Black History
Women’ s History
Arab American History
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage
Jewish American Heritage
Veterans Day
BR Black Black History Month Event at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. BR Asian AAPI Heritage Month Event at Pavé, an AAPI owned restaurant. BR MENA members at a Middle Eastern cooking class in honor of Arab American History month.
History & Heritage Month Q & As
In recognition of those who celebrate their respective history and heritage months, our attorneys share how their backgrounds and cultures have made them who they are today.
Black History
Judge Timothy K. Lewis is a Business Litigation attorney in our Pittsburgh office and is a member of our BR Black affinity group.
What does Black History Month mean to you? Black History Month allows all of us, from every race and ethnicity, to reflect upon the true meaning of opportunity, accomplishment, and overcoming racism in a democratic society. It enables us to pause each day in remembrance of the past and in appreciation of“ the hope that the present has brought us.” It is a chance to teach, learn, share, and rejoice. We are stronger in our ongoing effort to overcome when we take the time to reflect upon whence we came.
Women’ s History
Deborah
A. Skakel is a Business Litigation attorney in our New York office and a past chair of our BR Women affinity group.
What does Women’ s History Month mean to you? While Women’ s History Month provides us with a tremendous opportunity to honor remarkable women, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who have truly made their mark on our collective“ Women’ s History,” it also serves as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging the wonderful women who have contributed to our individual“ herstory”— women such as our mothers and grandmothers and our women mentors and champions. Many of these women are unsung heroes.
Arab American History
Natalie
Alameddine is a Labor & Employment attorney in our Los Angeles Office and a member of our BR MENA affinity group.
What is your favorite memory as a member of a Blank Rome affinity group? My favorite affinity group memory is when a group of BR MENA members got together for a cooking demonstration of Middle Eastern cuisine. It brought our colleagues and clients together for a wonderful evening of networking, culture, and delicious food.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage
Jason S. Kim is a Corporate attorney in our Los Angeles office and a member of our BR Asian affinity group.
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you? Since one cannot celebrate and honor the many contributions of Asian Americans, Pacific Islander Americans, and Native Hawaiians without recognizing the contributions of others, AAPI Heritage Month, for me, is an occasion to reflect on the reality that diversity has not only built our nation but is the only path forward to greater heights.
Jewish American Heritage
Marilyn B. Chinitz is a Matrimonial & Family Law attorney in our New York office.
How has your heritage shaped the person you are today? Both of my parents were Holocaust survivors. They strongly advised my sisters and me that we should become professionals and not rely on another person to take care of us. My parents were committed to helping their daughters achieve significant goals and emphasized that the only way that could be accomplished was by having a strong work ethic and working hard. I grew up with the message that you have to prepare, prepare more, and over prepare so that you are at the top of your game always.
Veterans Day
Judge Stephen M. Orlofsky is a Business Litigation attorney in our Princeton office and a chair of our BR Brave affinity group.
What does Veterans Day mean to you? Veterans Day honors all who have served, from the Revolutionary War to Afghanistan, recognizing their service, courage, and love of country. It’ s a day to pay tribute to veterans and their supportive families and friends. For me, it’ s personal— a time to honor all veterans, especially my friends Pinky Durham and Rodney Strobridge, who were lost in Vietnam. Veterans Day reminds me that freedom is not free; it has been earned and protected by our veterans, making it a day of remembrance for all, especially those who have given the last full measure of devotion.
BRoader Impact • 17 BRoader Impact • 18