Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Jake R. McMillian has joined the firm as its Director of Diversity and Inclusion. As a licensed diverse attorney, Jake previously served in similar roles at two other multinational law firms and brings a unique understanding of the legal world to this new role. He will be based in the firm's Chicago office.
"Jake brings energy and experience in developing and implementing successful strategies to recruit, retain and promote diverse lawyers and staff," says Michael Hammer, CEO of Dickinson Wright. "We are confident Jake will further enhance our inclusive atmosphere and help us ensure that we are continuing to provide meaningful opportunities to our diverse personnel."
As the Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Jake will implement the Diversity and Inclusion Committee's 32-point action plan, bring new Diversity and Inclusion programs and policies to fruition, and be a resource for Diversity and Inclusion efforts firm-wide. Jake will be working alongside senior firm leadership and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee to address issues related to diverse attorney recruitment, retention, and promotion; organizational culture and equity; diversity program development; and community engagement.
Prior to joining Dickinson Wright, Jake led Diversity and Inclusion initiatives at two other multinational law firms. In these roles, he oversaw national recruitment efforts for diverse attorneys, managed tracking strategies that monitored associate advancement and equitable work allocation, and developed award-winning sponsorship and mentorship programs for diverse and women attorneys. Jake's leadership helped these previous firms achieve record diverse associate recruitment, diverse partner promotion, and diverse attorney retention. Most recently, Jake served as Assistant Director of Recruitment & Outreach at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) John Marshall Law School.
Jake is currently working on his Ed.D in Diversity & Equity in Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is a member of KC Legal and SAVE, Inc. He also earned a B.A. from Ottawa University and his J.D. from University of Kansas School of Law.