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:
- 2018 Annual Membership Meeting & Compass Awards
- Host a 2018 Leadership Lunch
- What's Working: Integrate Affinity Groups and Organizational Culture
- Fellows Alumni Speaker Series Debuts to a National Audience
- Upcoming Webcast on Partner Performance & Law Firm Compensation Systems
- Welcome, New Member!
- In the News
Did You Know?
Your organization can submit a “What’s Working” initiative to get one step closer to becoming an LCLD Top Performer.
2018 Annual Membership Meeting & Compass Awards
Save the date for the Ninth Annual LCLD Membership Meeting, which will take place Monday, October 15 - Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Washington, D.C.
New in 2018: The LCLD Compass Award
As a reminder, LCLD will present Compass Awards at the 2018 Annual Membership Meeting to the Member organizations that fulfill all of the following requirements:
- Member attendance at the Annual Membership Meeting
- Participation in the LCLD Fellows Program
- Participation in the LCLD Pathfinder Program
- Participation in an LCLD Pipeline Program (1L Scholars Program or the Success in Law School Mentoring Program)
For questions about the 2018 Annual Meeting, the Compass Award, or how to become more engaged with LCLD, please contact Jennifer Denton, LCLD Membership & Operations Director.
Host a 2018 Leadership Lunch
Robert Bostrom (center left), SVP, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Abercrombie & Fitch Co., and Thomas Bender (center right), Co-President and Managing Director at Littler Mendelson, P.C., with LCLD Fellows at a Leadership Lunch in January. (Photo by 2016 Fellow Edward Chyun)
LCLD is currently seeking more Leadership Lunch hosts for this year!
Hosted at Member organizations in various cities, Leadership Lunches provide a unique opportunity for LCLD Fellows to interact with law firm and corporate Members in a casual environment over lunch and a great conversation.
The typical format includes one General Counsel and one Managing Partner who share their personal and professional journeys with a small group of LCLD Fellows, as well as give insights into how talent is managed at their organizations. Click here for suggested topics and questions to cover during a Leadership Lunch. Click here to browse through recent Leadership Lunch offerings.
We also encourage Members to be creative! Past Leadership Lunch Plus events have included company tours, panel discussions, and other activities in addition to the lunch discussion.
For questions, or to host a 2018 Leadership Lunch, please contact Nichole Velasquez, LCLD Fellows Program Manager.
What's Working: Integrate Affinity Groups and Organizational Culture
Lucy Bickford (left), Associate and 2017 LCLD Pathfinder, and Melody Cross (right), Partner, at Schiff Hardin. (Photos courtesy of Schiff Hardin)
Many organizations use affinity groups to provide networking and support for women and minorities. Schiff Hardin’s New Moms Group offers a look at how to better integrate affinity groups and organizational culture.
In 2014, 2017 Pathfinder Lucy Bickford and Partner Melody Cross, both then associates at Schiff Hardin, launched the New Moms Group to provide practical advice and general support for new and expecting mothers, in an effort to make sure all women at the firm felt supported through what is often a difficult transition period. But the group quickly evolved. Read more.
To submit a "What's Working" initiative, please contact Caitlin Puffenberger, LCLD Communications Specialist.
Fellows Alumni Speaker Series Debuts to a National Audience
By Erin Hess, LCLD Program Manager, and Don Belt, LCLD Communications Director
At the inaugural event, Carolyn Frantz spoke to 2016 Pathfinder Jessica Tsao—and LCLD audiences across the U.S. A former Rhodes Scholar, Frantz serves as VP, Corporate Secretary, and Deputy General Counsel of Microsoft Corp. (Photo by Jason Barnwell)
Under the glow of stage lights, Carolyn Frantz, Deputy General Counsel of Microsoft, made a powerful impact on the dozens of LCLD Fellows Alumni, Fellows, Pathfinders, 1L Scholars, Members, and prospective Members who recently gathered at K&L Gates in Seattle to hear her insights on Courageous Leadership.
Propelled by the vision of the Fellows Alumni—and the magic of livestream—Frantz’s remarks also resonated with hundreds more at viewing parties and on webcasts across the United States, in a spectacular inauguration of the 2018 Fellows Alumni Speaker Series.
What brought Frantz and that national audience together is a story in itself.
It began when Maritza Okata, Chair of the Fellows Alumni Network, floated the idea of a speakers series to Reena Ganju, Chair of the Fellows Alumni Program Development Committee. Ganju had been thinking along the same lines, and knew the perfect speaker to kick off the series. Read more.
Click here to register for future events in the 2018 Fellows Alumni Speaker Series. To learn more about the series or to host an event or viewing party, please contact Reena Ganju or Erin Hess.
Upcoming Webcast on Partner Performance & Law Firm Compensation Systems
LCLD would like to thank the LCLD Fellows Alumni and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP in advance for sponsoring the Fellows Alumni Speaker Series: Partner Performance & Law Firm Compensation Systems, presented by David Cruickshank (left), Principal of Edge International.
This is a webcast-only event that will take place Tuesday, February 27, from 9:00-10:00 am PT. The webcast is open to LCLD Fellows, Pathfinders, 1L Scholars, Mentors, and Mentees. Click here to register.
