Paragon Legal Expands Career Connect Program Nationwide, Collaborating with Santa Clara University School of Law, William & Mary Law School, and Leading Industry Partners

News provided by

Oct 19, 2023, 09:01 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Paragon Legal is excited to be partnering with Santa Clara University School of Law in California, Barracuda Networks, Inc. with headquarters in California, William & Mary Law School in Virginia, and a large east coast non-profit healthcare organization, bringing its second year of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Career Connect Program nationwide.

Paragon is a legal services firm providing attorneys and legal professionals on an interim or on-demand basis to in-house legal departments.

The Career Connect program is an innovative partnership between Paragon and leading companies to enhance talent and foster diversity in corporate legal departments, enabling recent law school graduates to get hands-on in-house legal experience directly out of law school.

Paragon launched the program in 2022, placing UC Law San Francisco (formerly, University of California, Hastings) law graduates at Bay Area tech companies Affirm and Dropbox in roles that gave them exposure to both legal and business aspects of being an in-house lawyer. Due to its tremendous success, the program has now evolved into a bi-coastal nationwide endeavor that expands from California to Virginia.

As part of the selection process, candidates for the program provided statements about how they would promote diversity and inclusion in the practice of law.

"Paragon's commitment to DE&I is embedded deep in our corporate DNA," stated Trista Engel, CEO of Paragon. "After an incredibly successful inaugural year, our steadfast ambition in the second year of the program is to empower outstanding legal talent with opportunities they may otherwise not have access to and advance diversity in the legal profession."

"Your first legal career opportunity lays the foundation for your professional journey, shapes your growth as a legal professional, and sets the trajectory for your future success. It has the power to shape the impact you can make in the world, and we are thrilled to bring this opportunity to students alongside Paragon," said Debbie Snyder, Assistant Dean of Career Management at Santa Clara University School of Law. "Being one of the most diverse law schools in the nation, it made sense to collaborate with Paragon on this program."

"William & Mary (W&M) Law School is excited to partner with Paragon's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Career Connect Program. The Program advances two initiatives of W&M Law Dean Benjamin Spencer's 'Why We Can't Wait Agenda for Equity and Justice': 1. 'Support for First-Generation & Underrepresented Students' and 2. 'Inclusive Hiring.' Paragon's DE&I Program offers a unique opportunity for recent graduates to accelerate their career path to an in-house legal position. Starting from day one, participants get hands-on experience witnessing how in-house counsel collaborates with internal clients and outside counsel. Additionally, they gain insights into a company's operations and industry, all while honing their legal skills," said Ramona Sein, Assistant Dean for Employer Relations at W&M Law School. "We are thrilled to congratulate Ashim as he embarks on his career as a 2023 DE&I Career Connect Program Attorney."

"We're very honored to partner with Paragon Legal on their DE&I Career Connect Program," said Diane Honda, Chief Administration Officer & General Counsel at Barracuda Networks. "This innovative program aligns perfectly with Barracuda's commitment to creating an inclusive employee culture that champions diverse voices and talents. Together, we can shape a brighter, more diverse future for corporate legal departments."

About Paragon Legal
Paragon is a premier legal services firm providing interim in-house counsel to businesses with growing legal services needs as well as Fortune 500 corporate legal departments in a wide range of industries.

Paragon's unique model provides legal professionals with meaningful work outside of the traditional path while also supporting its clients in everything from backfilling maternity leaves and hiring gaps to just general overflow work — all in a cost-effective and flexible manner.

SOURCE Paragon Legal Group