SEO’s Law Advance Launches with Program for Diverse Law Professionals

NEW YORK, NY, October 27, 2022 – SEO Law Advance, a partnership between SEO’s Leadership Institute and Kirkland & Ellis LLP, a long-time supporter of SEO USA, will provide curated mentorship, coaching, and educational programming to the Firm’s attorneys of color and those who identify as LGBTQ+.

SEO Law Advance is a client-driven, multi-pronged, leadership development program that provides educational and advancement opportunities for participants at critical career junctures. This approach brings together a community of in-house and general counsel, senior law firm partners, and attorneys from historically excluded backgrounds.

The program has three components:

1. Legal Practice Accelerator: with an experiential learning framework, bridges law school education and legal practice for first-year corporate associates
2. Elevate: through “enhanced mentorship” and leadership development training, uplifts and accelerates the careers of midlevel associates
3. General Counsel Connect: engages private equity clients in 1:1 support of select senior attorneys

The Legal Practice Accelerator kicked off SEO Law Advance in early September; Elevate launched in late October 2022; and General Counsel Connect inaugurates in 2023.

“Through SEO Law Advance, Kirkland energizes the ‘equity and inclusion’ side of DEI to promote retention, advancement, and promotion, building on years of progress on the ‘diversity side’ as a dedicated SEO recruiting partner,” said Ellisen Turner, a partner, and co-chair of Kirkland’s Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion Committee.

SEO has a track record of nearly 60 years of matching talent with opportunity, and has helped more than 21,000 young people reach their potential. This innovative Leadership Institute initiative will propel first-year, mid-level, and senior attorneys into successful legal careers.

ABOUT SEO

SEO was founded in 1963 with a mission to create a more equitable society by providing exceptional educational and career opportunities to talented and motivated young people from underserved and historically excluded communities. For almost 60 years, SEO has been an innovator in education, mentorship and peer-to-peer support, championing untapped talent with the drive to succeed to realize their potential, achieve excellence, and leverage diverse networks. Learn more at www.seo-usa.org.

ABOUT THE SEO LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

The SEO Leadership Institute provides ongoing development to alumni, customized for each stage of their career. There are three distinct parts to the Institute: making connections, professional and personal development, and civic engagement. Learn more at www.seoleadershipinstitute.org.

ABOUT KIRKLAND & ELLIS

With a global platform of more than 3,000 lawyers in 18 cities across the United States, Europe and Asia, Kirkland & Ellis provides elite legal services and a relentless commitment to client service. The Firm is a market-leader in each of its core practice areas, including private equity, M&A and other complex
corporate transactions; investment fund formation and alternative asset management; restructurings; high-stakes commercial and intellectual property litigation; and government, regulatory and internal investigations. As a firm with a global presence, Kirkland embraces and promotes diversity, equity and
inclusion, both within our own organization and throughout the legal profession. To learn more, please visit www.kirkland.com.