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:
- Welcome, New Members!
- Fellows Appointed to General Counsel and Judge Positions!
- 2014 Fellows Nomination Deadline Extended!
- The LCLD Board of Directors Needs Your Suggestions
- Register Your Organization to Participate in the 2014 1L Scholars Program
- Don't Forget to Submit Your 2014 LCLD Programs & Activities Checklist!
- Host a Fellows Leadership Lunch in 2014
- Fellows Service Month Results are in, AND THE WINNER IS...
- In the News
- Apply Now--Two Competitive Walmart Secondments!
Welcome, New Members!
Thomas W. Fee, Senior Partner of Fee, Smith, Sharp & Vitullo LLP. The law firm of Fee, Smith, Sharp & Vitullo was founded to effectively represent the needs of the firm's regional, national, and international clients in litigation and regulatory matters. The mission of the firm is to maximize efficient results through an aggressive, thoughtful approach. In the competitive legal arena it is essential that every resource be utilized to achieve the ultimate goal of the client. By placing the needs of the client first, the attorneys at FSS&V apply a tactical, team-oriented strategy to defending the interest of the firm's valued clients.
Ian T. Graham, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, BAE Systems, Inc. BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, a global defense, security, and aerospace company that delivers a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions, and customer support services.
Gregory B. Jordan, General Counsel & Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Board Member emeritus Greg Jordan has rejoined LCLD with his new company, PNC, one of the nation's largest diversified financial services organizations with assets of $309 billion. PNC, operating primarily in 19 states and the District of Columbia, provides retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; and specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending, wealth management, and asset management.
Fellows Appointed to General Counsel and Judge Positions!
LCLD is excited to announce that Michael-Bryant Hicks, 2013 LCLD Fellow, was recently appointed Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer to The Providence Service Corporation in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to this new role, "Hicks" was an Assistant General Counsel at LCLD Member corporation DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. in Denver, Colorado.
We're also excited to announce that Marta M. Chou, 2012 LCLD Fellow, has been appointed a District Court Judge in Minnesota's Fourth Judicial District. Marta will begin her judgeship February 3, 2014. She is currently Of Counsel at LCLD Member law firm Barnes & Thornburg in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
These promotions are career milestones for Hicks and Marta, as well as milestones for LCLD. Hicks is the first LCLD Fellow to ascend to a General Counsel position and Marta is the first LCLD Fellow to be appointed a Judge. These Fellows are excellent examples of our Members' goal: to elevate diverse talent to leadership positions in the legal profession. Congratulations, Hicks and Marta!
2014 Fellows Nomination Deadline Extended!
The deadline to nominate your 2014 Fellow(s) has been extended to January 31, 2014. Click here to learn more about the LCLD Fellows Program or click here to nominate your 2014 Fellow today. If you have any questions, please contact Lori Lorenzo, LCLD Deputy Director.
The LCLD Board of Directors Needs Your Suggestions
The LCLD Board of Directors would like to hear suggestions you may have related to LCLD or LCLD Member opportunities. The board will review and discuss your feedback during the LCLD Board of Directors Meeting, which will take place January 28-29, 2014. Please submit your suggestions through our brief survey by January 22, 2014.
Register Your Organization to Participate in the 2014 1L Scholars Program
The 1L LCLD Scholars Program offers talented, diverse first-year law students the opportunity to work side-by-side with attorneys at LCLD Member law firms and corporate legal departments during a summer internship. More than 350 1L Scholars have participated in the program in its three years of existence, and about 90% are confident that the experience will help them in planning their future legal career.
"I'm proud to say that the 1L LCLD Scholars Program has come into play at critical junctures in my legal career, one of which was deciding among various job offers," says Jacqueline Aguilar, 2011 1L LCLD Scholar, and Counsel - Commerce, North America Oral Care at The Procter & Gamble Company. "I'm honored to now be able to pay forward what I've learned by serving as a Mentor in the LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program."
Click here to confirm your organization's commitment to participating in the 2014 1L LCLD Scholars Program or click here to learn more. As a reminder, the deadline to register your organization to participate in this year's program is February 10, 2014.
If you have questions, please email Louise Bald, LCLD Program Manager.
Don't Forget to Submit Your 2014 LCLD Programs & Activities Checklist!
We're excited about entering a brand new year of programming designed to support and develop diverse talent in the legal profession. Please submit your 2014 LCLD Programs & Activities Checklist online! For questions, please contact Jennifer Denton, LCLD Membership & Operations Manager.
Host a Fellows Leadership Lunch in 2014
Since the program's inception in September 2012, over 40 LCLD Members have spoken at LCLD Leadership Lunches. These intimate lunches, attended by 10-15 Fellows, provide an opportunity for one General Counsel and one Managing Partner to share their personal journeys, as well as insight into how diversity and inclusion are integrated into their respective organizations. The feedback from these events has been overwhelmingly positive.
