In order to support Morse’s efforts to recruit, retain, and help advance people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, we formed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (the “DEIC”). Its mission is to promote cultural awareness and diversity both inwardly (within the Firm) and outwardly (within the communities where we practice); to develop policies and procedures that reflect our commitment to inclusion, equality, and social justice; and to maintain a collaborative and collegial work environment where bias, bigotry, and prejudice have no place.
To further this mission, the DEIC works to provide resources and opportunities that enable all employees – with heightened sensitivity to the needs of diverse employees – to accomplish their professional goals. The DEIC also works to find appropriate opportunities for the Firm to impact the broader community in a positive manner, especially for those who are typically underserved and underrepresented.
We recognize that “diversity” includes race, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, physical disability, ethnicity, national origin, and socio-economic status. We apply our efforts at inclusion and diversity to all levels of employment, both lawyers and professional staff alike.
As a commitment to these efforts, the Firm has undertaken several internal initiatives and external memberships and sponsorships to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion, at the Firm and in the community, including these (and more to come!)
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Morse Diversity Fellowship
Morse Women Attorneys Group
Scroobious
INTERNAL INITIATIVES
Morse Diversity Fellowship
Morse is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion among our attorneys and professional staff. Morse strongly believes that including attorneys and staff members from diverse backgrounds is a critically important element in providing exceptional legal services to our clients and a productive working environment for our team members. In furtherance of our efforts to recruit, retain, and promote highly skilled attorneys who contribute to the diversity of our firm, we are pleased to offer the Morse Diversity Fellowship.
The Morse Diversity Fellowship program aims to provide training and mentorship opportunities critical to a law student’s professional development. Each year, Morse Fellows are selected from a competitive pool of applicants and are invited to join the firm for 9 weeks during the summer between their 1L and 2L academic years. Students selected as Morse Fellows will receive a $16,200 cash stipend. Learn more about the application process.
The application period for the 2024 Morse Fellowship is now open; qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.
“The best internship experience I had! Morse is not just any law firm. You get a chance to do “big law” stuff in an intimate supportive setting, where your work matters. And most importantly, Morse goes above and beyond to create a diverse collaborative environment and support its employees professionally and in their every day lives. I never thought a work family is possible until I got a chance to be part of the Morse family. Thank you! It has been a wonderful experience – engaging, challenging and fun!”
Aijan Isakova, Diversity Fellow, 2022
“Morse was a great place to work for my 1L summer, in large part due to the friendly and supportive attorneys and staff. I learned so much about how a law firm operates and was able to explore different practice areas through a flexible work assignment policy. I am so grateful that I ended up there and look forward to staying in touch with the Morse team.”
Jesse Messmer, Diversity Fellow, 2022
“As a first-generation law student, I felt apprehensive about not knowing what practicing law looked like. A summer at Morse gave me the type of confidence, insight, and experience that no amount of Internet browsing, or informational chats could have.”
Minji Kim, Diversity Fellow, 2021
Morse Women Attorneys Group
Morse has a robust, dynamic, and inclusive community of female attorneys. Our women attorneys group focuses on internal and external network building and informal mentorship. The group meets regularly, hosts several women-focused professional events each year, and strives to create an environment that supports women lawyers at every stage of professional development.
EXTERNAL INITIATIVES
Scroobious
Morse is a Partner Sponsor of Scroobious, a woman-owned company increasing diversity in the startup ecosystem. It does this through a virtual platform and community that supports underrepresented BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and female founders in meaningfully connecting with investors and partners. There are many great entrepreneurs and companies who do not succeed due to structural barriers and closed networks, and Scroobious (with Partners like Morse) is working to change that.
Through our partnership, Morse helps underrepresented founders obtain the social and financial capital they need and overcome challenges they typically face. We provide scholarships for companies to participate in the Scroobious Pitch it Plan™, where founders have access to education, feedback, and support from experts who help them create investor-compelling material and succeed in capital fundraising. Founders who have gone through PiP have raised millions in capital and been accepted by prestigious accelerators.
In addition to our financial contributions, Morse attorneys provide expert support to the Scroobious founders with frequent “Lunch and Learn” sessions and informational webinars and articles on targeted legal topics for entrepreneurs. As a firm committed to supporting diversity in the startup ecosystem, Morse is proud of this partnership with Scroobious.