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. Making the Case for Diverse Firms
Talent Management, 12/23/15
In an interview with Diversity Executive, Genhi Givings Bailey, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at DLA Piper, discussed the ways she works to improve diversity in the legal profession. One strategy Bailey has implemented helps associates build relationships with partners and so increase their client base. “Partners are going to give work to people that they know, like, and trust,” Bailey said. “If you are an unknown entity, you don’t have a chance.” She also said that to create an inclusive culture, diversity education needs to provide employees with the tools to see instances of unconscious bias in their lives, not just in the classroom.
2. This Year’s Biggest Wins for Women in the Workplace
Fortune, 12/28/15
Despite the persistence of unequal pay and low representation in leadership ranks, there were several breakthroughs for working women in 2015. LCLD Member organization IBM launched one of the most important initiatives, a service to ease travel for breastfeeding employees. Also on the list were improved paid leave policies from Microsoft Corp., unconscious bias training from The Coca-Cola Company and Facebook, and multimillion-dollar diversity initiatives from tech companies like Facebook and Intel.
3. Why Google, Target, and General Mills Are Investing in Mindfulness
Harvard Business Review, 12/28/15
“As a leadership strategy, mindfulness helps people to be more effective by directing focus to the most pertinent tasks at hand… Managers who model and promote mindful practices with their teams create an environment of engagement.” LCLD Member organization General Mills offers mindfulness programs for emloyees to help improve focus, clarity, and creativity, while Target Corp. has a “Meditating Merchants” network to help employees focus on being more present and making better decisions.
4. 10 Most Important Legal Stories of 2015
ABA Journal, 12/29/15
Some of the year’s top legal stories have important repercussions for diversity, including the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage and the investigations into race relations resulting from viral police videos. Other 2015 trends in the profession include an increasing number of law firm mergers, decreasing bar exam passage rates, and the decline of capital punishment.
