Bypass the primary and secondary navigation and continue reading the main body of the page

Dean Holmes Named to List of Influential Attorneys, Legal Advisors

For the second consecutive year, La Verne Law Dean Gilbert Holmes has been selected to the Lawyers of Color Annual Power List, a comprehensive catalog of the nation’s leading minority attorneys and non-minority legal diversity advocates.

The recently released Fourth Annual Power List issue highlights the 2015 listing, covering 171 honorees including general counsels, law school deans, justice foundation leaders, and law firm managing partners and practice group leaders.

In all, 27 law school deans from across the country were selected. Holmes is one of four deans from California-based schools – Frank Wu, University of California Hastings College of Law; Rachel Moran, UCLA School of Law; and Kevin Johnson, UC Davis School of Law – named to the list.

Since beginning his tenure at La Verne Law in 2013, Holmes has overseen formation of the law school’s new vision and mission statements and worked with the faculty to revise the curriculum and create the La Verne Model of Legal Education. He inserted La Verne Law into the national discussion on the cost of legal education in March 2014 when he led the effort to adopt the innovative “True Tuition Model,” a flat, no discount, $25,000-per-year tuition. In September 2014 the California State Bar presented Holmes one of its inaugural Presidential Recognition Awards for his efforts to provide access to justice.

In a statement that accompanied the release of this year’s Power List, Lawyers of Color publisher Yolanda Young was quoted as saying “While many of our honorees have received individual recognition, this provides the only comprehensive list of the nation’s most influential minority attorneys. We are proud to salute this esteemed group.”

Founded in 2008 to report news to Black legal professionals, Lawyers of Color has evolved into a media and research company that focuses on all lawyers of color. Lawyers of Color has been recognized by the American Bar Association and the National Black Law Student Association.