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Maryland Law Alum And Chief Diversity Officer Lynnette Espy-Williams On Honing Your Craft, Finding A Mentor, And Changing Cities

Her outstanding career arc has been much more the exception than the rule.

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Lynnette D. Espy-Williams

“May you see your dreams allowed / Before you see them from a cloud.” — Wale

This month, Cozen O’Connor announced its appointment of Lynnette D. Espy-Williams as its first Chief Diversity Officer.

Espy-Williams has had quite a career with the firm and will most definitely leave a footprint on its diversity and inclusion efforts going forward. After graduating from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2006, Espy-Williams served as a judicial intern to former Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears of the Supreme Court of Georgia.

She started her career at Cozen O’Connor as a contract attorney, then was promoted to an associate, became a partner in 2013, and was appointed as a Vice Chair, Office Managing Partner in 2015. Needless to say, her career advancement has been quite impressive.

This week, Lynnette D. Espy-Williams was gracious enough to spend some time with us and share her thoughts on moving from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., advice for those just starting out on their career journeys, and strategies for finding mentors and sponsors in the workplace.

Without further ado, here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:

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Renwei Chung (RC): Congratulations on being named Cozen O’Connor’s first Chief Diversity Officer. Amongst the many changes, you will be moving to Washington, D.C. What will you miss most about Atlanta?

Lynnette D. Espy-Williams (LW): Thank you! There are so many things that I will miss about Atlanta! Specifically, I will miss the city’s rich and diverse culture, the arts scene, as well as all of the restaurants that I have frequented for so many years. I also leave behind a tremendous amount of friends and family.

Despite leaving behind so many “gems” that make up such an incredible city, I am so excited that I am able to return to Washington, D.C., as I went to law school nearby in Maryland. I am looking forward to exploring the city and am grateful to be taking on such an important and significant role at Cozen O’Connor.

RC: Can you share with us a little bit about your educational and career background prior to this new role within the firm?

LW: Absolutely! I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and at a very early age, I knew that I wanted to be a lawyer. After attending Spelman College and the University Of Maryland School of Law, I had the privilege of clerking for the Georgia Supreme Court under Justice Leah Ward Sears, the first African-American female Chief Justice in the United States and the first woman and youngest person to sit on Georgia’s Supreme Court.

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Shortly after my clerkship, I joined Cozen O’Connor, in December 2006. I have experience in litigating a wide variety of civil and commercial matters, including matters pertaining to professional liability, mass and complex torts, premises liability, products liability, and contract disputes. Prior to being appointed Chief Diversity Officer, I served as Vice-Chair, Office Managing Partner for Cozen O’Connor’s Atlanta office.

RC: What do you hope to accomplish in your new role as Chief Diversity Officer?

LW: There are so many things that I want to accomplish as Chief Diversity Officer so I have had to sit down and prioritize all of my goals for the upcoming year.

One of my goals is to strengthen the firm’s resource groups tailored to promote the success and inclusion of five self-identifying constituencies: (1) Asian Attorney Resource Group; (2) Black Attorney Resource Group; (3) LGBTQ Attorney Resource Group; (4) Hispanic/Latino Attorney Resource Group; and (5) Disabled and/or Veteran Attorney Resource Group.

I am also actively involved in developing a strategic plan with respect to diversity and inclusion initiatives so that we are thinking proactively as to how we can increase diversity not only internally within our firm but within the profession.

RC: What advice do you have for law students and young attorneys just beginning their respective careers?

LW: My advice for a law student or young attorney just beginning their respective careers is to spend a significant amount of time honing your skills.

Always put your best foot forward and routinely look for opportunities to improve your writing, deposition, and public speaking skills. Another way to hone your skills is to make sure you take on substantive pro bono assignments.

Not only is doing pro bono work the right thing to do, it is also important from a professional development standpoint as pro bono assignments can sometimes lead you to invaluable experiences like arguing motions in Court and deposing witnesses. Without pro bono work, you may not get these unique experiences until much later in your career. Take advantage of the learning experience!

RC: You mentioned how important it is to find a sponsor or mentor early in your career. Do you have any specific strategies for networking?

LW: It is extremely important to find a mentor and/or sponsor early in your career as a young lawyer. When I started at Cozen O’Connor in 2006, I realized pretty early on that I needed a sponsor, someone who could unilaterally change the trajectory of my career and guide my steps internally.

Given I worked out of a regional office, it was important for me to connect with someone outside of Atlanta as I knew one day, I wanted to be a part of firm management. Given my aspirations, one day, I picked up the phone and called Vincent McGuinness, Cozen O’Connor’s Managing Partner, and humbly asked him to serve as my mentor. At first, he was a bit talking aback as he had no idea who I was given I had just joined the firm and was working out of Atlanta.

However, he quickly agreed to mentor me, and over the years, he has ensured that I have received substantive assignments, has provided me with several opportunities to lead firm-wide committees, and has supported my involvement with several bar associations.

I strongly believe that my relationship with Mr. McGuinness, and the many lawyers that have helped me along the way, were vital to my success. If a young lawyer is unable to find a mentor internally, I would recommend that they look externally via bar associations, community events, etc. You never know where your next client or mentor will come from!

RC: You stated that your career arc was much more the exception than the rule. What do you mean by this?

LW: My career at Cozen O’Connor has been wonderful. I have had the opportunity to hold a management position, lead firm-wide committees, and have mentors that have poured into my personal and professional development. With that said, I know that my experience as a diverse female partner in a law firm is not the same experience that other women and/or diverse lawyers have in their respective firms.

Thus, I consider my career, and the success that I have had, to be “the exception” in Biglaw, not the rule. As Chief Diversity Officer, my responsibility is to make sure that it becomes the “rule” for diverse lawyers in our firm to receive the same opportunities, experiences and success, and to feel a part of an inclusive work environment.

RC: How are you enjoying D.C. so far?

LW: I am really enjoying my time in D.C.! My family and I are having a great time meeting new people and exploring the city. We recently visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture which was incredible! We also look forward to experiencing DC in the summer. We have heard great things about different events and festivals that we would like to explore.

RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

LW: I just want to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about my new role with Cozen O’Connor.

It really is an honor to serve as Chief Diversity Officer and to lead such a dynamic firm. I look forward to making my mark in the diversity space!

On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Lynnette D. Espy-Williams for taking the time to share her story with our audience. We wish her continued success in her career.

Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at [email protected], follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn. 

 

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