Melissa S. Woods was honored on July 18, 2023, in Washington, DC as a recipient of the Lawyers of Color’s Inaugural Wonderful Women of 2023.
Lawyers of Color (LoC) announced its inaugural Wonderful Women list, which recognizes dynamic women attorneys working in law firms, companies, and government agencies across the U.S. who show promise in their careers and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession. Honorees are profiled in the Hot List 2023 Issue.
Honorees were feted at two receptions hosted by Greenberg Traurig LLP in its Washington, D.C. office on July 18, 2023 and its Atlanta office on July 19, 2023 where remarks were given by special guest, The Honorable Eleanor L. Ross, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
LoC, a 501c3 nonprofit, which has been mentioned in Bloomberg News, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary.
“We continue to do this work because we believe such recognitions will maintain and increase diversity within the legal profession, which is imperative,” said LoC president, Yolanda Young in AboveTheLaw, which also noted there is never a fee or sponsorship requirement to be nominated or included in LoC publications.
A free digital version of the Hot List 2023 is available on the Publications page of LoC’s website, https://www.lawyersofcolor.org/ See full list of honorees here: https://lawyersofcolor.org/wonderful-women-honorees-2023/
Wonderful Women Selection Criteria
The honorees were chosen through a two-pronged process. Our selection committee, composed of the editorial staff, fellows and advisers, spent months reviewing nominations and researching legal publications in order to identify promising candidates. We accepted nominations from mentors, peers, and colleagues. We also made editorial picks based on our research of attorneys who had noteworthy accomplishments, giving special attention to candidates who were active in diversity pipeline initiatives.