Elsa Andrianifahanana leads Black Women Lawyers' Association National Summit
The Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (BWLA) recently hosted its 2023 National Summit of Black Women Lawyers, which was led by partner Elsa Andrianifahanana, president of BWLA. As part of Jones Day's ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, the Firm hosted the Summit's opening reception ("A Celebration of the Judiciary"). The summit's theme, "Together, We Soar," emphasized the power and potential of Black women lawyers.
"I am proud to have worked alongside the amazing BWLA board and summit team to put together this outstanding program," said Ms. Andrianifahanana. "This event is another example of the great things we can do when we come together to support each other and the development of our profession."
BWLA traditionally focuses its efforts in Chicago and hosts a national summit every five years. This year's Summit brought together more than five hundred Black women attorneys, judges, academics, and law students from across the United States to engage, encourage, and empower one another, and to support the next generation of Black women lawyers. Among the impressive lineup of speakers and honorees were these Jones Day lawyers:
- Elsa Andrianifahanana, partner and BWLA President
- Hon. Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), of counsel, BWLA Co-Founder, former U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit judge, and Chair of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. Judge Williams also leads the Firm's pro bono efforts to advance the rule of law in Africa.
- Shirlethia Franklin, partner, former Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, and former White House Fellow
- Jordan Matthews, partner and former Assistant U.S. Attorney
- Lauren Brown, Business & Tort Litigation associate in the Firm's New York Office and BWLA "Lawyer On The Rise" award recipient
Jones Day is proud to support the BWLA and commends Elsa Andrianifahanana for her leadership
