Dandridge Comments on His Participation in Diversity Symposium

The chair of the Firm’s Securities practice group, Albert S. Dandridge, III, was quoted in The Legal Intelligencer article “Next Generation Called on to Further Integrate the Bar,” which was published on December 1, 2008. The article reported on the symposium and reception titled “Creating Access: the Norris Law Firm and the Liacouras Committee,” held at the African American Museum in Philadelphia on November 19, 2008.

The event, hosted by the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group (PDLG), in association with Temple University and the Philadelphia Bar Association, brought together a distinguished panel of professionals to tell the story of a courageous and talented group of African American lawyers who formed what is considered by many to be Philadelphia’s first African American law firm – Norris Schmidt Green Harris Higginbotham & Brown – more than 50 years ago, in a time when African Americans had few, if any, options to practice in majority law firms.

Mr. Dandridge, who assisted in organizing the symposium, noted that he recently marveled that 60 years ago a young black magna cum laude graduate couldn’t get a job on Broad Street, let alone Wall Street. But, he continued, now a young black magna cum laude graduate “was just elected – talk about access – to become the 44^th United States President of America.” The article noted that Mr. Dandridge was compelled to help organize the event because the people who lived and breathed that history are aging. Even during the inception stage of the event, U.S. District Court Judge Clifford Scott Green passed away.

The distinguished panel – which included Schnader’s own William H. Brown, III, Robert L. Archie, Peter J. Liacouras, the Honorable Paul A. Dandridge, the Honorable Ricardo C. Jackson, W. Bourne Ruthrauff, and Professor Robert Reinstein – was moderated by Temple University Beasley School of Law Dean JoAnne A. Epps and sought to celebrate the achievements of the Norris Law Firm, the Liacouras Committee, and the other diversity pioneers who contributed to making a legal career accessible to a more diverse group of lawyers, providing an example of professional courage and commitment to principle that continues to inspire today. You can read more about the symposium here.