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. Managers Pick Mini-Me Proteges of Same Race, Gender

Bloomberg, 1/8/19

Seventy percent of executives choose to mentor people of the same gender and race, according to recent research from CTI—and when most leaders are white and/or male, that means little diversity in the leadership pipeline. 

2. Redefining Representation: The Women of the 116th Congress 

New York Times, 1/14/19 

“Portraits of the women of the 116th Congress are a testament to what power looks like in 2019,” writes photographer Elizabeth Herman alongside her powerful photo series. Or, as Representative Deb Haaland, the first Native American woman elected to Congress, puts it: “Congress has never heard a voice like mine.” 

3. Why Most Performance Evaluations are Biased, and How to Fix Them 

Harvard Business Review, 1/11/19

A lack of structure in performance review documents invites bias, according to a recent study. To be fairer and more consistent, try creating a rubric for evaluations, writing more specific prompts, and running regular consistency checks. 

4. LGBT Rights: Supreme Court Delays, But Corporate America Has Already Moved On 

Barnes & Thornburg Insights, 1/8/19

“Employers are increasingly aware that their appearances and reputations will take a hit if they make an argument against equality, even if such an argument is legally defensible in some jurisdictions,” writes an attorney at LCLD Member firm Barnes & Thornburg. 

5. The Rearview Mirror and the Road Ahead on #MeToo: Action Items for Corporate Boards

Corporate Counsel, 1/10/19

Corporate boards that want to stay ahead of the curve on workplace misconduct should prioritize organizational culture, focus on how they’re setting the tone at the top, and develop talent as a competitive differentiator. 

6. Bernice Sandler, ‘Godmother of Title IX’ Who Championed Women’s Rights on Campus, Dies at 90 

Washington Post, 1/7/19

Remembering the life of Bernice Sandler, whose career was devoted to “documenting, analyzing, and stopping the forms of discrimination—subtle and overt—that held women back academically and professionally in educational settings.”