In early August, InsideCounsel named four of LCLD’s Fellows to its “R-3 100 List” of women likely be ready to become general counsel within three years. The R-3 100 List is new this year and promotes gender equality within the legal profession. InsideCounsel reported that they “hope the R-3 100 list will raise awareness of the talent pool, so that in-house women can recognize their peers, and GCs and recruiters have a reference to aid their searches for new general counsel.”

Qualifying candidates all had to be direct reports to their general counsel, and they were required to manage anywhere from three to four lawyers. “Business maturity” was another buzzword used in the selection process: candidates were all expected to “speak the language of the business,” have proven leadership skills, and know how to evaluate risk among many other qualities.

Margaret Chase, 2011 Fellow; Laura Chenoweth, 2011 Fellow; Linda Lu, 2012 Fellow; and Raquel Tamez, 2011 Fellow (pictured above, left to right) are no exception to these qualifications. All four LCLD Fellows have extremely impressive titles and credentials.

Chase, who has worked in the legal profession since she graduated in 1999 from law school, has worked at Fannie Mae in Washington, DC for over seven years and is now the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. Chenoweth, an SVP & Associate General Counsel at Pfizer, Inc. in New York City, has worked in the legal profession since 1989 and at Pfizer for fourteen years. Lu is Vice President, Chief Litigation Officer at Nationwide Insurance Company in Columbus, OH. Tamez, the Deputy General Counsel for Litigation at Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) in Falls Church, VA, has worked in the legal profession since August 1998 and at CSC since April 2010. The four were honored to receive such a recognizable distinction.

As Tamez points out, “This is quite an honor for me. I'm humbled. The fact that InsideCounsel included me in its selection of ‘R-3 100: The Next Generation of General Counsel’ signals to me that my constant effort to work hard, deliver results, and add value, is paying off. It's gratifying to be recognized in this way. Admittedly, I still have a lot to learn and experience, but a General Counsel role seems more real now. It's going to take meaningful Relationships like those with my LCLD Fellows, calculated Risk, and an over abundance of grit and Resilience. I'm more determined than ever to work towards this goal. I say, 'full speed ahead'.”

Cassandra H.M. Headrick is a 2012 LCLD Fellow and a Partner at Dorsey & Whitney in Minneapolis, MN. Courtney Nolde works with LCLD on special projects.