Welcome to the LCLD Insider, our monthly newsletter. This publication is for you, and we welcome your feedback and ideas, as well as any news you might be interested in passing along. Please share the Insider with your support staff, diversity directors, and marketing departments to keep them better informed about what LCLD is doing.
-Robert Grey, President
In This Issue:
- Pathfinder Program Welcomes the Record-Setting Class of 2017
- Reminder: Register Your 2017 1L Scholars & Sign Up to Lead Mock Interviews
- LCLD Community in the "Modern Counsel" Spotlight
- See What's Working in Diversity & Inclusion at IBM and Paul Hastings
- Recent Learning Experience
- Recent Group Mentoring Program Events
- Welcome, New Member!
- In the News
Did You Know?
You can learn more about the 2017 Pathfinders by looking them up in the Pathfinder Directory.
Pathfinder Program Welcomes the Record-Setting Class of 2017
2017 Pathfinder Simone Hicks (r), of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, at her first Pathfinder Meeting at Adobe. (Photo by Jeremy Francis)
A record number of LCLD Pathfinders—147 diverse attorneys from 97 LCLD member law firms and corporations—attended intensive, two-day trainings at LCLD member corporations in April. One meeting was hosted by Adobe Systems Incorporated in San Jose, CA; the other by Harley-Davidson, Inc. in Milwaukee, WI.
The Pathfinder Program, which served 112 attorneys in 2016 and 40 attorneys in its 2015 pilot year, trains early-career attorneys in vital professional strategies including leadership and the building of relationships and networks. Participants learn from experts on leadership and career development, as well as from executives at the hosting corporations including their general counsel.
“We believe that a diverse workforce is key to building an innovative company that reflects our global customer base,” said Mike Dillon, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Adobe. “The Pathfinder Program shares our values on cultivating diversity among legal professionals. We are honored to host the incoming class of Pathfinders at Adobe this year and contribute to their professional development and networking opportunities.”
“Here at Harley-Davidson, we’re proud to support LCLD’s mission to build a more diverse and inclusive legal profession,” said Paul Jones, Chief Legal Officer of the Wisconsin-based company. “We’re also excited to host the Pathfinder Program, which focuses on setting attorneys up for success in their careers.” Read the full article.
Click here to read an article about the Pathfinder Program in Corporate Counsel.
Reminder: Register Your 2017 1L Scholars & Sign Up to Lead Mock Interviews
L to R: Winston & Strawn Partner Pat Doyle and 2012 Fellow Craig Jeffrey welcome 2016 1L Scholar Harshil Shukla to a mock interview. (Photo by Jay Haas).
Register Your 2017 1L LCLD Scholars
If you haven't already done so, please take a moment now to provide your 1L Scholars' information to us using this form.
We ask that you submit each 1L Scholar's information by Friday, May 5, 2017. We are also looking forward to our largest group of 1L Scholars joining us at the 2017 LCLD 1L Scholars Summit, May 23-25, 2017, in Philadelphia, PA. Click here to read/download the agenda.
Attorneys, Register to be a Mock Interviewer
This year's Scholars will participate in mock interviews Tuesday, May 23, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm ET at Duane Morris in Philadelphia. We're currently in need of LCLD attorneys to interview the Scholars for this exercise. Please share this opportunity with any attorneys at your firm who are in the Philadelphia, D.C., and/or New York/New Jersey metro areas. Click here to register by Friday, April 28, 2017. Click here for more information about the mock interviewing process.
For questions about the 1L LCLD Scholars Program, please contact Nancy Richardson, Program Manager.
LCLD Community in the "Modern Counsel" Spotlight
Chad Walker (l), LCLD Member, 2012 Fellow, and General Counsel of Morton Salt; Mackenzie Phillips (c), 2016 Fellow and Chief Corporate Counsel at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.; and Karyn Polak (r), LCLD Mentor and Deputy General Counsel at PNC, were featured in a recent issue of Modern Counsel magazine.
See What's Working in Diversity & Inclusion at IBM and Paul Hastings
In 2007, IBM piloted a program designed to help women leaders develop the skills necessary to become executives within the organization. A decade later, more than 3,000 women have completed Building Relationships and Influence, and about 20 programs are held around the world each year. Click here to learn more about this diversity initative.
