Dinsmore's J.T. Wilson Named to Crain's Notable Minorities in Law List

Dinsmore labor and employment partner J.T. Wilson III has been named to Crain's Chicago Business' 2020 Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting and Law List.

The list includes professionals "who have overcome challenges and bias to rise to the top of their professions," wrote Crain's contributing editor Judith Crown. "With the death of George Floyd and the intensified Black Lives Matter movement, many have stepped up to more visible roles in diversity and inclusion initiatives. ... Some are conducting training in implicit bias. They take on pro bono work to help the disadvantaged and join community organizations to support at-risk youth. ... At their firms, these professionals are helping to navigate the pandemic, In an extraordinary year, they've risen to the challenge."

Wilson's experience includes litigating claims of private and public companies involving employment and other business-related counseling and litigation. As lead trial counsel, he has practiced before the U.S. district courts, circuit courts of Illinois, and federal and state administrative agencies across the nation. He is a also Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 2020 fellow, and served as a coach at the American Bar Association/National Employment Law Council’s 2019 Employment Law Trial Institute at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

In November, Wilson was featured in the Crain's Chicago Business article "The Business Case for Diversity," speaking about the essential nature of diversity in the workplace. He said Dinsmore's diversity initiatives attracted him to the firm when he joined in late 2018.

“There’s no perfect environment, but there are strategic steps that were implemented that prepared Dinsmore to be a leader,” Wilson said. “I lead a very diverse team, and that’s intentionally done. ... We are a stronger team when we’re more inclusive."

Crain's chose the list from a crop of Chicago-based nominees employed full-time at public accounting, consulting or law firms of 25 or more employees. Nominees must have shown the ability to effect change, serve as a role model, and must have also taken a leadership position outside their organization.