Leverette Weekes salutes Charisse R Lillie
Updated: Sep 25, 2020
There are moments we get to celebrate the people who created opportunities in our lives. Today we celebrate Philadelphia trailblazer Charisse R. Lillie as an A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award recipient during the 29th Annual Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Minority Attorney Conference, “Advocacy & Fundamental Rights for Changing Times.”
The A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the accomplishments of a judge who has demonstrated dedication to the legal profession and the minority community through community or legal service. Higginbotham, who died in 1998, was a civic leader, a federal appeals court judge who fought tirelessly against racial discrimination.
Lillie is a business woman, attorney and lecturer on issues of diversity, corporate governance, Lille became CEO of CRL Consulting earlier this year after a 12 year run with Comcast Corporation, where she held several roles including senior vice president of human resources of Comcast Corporation, president of Comcast Foundation and vice president of community investment at Comcast Corporation. Prior to joining Comcast, Lillie was a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP’s litigation department and served as its chair from 2002 to 2005.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Lillie received her B.A., cum laude, from Wesleyan University in 1973. She received a J.D. from Temple University Law School in 1976 and an L.L.M from Yale Law School in 1982. While in law school, she worked as a research assistant for Judge Higginbotham on his first book, In the Matter of Color, and was a law clerk to Judge Clifford Scott Green, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She was awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Seton Hill University and Cheyney University, as well as an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Peirce College.
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services and serve 26,000 lawyers who are members of the association.
“As a business woman I am excited to work with Charisse and lead her communications.” said Meredith Moore Crosby, president of Leverette Weekes. “Charisse stands for standing out and it is an honor to help her reach more people through her platform. Charisse has been a mentor before and after my time working at Comcast. She has a way of connecting with people and staying engaged. It’s an honor to be chosen to support her continued success as a public speaker and CEO of CRL Consulting.”
Follow @CharisseRLillie or visit charisserlillie.com for more.
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