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Nirvana India Dove
Chief Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging Officer
Washington, D.C.
Chief Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging Officer
Washington, D.C.
As Chief Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging (IDEB) Officer, Nirvana leads the development and implementation of the firm’s IDEB strategy and policies, particularly as it relates to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse talent. In this role, she partners with key stakeholders, firm leaders, and department heads to integrate IDEB principles and best practices into the firm’s strategic growth plan and client service initiatives. She also oversees the firm’s IDEB analytics function and affinity group engagement, while working closely with various committee chairs and serving as the lead contact for internal and public-facing communications on IDEB matters.
Nirvana has nearly 20 years of experience in the legal industry, including multiple leadership roles spanning both private practice and academia. Her professional portfolio includes several years of corporate legal practice in law firm and in-house settings, followed by progressive IDEB roles, in which she designed and facilitated initiatives to deepen IDEB acumen, fostered cross-cultural awareness, and established strong mentoring and sponsorship practices. She has also led efforts to strengthen relationships with clients by providing client value-adds focused on client-specific IDEB goals and collaboration, responding to inquiries, benchmarking for certification and goal-tracking purposes, and collaborating with firm practice groups and industry teams on strategies to support, educate, and establish IDEB goals and best practices.
Nirvana is passionate about coaching and mentoring associates on professional development and advising firm leaders on strategies to support underrepresented attorneys in the talent pipeline. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on topics including neurodiversity, corporate social responsibility, and the retention of underrepresented talent.
Nirvana earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, in Communications and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining Frost Brown Todd, Nirvana served as Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at an Am Law 20 firm, where she developed a firmwide strategic plan focused on debiasing and inclusive leadership in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse legal talent. She also worked closely with the firm’s recruiting and development team to implement strategies for integrating DEI into its professional development and pipeline programs.
In addition, Nirvana served as a senior member of the Legal Talent Department at an Am Law 200 firm and spent five years in academia working, first, as Assistant Director of Employer Relations at Georgetown University Law Center and, later, as Associate Director of Diversity and International Student Initiatives. She began her career as a corporate and securities associate, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity offerings, and restructuring plans.
Emory University School of Law, J.D.
University of Pennsylvania, B.A., Communications and Sociology
Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals
National Association of Legal Professionals
Washington Area Legal Recruitment Administrators Association
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging Committee, Member
Women’s Initiative Committee, Member
“Creating a Legal Industry Where Everyone Can Thrive: How Law Firms Can Better Accommodate Neurodivergent Attorneys,” Guest Speaker, The Law in Black and White Podcast, Episode #27, 2024
“Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals,” Moderator, ALFDP Conference and Annual Meeting, 2022
“Proven Tactics for Retaining Diverse Law Firm Talent,” Panelist, Lavender Law Conference, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, 2019
“Best Practices in Women’s Initiatives: What Your Women Want and Need,” Panelist, Professional Development Institute, 2018
“Global JD Admissions and Law Firm Growth v. H-1B Visa Cap: Strategies for Hiring and Advising JD Students in this Landscape,” Panelist, NALP Annual Conference, 2017
“Neurodiversity in the Legal Profession: Progress in Recruiting and Support Efforts Presents New Disclosure Questions,” NALP Bulletin, 2023
“We Stood Against Injustice; Where Do We Stand Now,” NALP Bulletin, 2020
“Maximizing the Effectiveness of Affinity Groups,” NALP Bulletin, 2018
“Unconscious Bias: What Is It and How Do We Deal with It,” NALP Bulletin, 2017
August 6, 2024 | Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging
Frost Brown Todd (FBT), a full-service national law firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Nir...