BOSTON, Oct. 3, 2007 – Goodwin Procter LLP, a leading national law firm, announced today that it has created a new Diversity Fellowship in conjunction with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) to promote diversity in the legal profession. Through the Fellowship, the firm will award a stipend of $15,000, to be funded by MassMutual, to a minority law student who demonstrates exceptional academic performance, outstanding leadership and involvement in minority student organizations, a commitment to community service, and other special achievements and honors. Candidates must express an interest in joining Goodwin Procter’s 2008 Summer Program and in working for MassMutual’s legal department in Springfield, Mass., for two weeks during the Summer Program.
“Goodwin Procter has a long history of commitment to promoting diversity, both within our firm and in the legal profession,” said Regina M. Pisa, chairman and managing partner of Goodwin Procter. “We continue to look for innovative ways to partner with others with the goal of expanding opportunities for diverse candidates.”
This new Fellowship supplements the Goodwin Diversity Fellowships, which Goodwin Procter launched in 2005. Through the Goodwin Diversity Fellowships, the firm has awarded eight outstanding minority law students stipends of $15,000 each over the past two years.
“A diverse workplace translates into more creative thinking and problem-solving, and also enables us to more clearly and closely identify with an increasingly diverse client base,” said Mark Roellig, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, MassMutual. “Workforce diversity can create both a competitive advantage and a business opportunity.”
In order to apply, students must submit a Goodwin Diversity Fellowship Application, and indicate that they are specifically interested in being considered for the Goodwin MassMutual Diversity Fellowship. Goodwin Procter will interview candidates, and in consultation with MassMutual, the firm’s Fellowship Awards Committee will select the award winner. Candidates will be evaluated on a rolling basis from September through November, with a winner expected to be chosen by November 30, 2007. The Goodwin MassMutual Diversity Fellowship will be awarded at Goodwin Procter’s annual Diversity Fellowship awards ceremony in early 2008.
To be eligible for the Fellowship, an applicant must be a full-time, currently enrolled student of color pursuing a J.D. at an accredited law school, with no more than two years of law school remaining until anticipated graduation. Candidates may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm for the summer of 2008. Students who are immediate family members of a Goodwin Procter or MassMutual employee, and/or are a Goodwin Procter client or employee of a Goodwin Procter client, are not eligible.
About Goodwin Procter
Goodwin Procter LLP is one of the nation’s leading law firms with 850 attorneys in offices in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The firm’s core areas of practice are corporate, litigation and real estate, with specialized areas of focus that include financial services, private equity, technology, REITs and real estate capital markets, intellectual property and products liability.
About MassMutual
MassMutual Financial Group is the fleet name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliates, with more than $450 billion in assets under management at year-end 2006. Assets under management include assets and certain external investment funds managed by MassMutual’s subsidiaries. Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a mutually owned financial protection, accumulation and income management company headquartered in Springfield, Mass. MassMutual's major affiliates include: OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; MML Investors Services, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC (www.finra.org and www.sipc.org); MassMutual International LLC and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB. MassMutual is on the Internet at www.massmutual.com.