Ben Wilson Quoted in Bloomberg Law on the Legal Industry’s Racial Equity Efforts

Beveridge & Diamond Chairman Ben Wilson (Washington, DC) was quoted in “Black Law Firm Leaders Are Poised for Prodigious Change” in Bloomberg Law. He was interviewed alongside other Black law firm leaders regarding the legal industry’s efforts in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion amidst this summer’s notable push for racial equity.

“This is definitely different,” Ben said of the events of this summer. “The only time with a similar inflection point was in the ‘60s,” citing the protests in Birmingham, the marches in Selma, and the murder of the four little Black girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, “that all led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.” He adds, “I would not have felt this change three years ago, but George Floyd and the pandemic have made a difference.”

Wilson, one of the most optimistic voices quoted, says B&D is on the right track in its own diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. He cited the firm’s efforts to make changes in succession and client credit distribution and added that there is “impetus” for change in the industry.

“We want more than a moment,” Ben said.

In addition to his work with the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Ben serves on the Board of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) where he currently serves as Secretary, and as the Co-Chair of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. Ben established the African American General Counsel and Managing Partner Networks in 2012 and founded the Diverse Partners Network in 2008.