"I've been keen to help host a Leadership Lunch in order to get face-to-face with some more of our fantastic Fellows, both to encourage them and to share some personal insights and perspectives on diversity and success in our profession. I had the privilege of speaking on a panel at the Fellows annual meeting a few years ago and spending a lot of time with the group. It's hard to imagine a more impressive group of young(ish) attorneys, truly the future leaders of our profession." --Peter J. Engstrom, General Counsel of Baker & McKenzie International
If you are interested in speaking at a Leadership Lunch in 2014, please contact Courtney Nolde, LCLD Program Manager.
Fellows Service Month Results are in, AND THE WINNER IS...
New York, for Most Items Collected. The New York Fellows collected more than 150 items of food, toys, and clothing.
And Washington, DC won Best Photo.
The LCLD Fellows Alumni were hard at work in November and December gathering goodies for families in need. Collectively, Fellows Alumni donated items to the following charities:
- Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, Dallas & Houston, TX
- Caring Place Christmas Store, Indianapolis, IN
- Children's Aid Society, New York, NY
- Food & Friends Kitchen, Washington, DC
- Greater Chicago Food Depository & Inspiration Corporation, Chicago, IL
- Rosie's Place, Boston, MA
- Toys for Tots, Minnetonka, MN
Organized by the Fellows Alumni Outreach Committee and Fellows Regional Committees, the Fellows' first annual charity drive was an overwhelming success that brought Fellows together to give back to their communities and build their own networks in the process.
A special thanks to the following regional coordinators:
- Marta Chou, Barnes & Thornburg LLP; Jaimala Pai, UnitedHealthcare; and Cassandra Headrick, Dorsey & Whitney LLP (Mid-West Region)
- Yvette Gatling, Littler Mendelson P.C.; and Carlos Rainer, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP (Texas Region)
- Matthew McFarlane, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. (New York Region)
- Ron Sia, The Procter & Gamble Company (Northeast Region)
- Stephanie Stephens, Lane Powell PC (California Region - Seattle Area)
- Vanessa Sutherland, U.S. Department of Transportation; Aja Sae-Kung, Dickstein Shapiro LLP; and Kenny Perry, Fannie Mae (DC Region)
- Catalina Vergara, O'Melveny & Myers LLP (California Region - Los Angeles Area)
- Shaun Willie, Macy's, Inc. (Southeast Region - Atlanta Area)
- Diane Webster, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP (Mid-West Region - Chicago Area)
We applaud the service of the LCLD Fellows Alumni!
Click here to read about how the LCLD Fellows Month of Service got started.
In the News
Brad Smith, General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs at Microsoft; and LCLD Board Chair, was featured in an article in The National Law Journal, which discusses Microsoft's recent report about the slow pace of talent diversification in the legal profession.
Lori L. Lorenzo, Deputy Director of LCLD, was quoted in an article in BenefitsPro about corporate LGBT policies and social change.
Apply Now--Two Competitive Walmart Secondments: Global Security, Investigations, and Ethics; and Merchandising, Marketing, and Supply Chain
Global Security, Investigations, and Ethics
Secondment Description:
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is seeking a seconded lawyer to support the Global Security, Investigations, and Ethics legal team. The daily work will vary greatly, but will include supporting investigative matters; security and investigative project support; governance and policy drafting; and general business support of Global Investigations, Security, Aviation, Travel, and Ethics.
Qualifications:
Minimum of five years litigation experience required and previous investigative experience helpful. Team player who can handle a fast-paced and diverse work load.
Walmart will provide a $10k/month stipend and the firm would be responsible for any additional costs. Secondment will last for six-months at the corporate headquarters located in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Start date between February 1, 2014 and March 1, 2014. Please send letter of interest and resume to Gretchen Bellamy, Assistant General Counsel - Legal Administration & External Relations.
Merchandising, Marketing, and Supply Chain Secondment Description:
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is seeking a seconded diverse lawyer to support the Merchandising, Marketing, and Supply Chain functions of the company's Walmart U.S. and Sam's Club Divisions. The daily work will vary greatly, but will include negotiation and drafting for sophisticated commercial transactions, general contract work, regulatory advice, marketing and advertising issues, policy interpretation, basic IP advice, limited antitrust advice, consumer complaints, inquiries from Attorneys General offices and consumer advocacy groups, and other issues impacting day-to-day operations.
Qualifications:
Minimum of five years transactional experience required. Merchandising, marketing, retail, and/or consumer products experience is helpful. The successful candidate will be a team player who can handle a fast-paced and diverse work load.
The Company will provide a $10k/month stipend and the firm would be responsible for any additional costs. Secondment will last for a total of six months at the corporate headquarters for Walmart and Sam's Club in Northwest Arkansas.
Start date between February 1, 2014 and March 1, 2014. Please send letter of interest and resume to Gretchen Bellamy, Assistant General Counsel - Legal Administration & External Relations.
