Ropes & Gray Names Recipients of Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship

Ropes & Gray announced the five recipients of the inaugural Ropes & Gray Roscoe Trimmier Jr. Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship honors the memory of Roscoe Trimmier Jr., an accomplished trial lawyer, the firm’s first African-American partner and a pioneering leader of the firm’s diversity efforts.

The scholarship recipients will each receive a $25,000 award to offset the expenses of their legal education. They will join the firm as summer associates following completion of their second year of law school, with three joining the firm’s New York office and two joining in Boston.

Congratulations to our scholarship recipients:

• Thanithia Billings, Boston College School of Law
• Tyler Cash, Cornell Law School
• Tanisha Edwards, University of North Carolina School of Law
• Deandré Harris, Columbia Law School
• Austin McLeod, New York University School of Law

Further demonstrating the firm’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community of professionals, Ropes & Gray received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and announced today. This is the eighth consecutive year that the firm received a perfect score.

The firm is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s leading law firms for diversity overall, as well as with respect to minorities, GLBTQ individuals, and women. This year, Ropes & Gray ranked third for diversity in the annual Vault rankings, the seventh consecutive year the firm has ranked among the top five U.S. law firms. The firm was recently honored with the Law Firm Diversity Award by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association on Nov. 7.

About Roscoe Trimmier Jr.

Roscoe Trimmier Jr. practiced at Ropes & Gray for 35 years, from 1974 until his retirement in 2009, serving as chair of the litigation department and head of the environmental practice group.  His professional distinctions include induction as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and recognition on lists of the Best Lawyers in America and Massachusetts Super Lawyers.

Mr. Trimmier was a mentor to many young attorneys during his tenure, and served on both the hiring and associates committees. An early leader of the firm’s highly regarded diversity efforts, Mr. Trimmier was a member of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the Boston Bar Association, as well as one of the founders of the Boston Lawyers Group and chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

Watch this video to learn more about Roscoe Trimmier Jr., the scholarship that will carry forward his legacy of excellence, and the firm’s ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.