In recognition of her leadership in improving the gender gap in equity partnership and working to elevate women in the legal profession, Carrington Coleman partner Marisa O’Sullivan has been selected among the Influential Woman of the Year finalists for the 2024 Texas Legal Awards.

Presented by Texas Lawyer and Law.com, the award honors female lawyers who are making a “remarkable difference” in the legal profession, demonstrating exceptional skill in their fields and dedication to advancing equality.

“The selection committee indicated that the finalists are remarkable women with the ability to inspire others. That is exactly how I would describe Marisa,” said Managing Partner Monica Latin. “As chair of our insurance recovery section, she has won over tough clients, who marvel at her ability to be calm and fierce at the same time. But what I appreciate perhaps the most about Marisa is natural leadership in developing and promoting our women lawyers. She really cares about people and the profession, and I am excited to watch her star continue to rise.”

And her career-spanning efforts have had a profound impact far beyond Carrington Coleman. As a young lawyer, she was instrumental in the development of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association’s nationally-recognized Women’s Mentoring Circles program, which has positively impacted hundreds of women lawyers. Later, as president of the DWLA, Marisa doubled membership, doubled fundraising records, and implemented a swath of groundbreaking programs that are now being emulated across the country.

First was The Pitch – a business development experience, designed to close the gender gap in equity partnership. During The Pitch, participants (women lawyers ranging from senior associates to junior partners) practice various types of pitches all with real-time feedback from in-house counsel. Because of its innovation, Marisa has coached firms and non-profits nationwide on how to replicate the success of The Pitch and Forbes and Fortune magazines have highlighted The Pitch in an editorial piece titled “Extraordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things.” The State Bar of Texas and the National Conference of Women Bar Associations have both given The Pitch awards of highest honor.

Second, working in conjunction with the National Association of Women Lawyers she developed Breakfast and Breakouts, a program designed to engage managing partners and executive committee members in a frank issue-solving roundtable on key issues like parental leave, succession, compensation, and reviews. NAWL has now rolled out Breakfast and Breakouts to other markets nationwide.

Last, Marisa created the Dallas Legal Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Job Board by bringing together six other diverse bar associations to increase the accessibility of job prospects for their memberships. LEAD serves as a centralized hub for legal employers seeking to hire well-qualified, diverse attorney candidates. The State Bar of Texas awarded the LEAD Job Board a Star of Achievement.

“It is an honor to be named alongside the other finalists for this award,” Marisa said. “I believe achieving equity in the legal profession will have a ripple effect in our society and these women are a perfect example of the changemakers necessary to bring that to fruition.”

The winner of the Influential Woman award will be announced during the Texas Legal Awards dinner October 15 at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas. The full list of winners and finalists in the 19 award categories can be found at “Announcing the 2024 Texas Legal Awards Finalists and Honorees.”