The Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program

Corporate and Public Entities Partner Listing

The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) is a trade association comprised of minority and women-owned law firms, and other interested parties throughout the United States. Many corporations and other entities, interested in achieving diversity in their outside law firms, have focused almost exclusively on the utilization of minority and female attorneys at majority firms. Yet, the available data strongly suggests that these efforts have not resulted in diversity in the legal profession. It is NAMWOLF's view that the most effective way for corporations to increase diversity in the legal profession is to increase their retention of minority and women-owned law firms.

Corporations and public entities will have access to the NAMWOLF Minority & Women Owned Law Firms Membership Directory. With access to this directory, corporations will have the ability to select minority and women-owned law firms by area of practice, geographic location and law firm name.

The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms has developed The Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program (CPEPP) to encourage corporations to increase their utilization of certified minority and women-owned law firms. CPEPP requires interested corporations and other entities to agree to set a goal of eventually expending a minimum of 5% of their outside counsel budget with certified minority and women-owned law firms. There is no cost for corporations and other entities to join the program. Additionally, while the participating corporations and other entities do not necessarily have to use NAMWOLF law firm members to be part of the program, they must however use firms that are certified by a credible and recognizable entity.

Minority and women-owned law firms hire and promote minority and women lawyers at much higher rates than majority owned law firms. Hence, greater support of those firms will necessarily lead to greater opportunities in the legal profession for minority and women lawyers. The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms will initiate contact with major corporations and public entities on behalf of its members and encourage these corporations and public entities to form business relationships with minority and women-owned law firms.

If your corporation decides to become a member of the NAMWOLF Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program, The National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms will issue a press release stating that your corporation has committed to set a goal of eventually expending a minimum of 5% of your outside counsel budget with certified minority and women-owned law firms.

Upon joining the NAMWOLF Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program, each corporation will have their name and logo listed on the NAMWOLF web site, under the Corporate and Public Entities Partners Section. Additionally, each corporation and public entity will have an option to provide a link from the NAMWOLF website to the Corporate and Public Entities Partners’ web site.

There are no costs associated with joining the NAMWOLF Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program.

To join the Corporate and Public Entities Partnering Program, please contact Yolanda Coly, Managing Director, at (414) 277-1139 or ycoly@namwolf.org.