David Cruickshank will review recent developments in law firm compensation systems. Disruptions in the U.S. legal market and the growth of lateral hiring have made it essential for law firms to tweak or change their compensation systems. Cruickshank will help attendees explore strategies to navigate the various compensation systems. He will also address how in-house counsel and relationship partners can build alternative fee arrangements that create joint benefits.
For questions about this event, please contact Erin Hess, LCLD Program Manager.
Welcome, New Members!
Kate Adams, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Apple Inc. We believe the world’s most innovative company must also be the most diverse. That’s why we’re deeply committed to continuing to increase the representation of women and underrepresented minorities that work at Apple, and to create opportunities for app developers, suppliers, and anyone who aspires to a future career in tech. We’re proud to join the LCLD community in its work to improve diversity in the legal profession.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Jerome Janzer, CEO and Shareholder, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. meets the ever-evolving needs of today’s business with innovation, focus, and commitment. Founded in 1894, Reinhart is one of the nation’s 200 largest law firms. Throughout our history, we have relied on entrepreneurship, teamwork, and dedicated service to help our clients achieve their business goals. Our client-driven approach is firmly rooted in creative thinking, intelligent advice, and conscientious service, no matter what area of business law our clients require.
Reinhart understands the value of diversity and inclusion, and we are fully invested in maintaining an environment that attracts and sustains diversity of gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation among our attorneys and staff. We believe that a diverse workforce provides the highest value for client services by forging solutions to problems from different perspectives, and feel privileged to join LCLD in its quest to build a more open and diverse legal profession.
Dave Miller, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, T-Mobile US, Inc. As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. T-Mobile's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to over 70 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. T-Mobile provides services through its flagship brands, T-Mobile and MetroPCS.
At T-Mobile, we embrace diversity and inclusion and have an engaging culture that inspires all individuals to work together to provide a first-class wireless service experience to our customers. We are excited to partner with others in our community to promote and advance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Anne Robinson, Managing Director and General Counsel, The Vanguard Group, Inc. Vanguard is one of the world's largest investment management companies offering a large selection of low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, advice, and related services. Vanguard’s core purpose is to take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success. The company maintains 17 offices in 11 nations around the globe.
Jay Rothman, Chairman & CEO, Foley & Lardner LLP.
Foley & Lardner is an international law firm with nearly 900 attorneys in 19 offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Last year Foley celebrated its 175th anniversary allowing the firm to commemorate its progressive roots in Milwaukee, before Wisconsin officially became a state.
While Foley’s founders Asahel Finch and William Pitt Lynde were on differing ends of the political spectrum, they maintained respect for one another’s views and values while serving a variety of businesses. That respect for differing values and points of views is woven into the fabric of the firm. Diversity and inclusion is now a core value of Foley & Lardner LLP: “We embrace diversity and are committed to the inclusion of our diverse attorneys and staff and to the success of all people."
Marguerite Zinz, President, Thacker Robinson Zinz
TRZ’s Mission, Vision, and Values:
Clients come first. We partner with our clients to solve their most important legal issues and daily worries. We understand our clients’ businesses and their pace – we are up to the task.
Leaders in their industry turn to us as leaders in law. We leverage our passion for the law and our broad experience in courts across the country to creatively address our clients’ needs. Peers, clients, and certifying boards acknowledge our skills and fierce advocacy. We embrace technology and use it to our clients’ advantage.
To our clients’ benefit, we are a diverse team and understand that professional satisfaction and growth require flexibility. We are majority women-owned and value diversity, inclusion, and different perspectives. We invest in our team to ensure they are all well-rounded, creative professionals, enabling them to develop to their highest potential. We donate our time, skills, and resources to give back to our communities and help our neighbors.
In the News
Alan Braverman, LCLD Board Member and General Counsel of The Walt Disney Company, received the American Bar Association’s 2018 Spirit of Excellence Award.
LCLD Members Sharon Barner (left), General Counsel of Cummins Inc., and Kimberly Johnson (right), Chair of Quarles & Brady LLP, spoke about the challenges and opportunities of diversity in the legal profession.
Francine Griesing, LCLD Member and Founder of Griesing Law LLC, was recognized as one of 99 “Limit Breaking Female Founders.”
Don Liu, LCLD Member and Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Target Corporation, and Linda Lu, 2013 Fellow and Chief Litigation Counsel at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, spoke about the legal profession’s progress on Asian-American representation.
Stephen Immelt, LCLD Member and Chief Executive Officer at Hogan Lovells US LLP, spoke about growing his firm and improving diversity.
Stephanie Scharf, LCLD Member, Partner at Scharf Banks Marmor LLP, and Chair of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, announced a new resolution from the ABA on how employers can address and prevent sexual harassment.
Mark Wasserman, LCLD Member and Managing Partner of Eversheds Sutherland, spoke about the firm’s growth and its increased focus on diversity.
Michelle Wimes, Chief Diversity and Professional Development Officer at Ogletree Deakins, spoke about how law firms can get on board the "Me Too" movement.
Various LCLD Member organizations were also featured in the news.
See What's Working at LCLD Member organizations. Read about innovative solutions for creating a more inclusive legal profession and find out if what's working for these organizations can work for yours, too. To submit an initiative, please email Caitlin Puffenberger, LCLD Communications Specialist.
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.
