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 Communications Specialist Caitlin Puffenberger at cpuffenberger@lcldnet.com.
1. The ‘In-House Revolution’ Has Turned General Counsels Into Advocates
Law.com, 10/27/17
General counsel now have “the access, influence, power, and resources” to advance social justice, says Kim Rivera, LCLD Member and General Counsel of HP Inc. LCLD Board Member Laura Stein, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of The Clorox Company, and LCLD Member Horacio Gutierrez, General Counsel of Spotify, also weigh in.
2. Celebrating LCLD’s Top Performers of 2017
LCLD Communications, 10/23/17
In 2017, 52 LCLD Member corporations earned the distinction of “Top Performer” for their participation in and support of LCLD’s mission.
3. “Numbers Only Take Us So Far”
Harvard Business Review, November 2017
Diversity data is good, but it needs to supplemented with qualitative analysis, says Maxine Williams, Global Director of Diversity at LCLD Member corporation Facebook: “Algorithms and statistics do not capture what it feels like to be the only black or Hispanic team member or the effect that marginalization has on individual employees and the group as a whole.”
4. What if I Say the Wrong Thing? 10 Tips for Culturally Effective People
Medium, 10/24/17
A few things to think about as you work to overcome biases, from past LCLD program speaker Verna Myers: pause before you speak, get accustomed to making mistakes, engage rather than disengage, and learn to apologize.
5. How to Move the Needle on Racial Diversity: You’re Doing it Wrong
Canadian Lawyer, 10/30/17
Research on the legal industry suggests that the most effective way to improve diversity is by building accountability, sponsorship programs, and bias interrupters into our organizations.
6. Law Firms Taking Important Steps, But Still Need to Improve on Gender Equity
Thomson Reuters, 10/31/17
Women in the legal industry receive first-time promotions 11 percent less often than men, and at the equity partner level, women are 43 percent more likely to leave than men, according to a recent study from McKinsey & Co.
7. Leaders Aren’t Great at Judging How Inclusive They Are
Harvard Business Review, 10/26/17
“Those leaders who are poorest [at inclusiveness] fail to see the problem, while those who are the best don’t realize their skill and capability.”
