The National LGBT Bar Association and Foundation announced that M. Dru Levasseur will be Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
In this moment of critical need, the National LGBT Bar is expanding and prioritizing its diversity, equity, and inclusion work. In his role, Dru will lead Lavender Law 365™, the only LGBTQ+ inclusion coaching and consulting program designed by lawyers for lawyers, specifically to enable the implementation of best practice standards for LGBTQ+ equity across law firms, law schools, and companies.
Dru has been a leading figure in the LGBTQ+ equality movement for over 25 years, serving a decade as counsel in landmark transgender rights cases as the Transgender Rights Project Director for Lambda Legal, and as the first staff attorney at Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. He also co-founded the Jim Collins Foundation, a trans-led nonprofit organization that funds surgeries for transgender people in need.
“As one of the foremost thought leaders in the LGBTQ+ movement, we couldn’t be more thrilled to have Dru lead this work,” said Judi O’Kelley, Chief Program Officer for the National LGBT Bar Association and Foundation. “In our inaugural year, we saw high demand for our LGBTQ+ inclusion programming with an intersectional lens. As the importance and value of diversity, equity, and inclusion is being understood by law firms, law schools, and organizations across the country, the National LGBT Bar is well-positioned to meet demands and make lasting change in the legal community.”
“The feedback we have received from both LGBTQ+ attorneys and law students who have been personally impacted by our work, as well as from our allies who are eager to help, tells us that systemic change is possible,” said Dru Levasseur. “I am excited to see more doors opening for LGBTQ+ people in the legal profession.”