Overview
(January 29, 2024, Washington DC) – Pro Bono counsel Harmony Jones is one of 60 Scholars who will form the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ (PLS) 2024 class. For nearly a decade, PLS has served as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and create meaningful change in the United States and around the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson and their administrations.
The class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were chosen based on their leadership growth potential and the strength of their personal leadership projects aimed at improving civic engagement or social good by addressing a problem or need in their community, the country, or the world.
Harmony Jones assists in managing Steptoe's pro bono program. She is responsible for guiding and supporting firm-wide participation in the program, which seeks to increase access to justice by providing legal services to low-income individuals and charitable organizations. Jones provides representation and mentorship on a variety of pro bono matters, including those involving civil rights and public benefits law.
During the six-month program, Jones will develop her initiative to address issues of access to racial justice in the criminal justice system. The project involves joining with the Maryland Parole Partnership (MPP) to help establish and seek funding for the MPP Justice Fellowship program. The fellows will work to strengthen partnerships between individuals who have served extremely lengthy periods of incarceration and pro bono attorneys who can support them in obtaining their freedom through parole and in the courts.
About Steptoe
In more than 110 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
The diversity of the firm is a critical factor in its success. The firm’s chair is a woman; the majority of the firm’s elected executive committee is female; the majority of Steptoe's ten offices are managed by women; and the majority of Steptoe’s practice groups have women as leaders. The firm's six-person professional business services leadership is equally diverse, with two women of color, and other leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.