Faegre & Benson to Host TCDP Executive Director Valerie Jensen

For the next two years, Faegre & Benson LLP will serve as the host firm for Valerie Jensen, executive director of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDP).

TCDP is a nonprofit organization funded by its members, which include 21 law firms and 14 corporations. Member firms house the organization's executive director on a rotating basis, providing administrative support and meeting space. Faegre & Benson, a founding member of TCDP, is the third firm to serve as host.

Faegre & Benson partner Will Stute, who serves on the TCDP Board of Directors, says the firm is privileged to assist the organization in its mission of attracting, recruiting, advancing and retaining attorneys of color in the Twin Cities. "As a firm that is committed to increasing diversity—both within our organization and in the legal profession—we appreciate this opportunity to support the efforts of TCDP. It is a distinct honor to have Valerie Jensen working alongside us each day," says Stute.

Jensen is a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law and Carleton College. Prior to joining TCDP in 2007, she was the executive director of career planning at Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana. She also served as associate dean for multicultural affairs at William Mitchell College of Law.

TCDP initiatives include the Minnesota Minority Recruitment Conference, 1L Law Firm/Law Department Clerkship Program, orientations and career training sessions for law students and attorneys of color, forums to share best practices, and projects to promote the Twin Cities' world-class legal community to diverse talent nationwide.