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, articles you'd like to share, of if you would like to subscribe, please email Caitlin Puffenberger at cpuffenberger@lcldnet.com.
1. 2016 Edwin Archer Randolph Diversity Award Ceremony
Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity
Mark Roellig, LCLD Board Member and Executive Vice President & General Counsel of MassMutual, is receiving the 2016 Edwin Archer Randolph Diversity Award from the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD). LCD’s mission it to make Connecticut “a more attractive place for attorneys of color and women to practice law and find satisfying professional opportunities.” The award ceremony will be held May 25 at the UTC/Pratt & Whitney Aerospace Museum in East Hartford.
2. In Conversation with American Bar Association President Paulette Brown
Bar & Bench, 5/18/16
Paulette Brown, who is President of the ABA and Co-Chair of Diversity and Inclusion at Member firm Locke Lord LLP, was interviewed by Bar & Bench during a trip to India. She discussed the Indian legal market, women in leadership roles, the lack of diversity in the legal profession, pro bono work, and much more. “India and the U.S. have the world’s largest legal professions, with more than a million lawyers each,” Brown said. “I believe that lawyers practicing in both countries will play a crucial role in the growing economic relationship between our two countries, as well as in promoting democracy, the rule of law, and access to justice.”
3. ROIG Lawyers Ranked No. 1 Law Firm for Hispanic Attorneys
ROIG Lawyers and Law360, 5/19/16
LCLD Member firm ROIG Lawyers was No. 1 on Law360’s list of “The 10 Best Law Firms for Hispanic Attorneys.” ROIG is recognized for cultivating relationships with law students at lower-ranked schools and promoting many senior Hispanic attorneys to leadership positions. “We feel that as a firm with a strong presence in South Florida, it is our duty to be representative of our community,” said LCLD Member and firm Managing Partner Michael Rosenberg.
4. Diversity Is Being Invited to the Party; Inclusion Is Being Asked to Dance
Cleveland.com, 5/25/16
Verna Myers, a diversity consultant and past Fellows Meeting speaker, discussed the difference between diversity and inclusion with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. True inclusion, she said, requires “the institution’s ability to fully integrate its understanding of and appreciation for the diverse cultures and backgrounds of its employees.” One of the first steps toward that state is understanding unconscious bias and micro inequities, and being willing to use your privilege to interrupt bias on behalf of others, Myers said. Watch her acclaimed TED Talk here.
5. 5 Tips for Improving Diversity in the Legal World
Above the Law, 5/24/16
ATL’s managing editor offers five take-aways from several recent meetings and discussions on diversity and leadership in the legal profession:
- Litigators need to focus on creating diverse teams – while avoiding tokenism – and understand unconscious bias so as to be able to address it in jurors.
- Corporate clients that care about diversity are turned off by tokenism; women and diverse lawyers need to be doing substantial work on a clients’ matters, not just there for appearances.
- Remember that the legal pipeline is about retention, not just recruitment.
- Be on the look-out for new approaches to improving diversity, and don’t be afraid to implement them.
- Avoid "diversity fatigue" by taking action; all the dialogue in the world means nothing without action.
6. A Child Care Gap in the Resume: Whether to Explain or Not
The New York Times, 5/29/16
Women returning to work after significant time off for caregiving are often counseled not to talk about it, based in part on evidence of discrimination against women who have taken time as stay-at-home mothers. New research suggests that it benefits women to be open about resume gaps and why they took time off. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop hiring managers from weeding out resumes with gaps before women can make it to the interview process to explain.
