News & Knowledge

The Diversity Pipeline Program is a three-and-a-half-day program for Tougaloo College pre-law students interest­ed in pursuing a career as a civil litigator.

The FormanWatkins Jackson office hosted Amber Magee, Kevana Funches, Precious Thompson, Pierrerasha Goodwin and Octavious Henderson for the 2022 Diversity Pipeline Program. In addition to attending seminars providing overviews of “firm life,” civil litigation and the firm’s practice areas, the students partook in discussions regarding the firm’s Pro Bono, Recruiting, and Diversity & Inclusion committees. The students also attended speaker sessions led by diverse in-house counsel who are major firm clients and were given a legal research assignment with an opportunity to prepare a written memorandum of their findings. Firm attorneys led a professional development and resume workshop for the students. The firm also assigned attorney mentors during the program to facilitate discussions and to help with the research assignment. The program concluded with the Tougaloo students attending in-person criminal hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer-Isaac of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. At the conclusion of the hearings, Judge Greer-Isaac spoke with the students and held a question-and-answer session.

This year’s group of students were smart, enjoyable and demonstrated a true eagerness to learn more about the legal profession. Amber, Kevana, Precious, Pierrerasha and Octavious are part of the Reuben V. Anderson Pre-Law Program at Tougaloo College under the direction of Julian Miller, an attorney in the FormanWatkins Jackson office. With highest academic honors, these students recently graduated from Tougaloo College with record scholarships and acceptances to some of the most prestigious law schools and graduate programs in the country.

The collective goal of the program is to provide the students an up-close experience as to what life might be like as a civil litigator. It also seeks to cultivate an apprecia­tion for working in a formal law firm setting. FormanWatkins and Tougaloo plan to continue and expand the program in an effort to create lasting relationships with the students.

Program eligibility requirements:

• Members of a group traditionally underrepresented in law school and the legal industry
• Not currently enrolled in law school
• Currently enrolled as a junior or senior at Tougaloo College with a minimum GPA of 3.5
• A Mississippi resident preferred but not required

Diversity Pipeline Program includes:

• Civil litigation legal education seminar
• Panel of attorneys to answer questions regarding life as a civil litigator
• Professional development, interview and resume workshop
• Attorney shadowing opportunities during meetings, court appearances and/or depositions
• Networking with practicing attorneys

If you are interested in the program and/or speaking in a seminar, please contact Savannah Tirey, Director of Marketing and Recruitment, savannah.tirey@formanwatkins.com or (601) 960-8613.