Joshua Davis has been named an “Employment Law Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal for his forward-thinking work in helping companies across the country improve their corporate cultures and eliminate barriers to inclusion in the workplace. What was the genesis of Joshua's path to Trailblazer? Read below to learn more.

What was the genesis of the idea/path that has made you a trailblazer?

I went to law school hoping to teach law some day. After clerking for the Hon. Stephanie Seymour on the Tenth Circuit, I joined a large Boston law firm for what I thought would be a short stint. Working with clients and colleagues on employment cases changed my mind. In particular, the collaboration with clients to build workplaces free of harassment and full of opportunity was too compelling to abandon.

What sort of change has resulted from the concept?

The employment lawyers I encountered almost 30 years ago saw clear divisions between management and employees. I viewed things differently – management and employees have a common interest in safe, inclusive workplaces. I decided I could best serve clients by helping them see the commonality and working with them to shape workplaces that would enable productivity with minimal strife.

I’m especially proud of the cultural assessment program I helped develop for forward-thinking companies that want to preemptively identify broader corporate culture issues and trends. The program includes in-depth assessment, recommendations, and customized training to create meaningful change. By helping organizations address these difficult issues and establish best practices, we can foster more positive workplace environments, support happier and more productive employees, and reduce claims. The program is a broad expression of conversations I have every day with my clients.

What bearing will this have on the future?

It’s important that the next generation of employment lawyers continues to move the ball forward. I’ve taught Employment Discrimination at Northeastern University School of Law for the past 20 years, and my message to students and mentees is the same – employment relationships are dynamic and require good will from employers and employees. The law sets an aspirational standard – working to meet that standard will make our world better.