A Conversation with Lolis Eric Elie in Honor of Juneteenth

June 19, 2025 | Webinar | Duane Morris LLP

The Duane Morris Diversity and Inclusion Program will present a webinar on Wednesday, June 19, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern in honor of Juneteenth. 

About the Program

Duane Morris Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Joseph K. West will be joined by acclaimed author and filmmaker Lolis Eric Elie for a conversation on his career and the way in which he captures the essence of the Black experience through his writing for print, television and film. Additionally, Joe and Lolis will reflect on the environment in which we find ourselves and on the collective experiences and challenges that we all share.

Speaker

Lolis Eric Elie is a New Orleans-born, Los Angeles-based writer and filmmaker. His television credits include work on "Bosch," "The Chi," "The Man in the High Castle," "Greenleaf" and the HBO series "Treme." Working with the award-winning director Dawn Logsdon, he co-produced and wrote the PBS documentary "Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans." He is the co-author of "Rodney Scott’s World of Barbecue: Every Day’s a Good Day," from Clarkson-Potter. His essay "America’s Greatest Hits" is included in Best African American Essays: 2009. A former columnist for The Times-Picayune, he is the author of "Smokestack Lightning: Adventures in the Heart of Barbecue Country" and co-producer and writer of "Smokestack Lightning: A Day in the Life of Barbecue," the documentary based on that book. He is editor of "Cornbread Nation 2: The Best of Southern Food Writing." A contributing writer to The Oxford American, his work has appeared in Gourmet, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Downbeat and The San Francisco Chronicle.

Introductory Remarks 

Matthew A. Taylor is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the firm and also serves on the firm's Executive Committee. He practices in the area of commercial litigation, handling matters in state and federal courts across the United States. Matt also represents corporate boards and individual corporate officers and directors in internal and government investigations and related proceedings. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York, Matt is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in general commercial litigation.

Moderator

Joseph K. West is a partner in the firm's Trial Practice Group and practices in the area of complex litigation. He is also a member of the firm’s Partners Board and serves as the firm’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and as chair of the firm’s D&I Consulting Practice. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Joe spent almost five years focused on diversity and inclusion within the legal profession as President and CEO of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). Prior to MCCA, Joe was Associate General Counsel – Head of Global Outside Counsel Management at Walmart Stores Inc., where he was responsible for managing the company’s relationships with all of its outside counsel worldwide. In 2019, Joe was the recipient of the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award: Diversity & Equality from Chambers and Partners. In May 2024, Joe was unanimously inducted into the Tulane Law School Hall of Fame.

About Duane Morris

Duane Morris LLP, a law firm with more than 900 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. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.