms when they interview potential associates.  The mission of this annual conference is to provide learning and networking opportunities for non-traditional law students and young lawyers.  Through its annual conference, the Bessie Young Council shares the experiences of its member attorneys and others in the field to help foster successful careers for those law students and young lawyers who may encounter unique obstacles along the way. Pictured below are Mentors from the 2019 Bessie Young Council Conference.

FormanWatkins recently had the pleasure of welcoming Dima Ghawi to the Jackson office to speak to our attorneys as part of the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion initiative.  Attorneys from all FWK offices attended, and Dima presented “Diversity & Inclusion: Worth More than Gold,” which focused on the many different types of diversity, the proven benefits of diversity, and how to be intentional in creating diversity in the workplace. 

On November 1, 2018, Nick Giallourakis appeared on a panel at Perrin’s Diversity & Inclusion conference to discuss the “white male perspective” in the legal industry’s diversity and inclusion efforts. FormanWatkins attorneys Nicole Diesa and Vernon McFarland also attended the conference, which brought together outside legal counsel, in-house counsel, and counsel from several major insurance companies. Nick, Nicole, and Vernon are all members of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. This was the third year in a row that FormanWatkins attorneys have spoken at the conference, and FormanWatkins continues to cement its relationship with Perrin as a “go to” speaker for diversity and inclusion topics. If you would like to know more about FormanWatkins’ participation in Perrin’s Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Industry Conference or to learn about FormanWatkins’ Diversity & Inclusion Committee, please do not hesitate to contact Nick, Nicole, or Vernon.

Nick Giallourakis will be speaking at Perrin Conferences Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Industry on November 1, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA.   Here is a link to the conference website where you can register and view agenda: https://www.perrinconferences.com.   The conference will be approved for CLE credit.  We hope to see you there.