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. Minority Women Make History on Election Night 

Multiple sources, 11/9/16

Minority women made strides both in Congress and at the state level in the 2016 election. Mazie Hirono will no longer be the only woman of color in the U.S. Senate, but will be joined by Tammy Duckworth, Kamala Harris, and Catherine Cortez Masto (more here). Pramila Jaypal will also become the first Indian-American woman in the U.S. House of Representatives. At the state level, Ilhan Omar was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives as the first Somali-American legislator, and in Oregon, Kate Brown became the first openly LGBT governor in the United States.

2. WATCH: Language of Leaders

LCLD Communications
In the wake of an unprecedented presidential election, a reminder about the power of language used by world leaders. LCLD's 2016 Annual Meeting focused on qualities of leadership and how leaders can promote diversity and inclusion. 

3. PayPal Chief Legal Officer: You’re Not Too Busy for Pro Bono

Inside Counsel, 11/7/16

LCLD Member Louise Pentland, Chief Business and Legal Affairs Officer at PayPal Inc., encourages general counsel and corporate legal departments to engage in pro bono work. She also challenges some common misconceptions about pro bono work, saying that anyone – including a general counsel or a CEO – can make time for pro bono, and that it does not require practice expertise. Ultimately, Pentland said, the experience “makes you a better in-house lawyer.” 

4. Dismantling the Machine: The Importance of Diversity in Law Departments

2016 Legal Reform Summit, 10/27/16

Mark Roellig, Honorary Chair of the ABA’s Diversity & Inclusion 360 Commission, General Counsel of MassMutual, and LCLD Board Member, spoke at the 2016 Legal Reform Summit about the business value of diversity. “Diversity is the noun; inclusion is the verb. And you need both,” Roellig said. He also discusses the best ways to create and develop a strong diversity and inclusion program both at law firms and in-house legal departments. Roellig also mentions LCLD programs as great ways to develop diverse legal talent. 

5. A Lawyer Who Loves Her Job

The Atlantic, 11/5/16

Doris Bobadilla, the “first self-identifying Hispanic female to be licensed to practice law in the state of Mississippi,” who also identifies as LGBT, talks about her legal career and work to promote diversity in the profession. “Being an LGBT, Hispanic female in the South certainly has its challenges,” Bobadilla said. “What I have noticed is there are a great deal of individuals in this world, who continue to fight for equality – for every individual to be viewed and evaluated on her merit.”