celebrating
This section celebrates the people and programs that bring Jenner’s community to life.
empowering connection
Affinity Groups
Jenner’s affinity groups create spaces where colleagues across offices and practices can connect, grow, and thrive.
We’re proud to have welcomed two new affinity groups to our community in 2026. The Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Affinity Group, open to all personnel, brings people together to share experiences and connect across the firm’s offices and practices. The First-Generation & Opportunity Forum, open to all personnel, supports professionals who are the first in their families to enter the legal or professional workforce, as well as those from underrepresented economic backgrounds, advocating for inclusive pathways to success at Jenner and across the legal industry.
“I chose Jenner for its reputation, and for people who seemed genuinely excited about practicing law. Over the years, I've been fortunate to work with colleagues I deeply respect, including Christine Braamskamp, Charles W. Galbraith, and Amb. Keith M. Harper.
Professionally, they've fueled my growth, trusting me with everything from oral argument and trial in a critical federal dispute to complex investigations. Personally, they have also supported me in balancing career and parenthood, including leading by example through school pickups, family dinners, and everything in between.
Most importantly, each of them leads with kindness and a true sense of teamwork.”
Grace C. Signorelli-Cassady, Co-Chair, First-Generation & Opportunity Forum
Champion Spotlight
2026 Inclusion and Belonging Champion Awards
Jenner’s Inclusion and Belonging Champion Awards recognize individuals at the firm who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment.
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A Partnership Built on Humanity
Ali I. Alsarraf and Sarah F. Weiss
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At Jenner & Block, inclusion is a core value. For Ali I. Alsarraf and Sarah F. Weiss, inclusion is a practice.
Ali is special counsel in the firm’s Chicago office, where he focuses on complex litigation, international arbitration, and human rights matters. He has co-chaired the firm’s Muslim Affinity Group since 2021 and, this year, co-founded and now leads the firm’s new Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Affinity Group. Beyond Jenner, Ali serves as president-elect of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers. He additionally sits on the board of directors of the Palestinian American Bar Association and co-founded the Alliance for Inclusion and Justice, an organization dedicated to calling out hate and discrimination targeted at Arab and Muslim communities.
Sarah is a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, where she leads sensitive internal investigations, compliance matters, and monitorships. A recipient of the Albert E. Jenner Pro Bono Award and a graduate of the Leadership Greater Chicago Signature Fellows Program, Sarah has co-chaired the firm’s Jewish Affinity Group since 2023 and is actively involved in the firm's Associate Assignment, Hiring, and Pro Bono committees, among others.
What began as a coffee introduction between Ali and Sarah in the fall of 2023 blossomed into a partnership rooted in shared humanity. Ali began working with the Arab American Civil Rights League on urgent humanitarian legal matters helping US citizens and their families evacuate from Gaza. Sarah committed to supervising as many matters as possible, and a team of partners and associates formed around this work. One humanitarian parole application was granted, and the team filed asylum petitions for another family just 24 hours before a critical deadline. That family’s case continues today.
Ali and Sarah shared: “We believe that leaders can show that not every action must be driven by politics or pain but can instead be driven by humanity and shared purpose.”
For Ali and Sarah, those aren’t just words on a page but a way of genuinely working together. At Jenner, it’s something Ali and Sarah have lived in pro bono matters, in affinity group programming, and in the quiet, consistent work of showing up for each other and for their shared communities. In practice, inclusion means showing up for colleagues, for clients, and for communities who need it most. Ali and Sarah have done exactly that.
Celebrating Community: The 2026 C3 Summit
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The Summit opened with a reflection on a network that has grown from a handful of dedicated volunteers into fifteen active affinity groups, a testament to what happens when people choose, year after year, to invest in one another. That growth continued this year with the addition of two new groups that are open to all firm personnel, the First Generation & Opportunity Forum and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Affinity Group, further widening the table for authentic connection.
Firm leadership was well represented throughout the week. A fireside chat with Michael A. Doornweerd and Melissa Root offered candid reflections on career journeys, mentorship, and what it means to pay forward the investments others once made in us. A discussion on AI in legal research and writing looked ahead to how our practice is evolving, while a client development workshop grounded that forward look in something timeless: trust, curiosity, and consistency built over time.
The Summit also created space for the community to turn its energy outward. Attendees assembled 125 comfort cases for youth entering foster care, tangible proof that connection, when genuine, extends well beyond these walls. The annual Celebrate Community Dinner marked a meaningful milestone of gathering, celebrating, and growing together. This year's dinner featured a conversation with ACLU National Legal Director Cecillia Wang, moderated by partner Lindsay Harrison, bringing a powerful outside perspective to the evening’s reflection on community and purpose. Some of the most valuable moments were built on candor. A discussion on making the most of the affinity group network allowed colleagues to exchange ideas and best practices across groups and seniority levels. The Client’s Point of View roundtable offered a rare, dual perspective from someone who has sat on both sides of the table. The Summit’s closing forum, as always, reminded us that this community’s strength lies in the questions people are willing to ask one another.
The closing remarks offered a reflection on what this community has built together: the network “was built in community with all of you.” That sentiment captured what Celebrating Community has always meant here. It has never been the effort of one person, but a collective one, carried forward by everyone willing to show up, mentor others, ask difficult questions, and make room for someone else to belong.
As this year’s Summit came to a close, the throughline remained the same one that has carried this community for years: people investing in people. That is what Celebrating Community truly means, and it is what will carry the firm into its next chapter.
Expanding Perspectives
Speaker Series and Trainings
Our 2026 Celebrate Community Series reflects Jenner’s ongoing commitment to fostering a culture where lawyers and business professionals from all backgrounds have the opportunity to thrive. Throughout the year, the speaker series explores what it means to build a truly inclusive community where everyone feels valued, heard, and respected.