Welcome to the LCLD INSIDER, our monthly newsletter to Members and supporters of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. This publication is for you, and we welcome your feedback and ideas, as well as any news you might be interested in passing along. We also encourage you to share the INSIDER with your support staff, diversity directors, and public relations and/or marketing departments to keep them better informed about what LCLD is doing. Thanks again for reading, and for your membership in LCLD.

-Robert Grey, Executive Director

Time to Select your Fellow for 2012

We are currently recruiting a new class of LCLD Fellows for the year beginning in March 2012. The Fellows Program, which was created by the Talent Development Committee under the leadership of Chair Greg Jordan of ReedSmith and Vice Chair Geoff Kelly of Coca-Cola, is a flagship initiative of the LCLD. Click here to select a Fellow and to get an update on this dynamic program.

Welcome to New Members

The Walt Disney Company - Alan Braverman, Sr. Exec. VP, General Counsel and Secretary (headquartered in Burbank, CA)

Harley-Davidson, Inc. - Paul Jones, General Counsel (headquartered in Milwaukee)

Haynes and Boone, LLP - Terry Conner, Managing Partner (Dallas)

Willenken Wilson Loh & Lieb LLP - Jason Wilson, Managing Partner (Los Angeles)

It's in the Cards

One of the most intriguing parts of last September's annual membership meeting was the "Building Card Exercise" when each of the members wrote a personal statement of commitment. That card was then used as a building block for the dramatic 18-foot sculpture which appeared almost magically at the member reception. In the INSIDER newsletter each month, we will feature one of those card commitment statements. This month's card, which was unsigned, reads:

"I am going to personally reach out to (at least) one diverse attorney per week - either by email, phone call or personal visit - to check in, let them know I am interested in them and their career and to assure them that I am available to discuss any issues or concerns they have. It is my hope that this type of contact will help them feel more rooted to the organization and part of the team. One contact per week is completely doable!!"

Ideas that Work #2: Diversity Secondments

In his second installment of "Ideas that Work," Robert Grey describes the value of diversity secondments to Allstate corporation, whose General Counsel, Michele Mayes, announces the launch of LCLD's pioneering secondments program in 2012. Such partnerships "benefit both law firms and corporations," says Mayes, chair of LCLD's Partnerships and Teams committee. "Corporations get fresh thinking, law firms gain insights about their clients, and diverse attorneys have a path to growth and advancement. Everyone wins." See Robert Grey's blog, Open Minded, for more.

New on www.lcldnet.org

Video interview with Gary Sasso, President and CEO of Carlton Fields. Click here.

Law School Mentoring Program has just launched, with 600 attorneys signing up in 22 cities, and more cities coming on line later in the spring. Click here.

Robert Grey's 'OPEN Minded' blog. This month: Diversity Secondments. Click here.

1L Scholars Program. For an update, click here.

Save the Date: 2012 Annual Meeting September 12-13

We plan to get all of our work done in one day this year! Look out for online registration which will be coming to all members early this spring.