Membership Information
Who is eligible?
Membership in the Chicago Committee is open to national firms with more than 250 lawyers or Chicago firms with 40 or more attorneys, and Chicago based corporate legal departments. Today we are proud to have 44 member firms and 5 member corporations that collectively have more than 700 attorneys of color.
Why should my firm/corporation become a member?
In 2007, associates of color in Chicago comprised only 16.2% of all associates and lawyers of color fared even worse at the partner level, representing only 5.16% of all partners in Chicago. These statistics indicate that as a legal community, Chicago has much further to travel in order to succeed in becoming a true leader in advancing diversity. The support of your firm/corporation is integral in helping the Chicago Committee advance the racial and ethnic diversity in the Chicago legal community.
What are the benefits of being a member?
The Chicago Committee provides independent programs targeted at various constituents, collaborating with various national, state, city, and minority bar organizations and law schools to assist our members in developing strategies to recruit, hire and retain minority attorneys. Programs serve not only member firms and corporations, but also minority attorneys (programs are often approved for CLE credit), Diversity Committee Chairs, professional development personnel, law students and even undergraduate students. In addition to programs, the Chicago Committee offers its members a number of ground-breaking initiatives including its annual Minority Partner & Associate Directory – the largest and most comprehensive publication on minority attorneys in Chicago law firms – the Mentorship Academy, and the Chicago LegalTrek pipeline program.
How do you become a member of the Chicago Committee?
Membership in the Chicago Committee is granted to interested firms and corporations after successful completion of the following membership procedure:
- Initial contact with the Executive Director
- Receipt of a Chicago Committee Information Packet
- Receipt of the Chicago Committee Application Packet
- Submission of the following: (1) Letter of interest and commitment; (2) Membership application; and (3) Firm demographic information;
- Discussion of materials
- Approval from the Board of Directors
- Submission of Dues
Who can I contact for more information?
Please contact Peggy A. Davis, Executive Director, if you would like more information on becoming a member. You may also reach her by phone: (312) 873-2969.