Don Davis first attended the LGBT Bar’s Annual Conference and Career Fair as a law student in 2005. He immediately became a big fan of the conference and a frequent attendee. In 2015, he attended the Annual Conference as a recipient of one of the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 Awards. At the opening event that year, Don met Chris Brown, a partner at Ackerman Brown PLLC, who was working on an employment case that Don had been following. “I nerded out a bit,” Don admits, adding that he spoke with Brown for a while about the case. Three weeks later, he received a phone call to interview for a position with Ackerman Brown. Ultimately, he was offered the job and worked there for just over a year.
Don is extremely grateful for the networking opportunities of The LGBT Bar’s Annual Conference. “Just as much networking happens in the hallway as in the career fair,” he says.
While the networking opportunities at the Annual Conference are unparalleled, in Don’s opinion the most important aspect of Lavender Law is the community it fosters. “There is great diversity of practice area and professional background among the lawyers who attend the conference,” explains Don. “It’s nice to have made new friends and acquaintances who are happy to help you down the road when you need guidance on a question relevant to their particular practice area”
At Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC, where Don now works, he advises management on employment issues and defends employers in litigation. To enhance his knowledge of employment law as it applies to LGBTQ people, Don has taken advantage of the great educational and networking opportunities in the Employment Law Institute at the LGBT Bar’s Annual Conference since its inception in 2015. “The Employment Law Institute is one of the best ideas the LGBT Bar has had to enhance the conference experience,” he says. “I went to the first one and loved it; I hope to see it continue.”
Don is very appreciative of the LGBT Bar and its many members. “The comfort of strong community among LGBTQ lawyers makes me confident to be out and proud at work and to push within my firm and within the legal community for greater LGBTQ representation and opportunity. [The LGBT Bar also] provides excellent networking opportunity and the ability to get to know smart and accomplished lawyers and legal scholars from around the country.”
As President of the LGBT Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Don also works to promote a strong sense of community among LGBTQ legal professionals at the local level.
The LGBT Bar is proud to count Don Davis among its members!