Compiled for the LCLD Board of Directors every Wednesday, this digest is designed to brief you on the latest headlines about LCLD Members and organizations, as well as thought-provoking articles on diversity in the legal profession, talent development, mentoring, and leadership. Past issues of the Digest are also archived on the LCLD web site.
If you have questions about the Digest, or articles you'd like to share, please email Caitlin Puffenberger at cpuffenberger@lcldnet.com.
This week, in news related to diversity and inclusion...
1. When Family-Friendly Policies Backfire
The New York Times, 5/26/15
Family-friendly policies can help parents balance jobs and responsibilities at home, but they often have unintended consequences. For example, women were 5 percent more likely to remain employed but 8 percent less likely to be promoted after the enactment of the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act. While all solutions have complications, experts say the most successful examples so far are reducing the cost for employers and making policies gender neutral.
2. Ireland Votes to Approve Gay Marriage, Putting Country in Vanguard
The New York Times, 5/23/15
Ireland became the first nation to approve same-sex marriage by a popular vote last week, sweeping aside opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. More than 60 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, and only one district out of 43 voted the measure down. Same-sex marriage was legal in 19 other countries and 37 American states prior to the vote, but Ireland is the first to legalize it by popular vote.
3. Uniform Bar Exam Gathers Steam as New York Signs Up
The National Law Journal, 5/21/15
New York became the sixteenth state to adopt the uniform bar exam, which allows aspiring lawyers to transfer scores among participating jurisdictions. New York has the largest single cohort of bar takers at about 15,000 per year, and its adoption of the uniform bar exam is expected to make the issue more pressing for states like California, Florida, and Texas, who also have high numbers of exam-takers.
4. While Gender Pay Gap Shrinks, Bonus Gap Deepens
Talent Management, 5/20/15
The pay gap between men and women closed significantly last year, reaching a record low. But the pay gap persists in bonuses, which increasingly represents a huge portion of workers’ overall compensation. The discrepancy is most profound for workers within five years of earning an MBA: men at this stage receive an average bonus of about $78,000, while women receive an average bonus of about $42,000.
5. For Lawyers Who Took Time Away, an In-House ‘ReEntry’
Corporate Counsel, 5/18/15
The JPMorgan Chase Legal ReEntry program, piloted this year, brought lawyers who had not practiced law in at least two years in-house and helped them become reacquainted with the workforce. The program began as a diversity initiative to access an untapped pool of experienced women and minority lawyers; following a successful pilot, funding has been approved for a second year. LCLD Member firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius partnered with Chase to provide support for the re-entrants.
6. Morton Salt Appoints Chad E. Walker as Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
PR Newswire, 5/11/15
2012 Fellow Chad Walker became general counsel of Morton Salt, Inc. at the beginning of this month. He previously served as assistant U.S. general counsel of McDonald’s Corporation.
