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. How Starbucks’s Culture Brings Its Strategy to Life

Harvard Business Review, 12/30/16

Cultivating inclusive environments for both employees and customers has helped LCLD Member organization Starbucks Coffee Company achieve strategic business goals. 

2. No Sibling Rivalry: How a Sister and Brother Grew Up to Be GCs

LinkedIn and Major Lindsey & Africa, 12/15/16

Cornell Boggs, former General Counsel of Dow Corning Corporation, and his sister say early exposure to intellectuals of color, experience with diverse environments, and an “attitude of gratitude” helped them develop successful legal careers. 

3. Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017: New Years Predictions for the Legal Industry

Law.com, 1/2/17

Better talent development and measurable progress on diversity grow increasingly necessary for law firms that want to survive in 2017 and beyond. 

4. Gay America’s Harrowing, Heartening Year

The New Yorker, 12/31/16

Despite political uncertainty regarding LGBT rights and protections, many put their hope in a culture moving slowly but steadily toward inclusion. 

5. Women Make Up Majority of U.S. Law Students for First Time

The New York Times, 12/16/16

The shift is “a milestone, but one to view with caution,” says law professor Deborah Merritt, pointing to data that shows women are clustered at lower-ranked schools.