B. Otis Felder

Otis Felder (Partner-Los Angeles) earned a master’s degree in psychology at Harvard University’s commencement ceremonies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 23, 2024. Otis, who sought admission to Harvard at 16 years old, applied to the Harvard Extension School in the summer of 2021. He took one course each semester after that and lived on campus for seven weeks last summer, attending morning classes and working an entire day for the firm remotely in the afternoons, on West Coast time. Otis’s capstone project focuses on mentoring gay youth to promote the development of “grit,” the corresponding psychological construct emphasizing the need for passion and perseverance to achieve long-term career goals. Otis, co-chair of Wilson Elser’s LGBTQIA+Employee Resource Group, is working on a pilot program to mentor LGBTQ+ youth with the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles. Otis’s 40-year journey, culminating with his Harvard master’s degree, shows the unparalleled grit he brings to every task he undertakes.