Firm Hosts Kickoff Reception for Ronald Brown Law School Prep Program

Hughes Hubbard's New York office hosted the Ninth Annual Kickoff Reception for the Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program at St. John's University School of Law.

The program's mission is to increase the diversity of the legal profession by preparing exceptional college students from disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups for success in law school and the legal profession. The kickoff reception introduced students in this year's junior class of the program to their attorney mentors from HHR, clients Merck and AXA Equitable, and other law firms and government agencies.

More than 80 friends and supporters of the program attended. Ted Mayer delivered welcome remarks on behalf of the firm, alongside Tracey Brown, daughter of the program's namesake Ron Brown, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and the Secretary of Commerce in the Clinton Administration, who was the first African-American to hold this position. Summer intern Andres Santamaria, an alumnus of the program, also spoke about the positive impact that mentors have on the professional development of students in the program. Professor Elaine Chiu, the director of the program, and Darryl Gibbs, associate general counsel at AXA, praised the firm's contributions to the program's continued success.

Diane Lifton, Charles Huberty and Julie Amadeo lead the firm's partnership with the prep program. In addition to Lifton, Huberty and Amadeo, Jason Benton, Jim Kobak, Bill Maguire, Brett Collings, Ashley Hodges, Ileana Loudarou, Caroline Parker-Beaudrias and Laura Escalona Trumbull volunteered to serve as mentors.