Portia Bailey Selected as Barnes & Thornburg’s 2015 Diversity Scholarship Recipient

INDIANAPOLIS – Portia Bailey has been awarded the 2015 Barnes & Thornburg Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship was created as part of Barnes & Thornburg’s ongoing commitment to diversity.

“It is an honor to be the recipient of the Barnes & Thornburg Diversity Scholarship and join the firm’s summer associate program,” said Bailey, who is a first-year law student at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. “I am excited to join a firm that is taking an initiative to create a diverse and inclusive environment. There are astounding benefits in creating this type of culture and I look forward to growing and learning in it this summer.”

Bailey will serve as a summer associate in the firm’s Indianapolis office. Prior to attending law school, Bailey worked in community development as a project manager with the Town of Fishers. Bailey graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University, where she was a member of the track and field team and an Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Bailey regularly volunteers with Down But Not Out Communications, an organization that provides programs, seminars and various speaking engagements targeted toward juvenile offenders, ex offenders, at-risk youths and youth groups.

"We are so pleased to be able to award Portia with this scholarship," said Shannon Williams, the firm's director of law school recruiting and diversity. "This is the second year the firm has given the diversity scholarship and we are thrilled to offer Portia this opportunity. She is an outstanding selection."

The Diversity Scholarship is open to first-year law students who demonstrate a commitment to contributing meaningfully to the diversity and inclusion goals of Barnes & Thornburg and the legal profession. Barnes & Thornburg recognizes that a commitment to diversity requires action. To achieve this mission, the firm is committed to hiring, retaining and developing a diverse team of employees that reflects the various communities in which we live and work. Barnes & Thornburg strives to create a climate of inclusion, grow our talent pool and foster innovation and creativity to compete in the global market.

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 12 offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Los Angeles, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. Visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.