We are particularly proud of our many distinguished alumni who have moved on to highly respectable positions after leaving the firm, including as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General, in-house counsel for National Football League teams, Assistant Solicitor General, Assistant White House Counsel, director-counsel and president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and US Attorney for the District of Columbia. 

The following is a sampling of recent alumni events:

• US District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Paul Engelmayer, a former WilmerHale partner, discussed his experience as Justice Thurgood Marshall’s law clerk. This event commemorated the 50th anniversary of Justice Marshall’s confirmation to the US Supreme Court.
• Partner Ron Machen, a former US Attorney for the District of Columbia, discussed the role his office played in addressing local, national and international issues ranging from community outreach to the prosecution of terrorists and pirates. He also explained how his tenure with the firm—from summer associate to partner—prepared him to be US Attorney for the nation’s capital.

WilmerHale supports affinity groups for our women, LGBT, and racially and ethnically diverse lawyers across the firm. Affinity groups host firmwide bi-monthly meetings, as well as regular programs related to the importance of networking and social activities, such as sporting events, dinners at partners’ homes and lunches in the office.

We believe that superb legal skills are best built through broad work experiences, sound formal training by experienced practitioners, and strong mentoring relationships. The framework of our professional development program is the Career Advancement Program (CAP). CAP offers a flexible career path structure, supportive training, and a competency-based approach to evaluation, promotion, compensation and overall professional development. Given that mentors play an important role in a lawyer’s professional development and career success, through CAP, the firm provides associates and counsel with formal mentors who guide and support their careers. The Diversity Committee works with firm leadership to ensure that our mentoring program supports our efforts to develop, retain and advance a diverse group of lawyers.

WilmerHale has a long history of community service and philanthropy, based on the principles John Pickering held in founding the firm. Today, the firm pays tribute to his legacy and strengthens its commitment to the community through the annual presentation of the Pickering Fellowships, which allow selected associates to spend six months working at a public interest organization.

Also, in a program with the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, WilmerHale sends litigation associates and counsel to the Somerville and Malden District Courts for six-month rotations as special assistant district attorneys.

WilmerHale’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) was established in 2006 by women partners, counsel, associates and senior administrators to promote the recruitment, retention and advancement of women lawyers. WLI programs focus on professional development tailored to the needs and interests of women attorneys, building relationships within the firm, strategies for business development, and fostering opportunities to engage with women clients and alumni. Our Management Committee strongly endorses the WLI, which is an important component of the firm’s social compact to support and enhance the professional development of all lawyers. What distinguishes the WLI from the women’s initiatives of other firms is the level of attorney participation in the planning of its programs, strong support from the Management Committee, and regularly scheduled events.