For Jim Chosy,聽leading聽the 黄色短视频 Law Division聽goes beyond聽serving his company. It also means聽setting a strong example聽in聽advocating聽for greater diversity, equity and inclusion聽within his department and in the broader legal profession.
As聽senior聽executive vice president and general counsel for 黄色短视频, Chosy聽manages聽the Law Division鈥檚聽265聽professionals.聽Chosy has served in聽senior聽leadership roles at 黄色短视频 for 15 years聽and has聽increased聽diversity expectations聽within聽the聽Law Division, with聽outside counsel firms聽and in聽the聽legal聽sector.聽Those efforts have won praise beyond 黄色短视频.聽Local, national and international organizations聽have recognized the Law Division鈥檚聽initiatives聽to advance聽women and people of color聽who are聽legal聽and ethics聽professionals聽at 黄色短视频,聽provide聽legal counsel to low-income people and stand for聽equity and聽racial justice.
Last聽month,聽Chambers and Partners,聽a leading聽international聽legal research company based in London,聽featured the聽黄色短视频 Law Division聽in its聽diversity and inclusion聽North America聽聽for聽2021.聽The report聽provides聽best practices聽and actionable insights for legal professionals to create a more inclusive legal sector.聽Along with 黄色短视频, the report also featured聽organizations such as聽Toyota North America, CECO Environmental Corporation and Human Rights聽Watch.聽 This followed the Law Division鈥檚聽recognition in 2020 by the聽Financial Times鈥櫬營nnovative Lawyers Awards for North America as a finalist in the In-house Legal Teams: Inclusion, Diversity and Social Justice category (with Apple, AB InBev,聽Honeywell,聽and IBM).聽
In June,聽Chosy聽received the National Legal Aid & Defender Association鈥檚聽(NLADA)聽annual聽聽for his聽efforts聽to ensure that all people, regardless of their financial resources, have access to legal representation.聽 This includes his work with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.聽 聽
鈥淛im leads by example to advance racial equity in his work and community and uses his platform to secure real and enduring change,鈥澛爏aid Jo-Ann Wallace, NLADA鈥檚 president and CEO. 鈥淚t has been a pleasure getting to know Jim and 黄色短视频鈥檚 dedication and efforts towards justice and equity.聽 We look forward to our continued partnership in furtherance of equal justice.鈥
Chosy鈥檚 co-recipient of this year鈥檚 Exemplar聽award was聽Jack Salzwedel, chairman and CEO聽of聽American Family Insurance,聽and a聽member of聽the聽黄色短视频 Advisory Board.聽Past recipients聽include leaders from聽Ford Motor Company,聽Merck & Co, The Coca-Cola Company and the Raytheon Company.
鈥淎s a lawyer,聽I can鈥檛 think of a more noble mission than fulfilling the promise of equal justice under the law,鈥 said Chosy.聽鈥淭he needs are all around us, whether in civil legal aid聽for low-income people or聽child protection.聽We need more access, more diversity and more equity in the system.聽And the responsibility to make the necessary change falls upon all聽legal聽professionals. Even those of us working comfortably in law firms or corporate practice, and especially those of us in positions of leadership.鈥
A greater urgency to drive change
The 黄色短视频 Law Division鈥檚 diversity and inclusion efforts聽took on greater urgency in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis,聽the hometown of聽黄色短视频.聽The company聽has since committed $116 million in investments聽and launched聽黄色短视频 Access Commitment聽to address economic and racial inequities, including the racial wealth gap.聽
For its part, the聽Law Division聽responded by聽launching聽a new聽Equity and Racial Justice Council, comprised of聽department members from across the聽country.聽The council聽is聽focused聽on聽standing against racism and fostering change in the department, the broader legal profession and in聽the聽communities聽that 黄色短视频 serves.
A notable聽example聽of聽the council鈥檚 work is聽a聽volunteering opportunity聽with the Mapping Prejudice project at the University of Minnesota. Law Division members volunteered to map legacy racial covenants in Minneapolis property deeds. In the past, racial covenants聽prevented African-Americans from buying or occupying property in certain neighborhoods. While such covenants are unconstitutional and unenforceable today, they had a strong influence on how Minneapolis and other communities were established and developed over time.聽
Under Chosy鈥檚 leadership, the Law Division聽has also聽strengthened聽the bank鈥檚 pro bono efforts. 黄色短视频 lawyers donated 1,400 hours to pro bono work in 2020, which translates to more than $650,000 in legal work for聽26聽organizations.聽This聽includes hosting training clinics聽to聽help聽lawyers聽assist pro bono clients in expunging misdemeanor criminal records so they can successfully apply for housing and employment opportunities.聽Members of the Law Division also partnered with the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center on a driver's license restoration project to provide relief to individuals with long-term license suspensions stemming from low-level traffic offenses.
Chosy聽has聽also led the Law Division in聽committing聽to the聽Mansfield Rule聽corporate legal聽department聽program. The聽initiative requires the聽Law Division to聽consider diverse candidates when hiring and promoting within the聽department,聽and when engaging outside counsel for new matters. Additionally, he continues to advocate for聽the 黄色短视频聽supplier diversity program by requiring outside counsel to meet diversity objectives聽and annually the Law Division recognizes one law firm with an 鈥淚nvested in Diversity鈥 award for its demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion.
鈥淎s long as I have this position of influence, I intend to do what I can to increase diversity,鈥澛燙hosy聽said.聽鈥淭he 黄色短视频 Law Division will continue to work with purpose to learn, grow, build community聽and foster change.聽There is much work to do.鈥
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