The 2019 Penn State Law Diversity Banquet will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at the Days Inn Hotel in State College, Pennsylvania. The Penn State Law Student Bar Association established the diversity banquet to honor members of the legal community who have contributed to the development of the legal profession. The banquet also celebrates the Penn State University Park campus for being culturally diverse, inclusive, and equitable. All members of the Penn State and State College communities are welcome and encouraged to attend; please register online.

This year’s theme, Intersectional Identities, signifies the coming together of the Penn State Law community to celebrate the continual commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and representation in the legal field. It illustrates the strength of a community firm in its commitment to advancing the voices of Black, Latinx, Asian, Native American, queer, trans, woman, Muslim, disabled, veteran, and immigrant judges, lawyers, and law students working towards justice and equality. It reinforces the idea that the differences among us should not be used for the building of borders and walls, but for the foundation of a unified future. When we stand shoulder to shoulder alongside those who differ from us, we dismantle prejudices and discrimination and strengthen the unique characteristics that make us a community.

Penn State Law alumnus Zachary R. Brecheisen (Class of 2012) will serve as the event’s keynote speaker and will receive the Diversity Award for Leadership in the Legal Profession. Zach Brecheisen is an attorney with Jones Day in Pittsburgh, PA office. He focuses his practice on domestic and cross-border M&A as well as general corporate and transactional matters. He has experience representing public and private companies and private equity firms engaged in acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, and related commercial transactions. Zach also counsels clients on a variety of general corporate governance matters, including takeover defense and fiduciary duties. He has advised domestic and international clients in a broad range of industries, including energy, mining, manufacturing, heavy metals, cosmetics, and broadcast technology.

Zach is a member of the board of directors of the Penn State Law Alumni Society; serves on the Jones Day Pittsburgh Office’s Diversity, Inclusion & Advancement Committee; and is a member of the National LGBT Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Prior to entering law school, Zach was a project engineer with a North Carolina-based engineering consulting firm, where he advised electric utility clients on transmission and distribution system planning and on arc-hazard protection compliance. He is a recipient of the 2017 Penn State Law Distinguished Alumnus award, and also recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers (2017-18).

Registration is now closed, please email Vanessa Miller (vdm106@psu.edu) or Tracy Wong (hzw88@psu.edu) for information on the Waitlist.
 

The 2019 Penn State Law Diversity Banquet is sponsored by:
Penn State Law Student Bar Association
Speakers Trust
Penn State Law Career Services Office
Penn State Law Admissions Office
Penn State Educational Equity