Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Kelly IP
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
at Kelly IP
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to the success and future of Kelly IP. Our firm was founded by a majority of women partners and at least half of Kelly IP’s team members are from diverse groups. With diverse leadership and teams, we have gained invaluable perspectives and experiences to better address both our clients’ IP needs and the personal and professional growth of everyone at the firm.
Kelly IP has developed initiatives to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, including for recruiting, professional development, and attorney advancement. We have partnered with local law schools to attract qualified diverse students to serve as law clerks at the firm with an eye toward eventual full-time employment.
1L Diversity Fellow Program
at Kelly IP
Kelly IP’s 1L Diversity Fellow Program awards one fellowship annually to a first-year law student from a background traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession who wants to explore a career in trademark and copyright law. The 1L Diversity Fellow will spend 6-8 weeks (at the Fellow’s election) as a paid summer associate at Kelly IP. The Fellow will also receive formal mentorship from at least one partner and one associate at Kelly IP during the summer and throughout the following academic school year, and participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program.
The 1L Diversity Fellow program is open to all first-year law students from a group historically underrepresented in the legal profession that is currently enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school with demonstrated interest in trademark and copyright law.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Leadership in the IP Community
Kelly IP’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts extend beyond the firm to the legal profession. Kelly IP annually sponsors LGBTQ+ and Women in IP bar events. We encourage everyone at the firm to join and seek leadership roles within diverse professional organizations. Our lawyers have been leaders in LGBTQ+ IP bar groups and held a variety of leadership positions within diverse professional organizations, including serving on the Executive Committee of AIPLA’s Women in IP Committee, and Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater DC area.