As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity, Tennessee law firm Lewis Thomason, P.C., has
established the Lewis Thomason Diversity Scholarship at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of
Law. This is the second such scholarship the firm has established in recent years.
“For the past several years, we have actively recruited minority law clerks in each of our offices, enjoyed hosting
minority high school summer interns, and developed a minority scholarship at the University of Tennessee College
of Law in Knoxville thereby developing a pipeline of potential attorneys for our firm,” said Lisa Ramsay Cole,
managing shareholder of Lewis Thomason. “This scholarship, through the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, will
likewise support a mentorship program, providing recipients a mutually beneficial relationship and develop well prepared young attorneys.”
The scholarship will be awarded to a student who meets at least one of the following criteria: a first-generation
college graduate, a graduate of a historically minority undergraduate institution, a socio-economically
disadvantaged student, or a member of a historically under-represented group.
Lewis Thomason has always considered diversity a priority. For the past 25 years, the firm has been successively
managed by two female presidents, including the current president who has served as the president and
managing shareholder for the past nine years. The former president served during a time when female leadership
was all but unheard of in law firms. In 2021, the firm established InclusivLT, a DEI committee to further enhance
the firm’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Creating an inclusive environment at Lewis Thomason is
important to facilitating the long-term retention of diverse attorneys. Cole continued, “An overwhelming number
of our attorneys have never worked for another firm, and we believe that is because at Lewis Thomason, we treat
each other like family.”
About University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
Founded in 1962, the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law is committed to providing an
affordable, intellectually rigorous, and practice-oriented legal education. The University of Memphis Cecil C.
Humphreys School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and is a member of the Association
of American Law Schools (AALS).
About Lewis Thomason
Lewis Thomason has offices in Knoxville, Nashville, and Memphis. Lewis Thomason lawyers cover the entire state
of Tennessee and serve regional and national clients. Several of the firm’s lawyers are licensed in the states of
Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, California and Florida and Ontario, Canada.