LA-Based Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Helps Lead Effort to Honor Slain Paralegal’s Memory
Along with her mother Susan Bro, the law firm that employed Heather Heyer, who was killed at this month’s white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., has created a foundation to honor her memory by providing scholarships to individuals who demonstrate a commitment to the values she died defending: tolerance, diversity and equal opportunity. It will be called the Heather Heyer Foundation. The Miller Law Group, along with national law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, the foundation’s first supporter, encourage law firms nationwide to offer support.
“Heather’s principled approach to her life and work inspired all those who had the honor of knowing her—and now, in death, has inspired many more,” said Larry Miller of the Miller Law Group, where Heather had just marked her fifth work anniversary. “In recent days, we’ve received countless messages of support, including from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, for which we are sincerely grateful. We have created the Heather Heyer Foundation to direct that support in the most productive way possible, toward a cause deeply meaningful to Heather: social justice advocacy.”
The foundation has established a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to individuals passionate about positive social change. Scholarships will be awarded to those seeking a degree or certification in law, paralegal studies, social work, education, or other fields of study that nurture interest in social justice. To honor Heather’s passion for equality and advocacy, and to encourage the legal profession to embrace its responsibility to act as a champion of social justice, the foundation is looking to the legal industry to honor Heather’s legacy and help the scholarship program thrive.
“Heather’s demonstrated passion for social justice centers on diversity and inclusion, ideals that many law firms actively and admirably pursue,” said Greg Olaniran, co-Chair of Diversity & Inclusion at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp. “The legal industry has the opportunity to follow Heather’s example by not just talking about the need for diversity and inclusion, but by taking action to demonstrate its commitment to making a difference.”
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp invites law firms across the country to embrace this opportunity to donate and help young people pursue careers in social justice.
To donate to the Heather Heyer Foundation, please visit www.heatherheyerfoundation.com.
About Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Since 1908, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MSK) has proven its ability to understand the complex, demystify the mysterious, and define the unknown. With more than 130 lawyers and offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C., MSK is often distinguished as a “go-to” firm by industry and legal insiders, and has extensive experience in a variety of practice areas, including Entertainment & IP Litigation, Labor & Employment, Motion Picture, Television & Music Transactions, Immigration, Corporate Securities, Regulatory, Tax, Trusts & Estates, Real Estate and International Trade. Relentlessly innovative, our lawyers have developed groundbreaking legislation, established influential precedents, and shaped the legal landscape. For more information, visit www.msk.com.
About the Heather Heyer Foundation
The Heather Heyer Foundation is a tax-deductible nonprofit foundation created to honor Heather Heyer, a young civil rights activist, who dedicated her life to promoting equal rights for all people. The Foundation’s scholarship program will provide financial assistance to individuals passionate about positive social change. Scholarships will be awarded to those seeking a degree or certification in, but not limited to, law, paralegal studies, social work, social justice and education. For more information, visit www.heatherheyerfoundation.com.
