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. LCLD Members #StandWithOrlando 

LCLD Communications, 6/15/16

Many LCLD Members took to social media to share messages of support and inclusion with the victims of the Orlando shooting and the broader LGBT community. 

2. WATCH: Diversity & Inclusion Conference Videos: Keynote Address

Bloomberg BNA, 6/7/16

Paulette Brown, President of the American Bar Association and Co-Chair of Diversity & Inclusion at LCLD Member firm Locke Lord LLP, gave the keynote address at the Big Law Business Diversity & Inclusion Conference. We have a moral and a legal imperative to understand bias, not just in our daily lives and our workplaces, but also its impact on the justice system, Brown said. She spoke also about implicit bias, the work of the ABA’s Diversity and Inclusion 360 Commission, and the business case for diversity. 

3. The Corrosive Politics That Threaten LGBT Americans

The New York Times, 6/15/16

LGBT Americans have made much progress in the fight for equality in the last two decades, but there is still a long way to go. In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage; so far in 2016, more than 200 anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in 34 states. “The 49 people killed in Orlando were victims of a terrorist attack,” writes the Editorial Board of the New York Times. “But they also need to be remembered as casualties of a society where hate has deep roots.” 

In a separate piece, the Editorial Board also called for the United Nations to extend all human rights protections to cover sexual orientation and gender identity: “That, and the elimination of laws that criminalize being gay, would be a far better tribute to the Orlando victims than displays of rainbow colors and ritual condemnations of yet another hate-fueled attack.” 

4. Diversity Without Inclusion Misses the Point

Twin Cities Business, 6/8/16

“Diversity encompasses the breadth and depth of human difference. Inclusion is valuing, respecting, and supporting those differences and harnessing them to cultivate human talent.” Five tips for creating a more inclusive workplace:

• Encourage employees to be authentic at work.
• Talk about life outside of work: “a culture should exist where a mother who takes time off for a sick child is not penalized for her parental obligation.”
• Promote collaboration with diverse communities outside the workplace.
• Collect diversity metrics and ask to be held accountable to them.
• Anticipate the changing demographics of the workplace and leave room in diversity policies for growth.  

5. A Clinton Presidency Could Boost Women’s Representation in Politics, with Big Policy Consequences  

Vox, 6/6/16

“Studies show that when women achieve high office, female advancement in politics ‘trickles down,’ with a woman governor or senator inspiring a downstream boost in women state legislators.” Women in power act as role models for girls and “normalize” politics for adult women. Research has also shown that women are more likely than men to advocate for issues like childcare, women’s health, and pay equity, meaning greater numbers of women in the legislature could have an impact on laws and policies that are passed.