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Foley Hoag And Rosa J. Nunez Aim To Take Diversity And Inclusion Efforts To The Next Level

“I believe this is an incredible opportunity for me to make a positive impact, not only at Foley Hoag, but across the entire industry overall.”

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Rosa J. Nunez

“Woke up feeling like I just might run for president / Even if there ain’t no precedent, switching up the messaging / I’m about to add a little estrogen.” — Lizzo

On Monday, Foley Hoag LLP named Rosa J. Nunez as its Director of Diversity & Inclusion, a newly-created role at the firm.

“By hiring Rosa, Foley Hoag is augmenting the resources dedicated to diversity and inclusion across the entire firm,” said Foley Hoag Co-Managing Partner Kenneth Leonetti.

“We strongly believe in the importance of a holistic approach to D&I. Foley Hoag has always dedicated itself to bringing together lawyers and professional staff members of different backgrounds, skills and experiences. These individuals bring with them unique perspectives that enrich our culture and enhance the quality of our work. We welcome Rosa to the firm, and look forward to her guiding our D&I initiatives.”

In this position, Nunez will be responsible for developing, implementing, leading and championing proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives and programs, in alignment with Foley Hoag’s overall strategic plans. She will also co-chair the firm’s Diversity Committee along with Leonetti.

Prior to joining Foley, Nunez served in similar roles at BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), Omnicom Media Group, and Accenture. She is a National Board Member of INROADS, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and placing talented but underserved youth in various business and industries. Nunez received her MBA from the University of Phoenix and her BA from Fordham University.

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Foley’s intentional D&I efforts have yielded tangible results: 33% of the firm’s attorneys are female, 26% of the firm’s practice leaders are non-white males and in 2019 they hired an equal number of women and men. Additionally, the last two lateral partner hires were female and people of color.

This week, Rosa J. Nunez was gracious enough to spend some time with us and share her thoughts on the legal industry, how her background shaped her career, and advice for others who are passionate about diversity and inclusion.

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

Renwei Chung (RC): Congratulations on being hired for the newly-created role of Director of Diversity & Inclusion for Foley Hoag LLP. Are you excited about any particular activities or initiatives for the firm? 

Rosa J. Nunez (RJN): Thanks for the warm welcome! I am extremely excited and looking forward to taking the work that Foley Hoag has been doing in the space of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) to the next level.

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I believe this is an incredible opportunity for me to make a positive impact, not only at Foley Hoag, but across the entire industry overall.

RC: Having spent more than ten years at Accenture and fifteen years focusing on D&I initiatives in general, are there any specific areas that you have noticed the legal industry could improve upon?

RJN: It’s no secret that the legal industry remains one of the least diverse industries of all. The issues range from the lack of outreach and recruitment of students of color to succession planning and promotion of women into equity partner levels.

I feel that we need to press the “reset” button and start to approach things differently and with intention if we really want to change the status quo.

RC: You immigrated with your family to the United States from the Dominican Republic when you were eighteen years old. Can you share a little bit about your experience?

RJN: Yes, my family and I moved to the U.S. in pursuit of a better, more stable socioeconomic life when I was 18 years old and entering my senior year of high school. We settled in an almost all-white neighborhood near upstate NY and I was one of the few Latinas in the entire school. As you can imagine, this was an incredibility difficult time and transition for me because for the first time in my life, I felt “different” and categorized as “Latina” by everyone around me.

So I made a conscious decision — which I still live by — to not let those circumstances interfere with the future that I had envisioned. This pretty much meant that I had to work faster, longer and harder than everyone else around me. My ambition fueled me. I didn’t want to become a statistic. I wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem.

RC: As someone new to Boston, how would you describe the city?

RJN: Simply amazing! Everyone has been warm and welcoming and always willing to extend a helping hand. I love the history of the city, the seafood and the beauty and greenery of the suburbs. Let’s see how the winter treats me… I hope it’s kind. 🙂

RC: How do you think we can effectively advance diversity and inclusion efforts in today’s political climate?

RJN: It’s no secret that these days society is divided. But this climate has also forced the diversity issue to the forefront and elevated the D&I conversation across mainstream America.

People are becoming more and more comfortable with expressing their views and opinions with others. Movements like #MeToo, Black Lives Matter and #TimesUp, have helped in keeping issues related to discrimination and inequality front and center, which in my opinion, is helping to heighten the overall awareness.

RC: Now that you get to witness how attorneys spend their day to day, is there anything that surprised you during your first week on the job?

RJN: Yes! All the misconceptions and stereotypes that I believed to be true about attorneys have quickly disappeared. I am very fortunate to be able to work with one of the best — if not the best — group of law professionals, who are kind, warm and willing to assist in any way possible. To me, this is priceless.

From the moment I walked into the firm’s Boston office, it felt like home. And I very quickly realized that diversity and inclusion was something that the managing partners really had an authentic passion for and saw that whoever was going to be coming into this role was going to be very supported.

RC: What advice do you have for others who are passionate about making their respective industries more diverse?

RJN: Be willing to take risks. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Break a few rules and ask for forgiveness later. Know that there will be good days and pretty bad ones, but once embark on this journey the only way is forward.

RC: You don’t have a legal background like many of the other recently hired D&I officers in Biglaw; how will this differentiate you?  

RJN: I am bringing a very different perspective into the mix. As an industry, we can’t afford to continue to take the same approach and expect a different result. By bringing me onboard, Foley Hoag is breaking the traditional mold… and I love it!

On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Rosa J. Nunez for taking the time to share her story with our audience. We look forward to following her successes and wish her continued achievements in her career.

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

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