Jamila S. Mensah named Trailblazer of the Year by lawyer advocacy group TMCP

Houston partner Jamila S. Mensah has received the 2022 Trailblazer of the Year Award from the Texas Minority Counsel Program (TMCP) for her work in advancing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.

The TMCP Trailblazer of the Year Award is awarded to the person judges believe has done the most to effectuate the promotion of diversity within the legal profession through hiring, retention and mentoring of minority, women and LGBTQ+ lawyers; partnering with minority, women and LGBTQ+ owned law firms; and involvement with community activities designed to promote diversity within the legal profession. 

Mensah has a solid track record as an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion at Norton Rose Fulbright and in the legal profession. She serves as co-chair of the firm’s Racial Equity Council, which works to strategically address the retention and promotion of Black lawyers and business services personnel in the firm. She is also a developmental partner, offering support and career development guidance to associates at the firm. Mensah is also a member of the firm’s Pride Network, serves on the Houston Hiring Committee and has previously served as the vice chair of the firm’s Minority Lawyers Network.

Her tireless advocacy is not limited to the firm. She is President of the Association of Rice University Black Alumni, a Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, serves on the UT Law Houston Steering Committee and provides pro bono legal services to and alongside several organizations, including the Houston Bar Association, The Bridge Over Troubled Waters and Child Advocates and the Equal Justice Initiative.

Mensah is an employment and labor lawyer with extensive experience in discrimination, retaliation and wage and hour issues. She represents clients in federal and state court and before administrative bodies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Mensah will be honored at a November luncheon.

Created in 1993 by the Texas Bar Association, TMCP’s mission is to increase opportunities for diverse lawyers who provide legal services to corporate and governmental clients and expose organizations to their diverse legal talent. The TMCP is open to all lawyers and aims to bolster the amount and significance of legal work of historically underrepresented lawyers including minority, women and LGBTQ+ lawyers.