Cornell Leverette Moore

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Cornell Leverette Moore has spent more than six decades advancing the legal profession while breaking barriers and creating pathways for lawyers of color in major law firms.

A 1964 graduate of Howard University School of Law, Moore began his career during segregation and built an extensive financial services background before joining Dorsey. He served as regional counsel for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, legal officer at Northwestern Bank of Minneapolis, and co-founded Shelard National Bank. He also served as senior vice president and general counsel of Miller & Schroeder Financial, passing multiple FINRA examinations and serving on investment committees for higher education institutions.

Moore has been with Dorsey & Whitney LLP for over 30 years, representing major energy and natural resource companies while counseling numerous organizations on strategic plans and operations. His expertise spans municipal operations, healthcare, and finance.

Twenty years ago, Moore recognized a critical gap in the legal profession. “When I started in my current position over 30 years ago — 1995 — there was not an organization of law firms and corporations that encouraged the recruitment and retention of lawyers that looked like me,” he explained. In response, he co-founded Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, an organization whose success is now widely recognized. “In my mind it should never have been necessary,” Moore noted.

Reflecting on his career, Moore described his journey as “one of discovery. Not many attorneys look like me or came from a climate (segregation) like mine and found an environment that is like the one I find myself in today, that is a large law firm that is both challenging and welcoming of my contributions.”

Moore’s recent achievement centers on mentoring: “being able to work every day and watch young lawyers progress and acclimate to the practice of law in a large firm.” His advice to young lawyers is characteristically straightforward: “Be better than me…it’s not that hard…, put in the time, work and interest and don’t get carried away with yourself, come to work and work…”