Paul Hastings Partners with Snap Inc. on Law in Technology Collaborative to Foster Diversity

October 22, 2020

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced its partnership with longstanding client Snap Inc. on the Law in Technology Diversity Collaborative (the “Collaborative”) program. Next year will be the second year that the firm will be participating in the program, which is aimed at expanding the pipeline of legal diversity by providing women and underrepresented minority law students with summer internships split between technology companies - including eBay, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Intel Corp. - and law firms.

While the Collaborative has been running successfully in the Bay Area for three years, the program began in Los Angeles in 2020. A UC Irvine rising second-year, Rakhi Kumar, participated in the inaugural Los Angeles program this past summer along with twenty-five other students in the Bay Area. Rakhi spent half of the summer (which was entirely virtual) working with Snap Inc.’s legal department and the balance of her summer with Paul Hastings. She plans to return to the firm in the summer of 2021. "The Collaborative greatly enhanced my understanding of the interplay between in-house and outside counsel," says Rakhi. "It provided me with critical insight that I have used in assessing my own career path after law school."

“This program has been a huge success and a triple-win for the students, companies, and firms,” says Nicole Diaz, Global Head of Integrity & Compliance Legal at Snap Inc. "We were thrilled that Paul Hastings committed to piloting this program with us, even amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic. At a time when we are all searching for concrete ways to address the lack of representation in the legal profession, this program is an excellent example of what we can accomplish together. There is an amazing pool of legal talent out there, and we do ourselves a disservice if we don't ensure our pipeline extends to them."

“The firm is excited to team up with Snap to promote diversity in law,” says Daniel Prince, Hiring Partner and Vice Chair of Paul Hastings’ Los Angeles Litigation Department. “We are honored to participate in the Collaborative and to have had the opportunity to work with Rakhi this summer. She is an extraordinary talent and we look forward to her return.”

At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear — to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative global law firms.