Paul Hastings LLP worked with corporate clients and legal publications to share solutions to some of the most common barriers to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Click here to learn more.
To learn about What's Working at other LCLD Member organizations, click here. To submit an initiative, please email Caitlin Puffenberger, LCLD Communications Specialist.
Recent Learning Experience
The first LCLD Fellows Learning Experience this year is being hosted today, April 20, at the Indianapolis, Indiana, headquarters of Eli Lilly and Company by LCLD Board Member Mike Harrington, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Eli Lilly and Company.
LCLD Member firm Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP sponsored a welcome reception for the Fellows last night at the Skyline Club.
Look out for an article about the Learning Experience this spring in the Insider.
For questions about hosting a Learning Experience or more information, please contact Nichole Velasquez, Fellows Program Manager, LCLD.
Recent Group Mentoring Program Events
LCLD would like to thank the following LCLD Member organizations and affiliates that hosted local Group Mentoring Program (GMP) events this month:
- Hunton & Williams LLP and McGuireWoods LLP, which hosted A Discussion on the Practice of Law with Local Judges at McGuireWoods in Richmond, VA, on April 4, 2017. LCLD would also like to thank the following judges for speaking during the event: The Honorable Jacqueline S. McClenney, Richmond General District Court - Civil; and The Honorable David Eugene Cheek, Sr. and The Honorable David M. Hicks, Richmond General District Court - Criminal.?
- Goldberg Segalla and Mayer Brown LLP, which hosted The Importance of Building Relationships and Growing Your Network at Mayer Brown in New York, NY, on April 12, 2017. We'd also like to thank the following experts who spoke at the event: Paula Barnes, Macy’s, 2015 Fellow; Candise Collins, The Madison Square Garden Company; Erin Gladney, Mayer Brown, 2016 Fellow; Joseph M. Hanna, Goldberg Segalla, 2014 Fellow; Juve Stephanie Hippolyte, NY County District Attorney’s Office; and Jessica Ortiz, former AUSA.
- Pepper Hamilton LLP, which hosted Academic and Professional Success: A Mentoring Program for Law Students and Diversity Recruiting at their Philadelphia, PA, office on April 12, 2017. We'd also like to thank 2011 Fellow and Philadelphia City Lead Kassem Lucas for organizing the event; LCLD affiliate speakers Cassandre Juste, 2014 1L Scholar, Courtney Munnings, 2017 Pathfinder, and Nilufer Shaikh, 2017 Fellow; and the six other speakers listed here.
If you have questions about the LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program, please contact Nancy Richardson, Program Manager, LCLD.
Welcome, New Member!
N. Cornell Boggs III, Executive Vice President--General Counsel, Toys “R” Us, Inc. We are Relentlessly Striving to be the Best Toy and Baby Retail Company FOR the World!!!
In the News
Michael Dillon (l), LCLD Member and General Counsel of Adobe Systems, Inc., Lisa Konie (c), LCLD Diversity Contact and Senior Director of Legal Operations at Adobe, and Lori Lorenzo (r), LCLD Program Director, talk about the impact of LCLD’s Pathfinder Program.
Colin Stretch, LCLD Member and General Counsel of Facebook Inc., spoke about the company’s new efforts to increase diversity among outside counsel.
Manuel Berrelez, 2014 Fellow and Partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP, was profiled in and on the cover of Texas Super Lawyers magazine.
Cyndie Chang, 2011 Fellow and President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, announced NAPABA’s new hate crime toolkit for attorneys.
Marissa Parker, 2016 Fellow and Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, was appointed Hiring Committee Chair at the firm.
Various LCLD Member organizations were also featured in the news.
Read the latest issue of the LCLD Weekly News Digest on major issues in diversity and the legal profession. If you would like to receive the news digest via email each Wednesday, please contact Caitlin Puffenberger.
Jessica Sabesan
Communications & Marketing Manager, LCLD Insider Editor
If you have any news or honors that are relevant to LCLD Members, please email Jessica Sabesan at jsabesan@lcldnet.com.
