Welcome to the LCLD INSIDER, our monthly newsletter. This publication is for you, and we welcome your feedback and ideas, as well as any news you might be interested in passing along. Please share the INSIDER with your support staff, diversity directors, and marketing departments to keep them better informed about what LCLD is doing.
-Robert Grey, Executive Director
In This Issue:
- There's Still Time—Register to Attend Professor Jerry Kang's Implicit Bias Meeting or Live Webcast
- 1L LCLD Scholars Program—Retreat Agenda Posted!
- First City Lead Focus Group & Training a Success
- Walmart Learning Experience
- In the News
- Welcome, New LCLD Members!
- CLI's Legal Inclusiveness & Diversity Summit
There's Still Time—Register to Attend Professor Jerry Kang's Implicit Bias Meeting or Live Webcast
We invite LCLD Members to attend a meeting in San Francisco and live webcast onBuilding Competitive Teams: A Look At Implicit Bias, May 3, 2013 from 9 am - 12 pm PDT. UCLA School of Law Professor Jerry Kang will lead us in a discussion examining Implicit Bias and how it impacts building competitive teams in our organizations. LCLD has partnered with the Practising Law Institute to apply for CLE credit for the meeting. Please express interest in participating in either the in-person meeting or live webcast byWednesday, April 24, 2013, or contact Louise Bald if you have questions.
1L LCLD Scholars Program—Retreat Agenda Posted!
To date, 83 LCLD Member Organizations have confirmed that they will host over 160 1L LCLD Scholars this summer. All 2013 1L Scholars are invited to attend the third annual 1L LCLD Scholars Retreat, which will be held June 17-19, 2013 in Denver, CO. The program will include speakers, panelists, and several opportunities for our Scholars to network and socialize. A preview of the agenda has been posted here. If you are interested in participating in this year's program or have any questions, please contactKarin Plastina.
First City Lead Focus Group & Training a Success
We're excited about the growth of the LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program. Since the program's inception in 2012, we've had more than 2,700 Mentors and Mentees participate in 31 cities; we never could have reached that milestone without the help ofCity Leads.
In an effort to make the program as consistent as possible for Mentees in all cities, LCLD held its first City Lead Focus Group & Training April 11, 2013 at the Hunton & Williams Washington, DC office for new and existing City Leads. In addition to a presentation of City Lead responsibilities and tools, the program included a panel presentation of "Tips and Tools for a Successful Mentoring Program" by Neil Dennis, Associate Director, Diversity & Inclusion at Georgetown University Law Center, and Eliza Musallam, Diversity Liaison & Career Counselor at American University Washington College of Law. The program also included a presentation on "Understanding Generational Diversity"by Kito Huggins, Manager, Strategic Business Development Initiatives of LCLD Member Firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During the afternoon session, Sarah Wintle, LCLD Pipeline Program Manager, discussed best practices for both the Individual and Group Mentoring Programs with City Leads, as well as future improvements for the coming academic year.
City Leads are still needed in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and St. Louis. If you are interested in becoming a City Lead or if you have an attorney at your organization in mind for this role, please contact Sarah Wintle.
Walmart Learning Experience
LCLD would like to thank Walmart for hosting an exceptional Learning Experience forLCLD Fellows at its Bentonville, AR office in February. The Experience opened with a reception at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and included a welcome fromKaren Roberts, Walmart EVP and General Counsel, a superb dinner, and a private tour of the collection. Amidst a brief snow, Fellows were welcomed at the Corporate Office and treated to engaging talks from Phyllis Harris, SVP and Chief Compliance Officer, Walmart US; Kristin Oliver, EVP; Walmart US employees; LCLD 2012 Fellows; Greg Tesoro, Sr. Associate General Counsel of Walmart; and Roger Goode, Sr. Associate General Counsel; as well as 2013 Fellow, Michael Spencer. Andrea Thomas, SVP, Sustainability, gave a fascinating perspective on an important initiative, and Latriece Watkins, Vice President, Division Market Manager ended the presentations on a high note. The afternoon included a tour of the Walton Five and Dime, where the company began and its core values are reflected.
LCLD Fellow Tiger Wells, who attended the Experience, said, "The recent LCLD Walmart Learning Experience goes in the books as yet another extraordinary LCLD production. The opening reception at the beautiful Crystal Bridges art museum, the day of dialogue with attorneys and executives who work to further the success of the world's largest retailer, the humbling tour of the Walton's Five and Dime where it all started, and the continued development of relationships with high-potential and highly successful law firm and in-house counsel from across the nation combined to create an experience that was, in a word, 'phenomenal'."
Thank you, again, Walmart and LCLD Fellows, for making this another wonderful Learning Experience! If you are interested in hosting a Learning Experience at your corporation, please contact Louise Bald.
In the News
The National Bar Association (NBA) honored two LCLD Members at its 33rd Annual Gertrude E. Rush Award Dinner on April 6, 2013: Brad Smith, General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Legal & Corporate Affairs of Microsoft Corporation and LCLD Board Chair Elect, as well as Thomas J. Sabatino, Jr., Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Walgreens Co. and LCLD Member. The Gertrude E. Rush Award was named in honor of the only woman co-founder of the NBA and stands as an award of merit that expresses the spirit and commitment of Gertrude E. Rush in particular and the founders in general. Click here for more information about the award criteria.
Caterpillar Financial Services - Wes Blumenshine, General Counsel
Goldberg Segalla LLP - Richard J. Cohen, Managing Partner
CLI's Legal Inclusiveness & Diversity Summit
The Center of Legal Inclusiveness (CLI) will hold its 7th Annual Legal Inclusiveness & Diversity Summit with sessions for legal professionals at all levels. For more information, please visit www.centerforlegalinclusiveness.org.
