PHILADELPHIA, February 24, 2014—Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that Nolan N. Atkinson, Jr., the firm's Chief Diversity Officer and a partner in its Trial Practice Group, will be honored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association with the A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes a lawyer or judge who has demonstrated dedication to the legal profession and the minority community through civil, community or legal service.
Atkinson will be presented with the award during the 26th Annual Pennsylvania Bar Association Minority Attorney Conference on April 11, to be held at the Lancaster Marriott and Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
A. Leon Higginbotham Jr., who died in 1998, was a federal appeals court judge, author, and civil rights advocate, whose life and career were tirelessly devoted to combatting racial discrimination and injustice.
Atkinson was also recently honored for his community leadership and commitment to social justice and equality by the Rutgers Law—Camden Black Law Students Association in January at its 18th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Champions of Social Justice Awards Banquet.
Atkinson is the former chair of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group, Inc., a consortium of law firms and corporations committed to increasing ethnic and racial diversity in Philadelphia's larger law firms. In addition, he is a member of the Section of Litigation of the American Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association, and he was formerly appointed co-chair of the Conference of Minority Partners in Majority Corporate Law Firms, a constituent entity of the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession of the ABA. Previously, Atkinson was named to The Legal Intelligencer's 2011 Diverse Attorneys of the Year for his outstanding professional achievements. He was also honored as a 2010 Minority Business Advocate by the Philadelphia Business Journal. In 2009, Atkinson received the inaugural Diversity Leadership Award from the American Bar Association, Section of Litigation. In 2008, he was appointed to the Mayor's Advisory Task Force on Ethics and Campaign Finance Reform by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and was the recipient of the inaugural Chancellor's Diversity Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association.
About the Duane Morris Diversity and Inclusion Program
Duane Morris manages its diversity and inclusion program with the objective of utilizing the best talent worldwide in solving legal problems. The firm recruits a diverse pool of lawyers who collectively possess an awareness of cutting-edge 21st century issues—legal, social and economic—for which clients require solutions. Because diversity management is integral to the core business of our management and each of our practice groups, our programs for the recruitment, retention and promotion of historically minority groups will continue and grow. The firm’s attorneys and its leadership believe in accentuating the added value that diverse attorneys possess and generating profitable new business opportunities from this added value.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 700 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally, is asked by a broad array of clients to provide innovative solutions to today’s legal and business challenges.