Ashley Pennington selected for Diversity Leaders Initiative

Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorney Ashley Pennington has joined the Furman University Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative fall class.

Ashley is a deeply experienced trial attorney with a commitment to systemic reform. He is a key part of the Burnette Shutt & McDaniel Criminal Justice Civil Rights Team. During his decades of work as a defense attorney, he helped pioneer programs aimed at promoting collaboration and fairness in the criminal justice system. He co-founded a nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society.

In addition to criminal justice civil rights, his practice at Burnette Shutt & McDaniel also includes other civil rights cases, South Carolina tort claims, and litigation.

For more than 20 years, the Diversity Leaders Initiative has trained participants to identify gaps in their knowledge and to learn how to suspend assumptions. At the end of the program, fellows emerge with improved decision-making skills and the ability to better manage relationships with colleagues and clients.

The program includes monthly meetings with a highly interactive curriculum of discussions and case studies. Participants examine best practices across a range of industries that could serve as models for their organizations. The training culminates in a group Community Action Project that addresses an issue facing South Carolina.

The rigorous selection process begins with a nomination from Riley Fellows graduate. Each class aims to reflect South Carolina’s demographics and include representation across business sectors.