SOUTH BEND – Jorge H. Ortiz, a University of Notre Dame Law School student, has received a Barnes & Thornburg 2020 Diversity Scholarship. Ortiz, a first-year law student, will work as a summer associate in the firm’s South Bend office during summer 2020.
The scholarship is open to first-year law students with a demonstrated commitment to positive change on the diversity, inclusion and equity front and to contributing meaningfully to the diversity, inclusion and equity goals of Barnes & Thornburg and the legal profession.
Ortiz is involved in the Military & Veteran Law Society and Hispanic Law Student Association at the University of Notre Dame Law School. A University of Notre Dame graduate, Ortiz is currently a First Lieutenant in the Army National Guard.
“I’m deeply grateful and honored to be the recipient of the 2020 Barnes & Thornburg South Bend Diversity Scholarship,” Ortiz said. “Not only will I have the opportunity to work alongside many of the finest legal professionals in the country this summer, I will also be working with a group of attorneys that recognizes the strength that diversity and inclusion bring to the workplace. I’m excited to be working for a law firm that recruits, embraces, and empowers talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds knowing that a diverse workforce will make us better, more effective advocates in service of an increasingly changing community. I’ve already been made to feel so welcome by everyone at Barnes & Thornburg and I can’t wait to begin working with them this summer.”
Two other scholarships were awarded by the firm for summer associate positions in Indianapolis and Chicago.
“We knew as soon as we saw Jorge’s resume that he is an extraordinary candidate,” said Timothy A. Emerick, South Bend law student hiring partner. “His remarkable education achievements, his work for a U.S. senator and his service in the Army National Guard set him apart from his peers. Yet, we were even more impressed after meeting Jorge. He is, of course, smart but he is also very engaging, humble and eager to learn. We really look forward to Jorge joining us this summer.”
Barnes & Thornburg’s diversity scholarship program is part of the firm’s commitment to diversity. Our vision is to align the business of diversity and inclusion with the business of the firm. Through deliberate programming, engaged sponsorship and the continual internal and external investment of time, talent and resources, the firm is committed to building and sustaining an inclusive, respectful and open culture made up of accomplished individuals of all backgrounds.
With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.
