Today we’d like to introduce you to Colette Holt.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been a practicing lawyer for over 40 years, primarily in civil rights. I knew I would be a lawyer from a very young age. I come from a family of lawyers and judges, who had been active in the civil rights movement since the 1950s, and I always loved to argue! I had danced professionally as a young teen with the NYC Ballet and the Chicago Ballet, but was told quite directly that there would be no place in classical dance for a Black girl (“maybe you should try the Dance Theater of Harlem”). So, I entered Yale at 16, as one of the first classes of women to arrive as freshmen. That experience further shaped my desire to be an attorney and focus on civil rights. After law school at the University of Chicago and a federal court of appeals clerkship, I joined the City of Chicago’s Law Department, where I was assigned to write the City first ordinance to promote competitive opportunities on a fair basis for minority- and woman-owned businesses. I have focused my professional life on these issues ever since I opened my law firm in 1994. We counsel government agencies and private firms across the country on compliance with civil rights requirements, best practices for good public procurement and contracting systems and policies, the quantitative and qualitative research the courts mandate to support such programs, and how to grow the economic pie for everyone. I served as General Counsel to the American Contract Compliance Association for 25 years, the national organization that trains compliance officers.
I also serve on the Board of Directors for The Piston Group. Funded by former Detroit Piston player Vinnie Johnson (the Microwave), we are a manufacturer of components for the auto industry, and the third largest Black-owned business in the country. We are proud that we provide good jobs to over 10,000 people, and are very active in the community.
I have also served on many charity boards, including the Executive Committee of the World War II Foundation, the USO of Illinois, and the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago Law School. I am the former Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Public Contract Law Section, and former Vice-Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been lots of bumps along the way. There was the alienating environment at Yale, where there were only a handful of Black women and the campus was still overwhelming male. There were only four Black students my law school class of 174, and the school was still overwhelming male. There were assumptions about who I was and what I should want to be, but I was raised to always exceed expectations. Running a small law firm, in the face of the extraordinary consolidation of the practice and the growth of mega firms, has meant always being laser focused on the quality of the work and the nurturing of clients. The first few years were very lean, but I figured I could always go back to a firm. After 34 years, it’s no longer an experiment.
As you know, we’re big fans of Colette Holt & Associates. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a highly specialized law and consulting firm, focused exclusively on minority, woman, disadvantaged, small and local business programs. Our primary clients are public sector agencies, educational institutions and larger firms that need deeply experienced counsel on these issues. We conduct large research studies; draft policies and procedures; provide guidance on best practices; serve as expert witnesses in litigation; and perform community outreach. Even though I have been an adjunct law professor, we pride ourselves on explaining complex legal and statistical concepts to a broad audience, and obtaining buy in for our clients’ objectives. I also am a frequent teacher and author on how to ensure that all firms have full and fair access to compete.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Performing in a Midsummer Nights Dream with the NYC Ballet at age 10. I was totally star struck with the great dancers of that era, and it was the thrill of a lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Website: mwbelaw.com
- Email: colette.holt@mwbelaw.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colette-holt-52252b45/
