Compiled for LCLD Members and the 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, or if you would like to subscribe, please email Communications Manager Caitlin Puffenberger at cpuffenberger@lcldnet.com. 

1. Making a Difference for Men (and Women) of Color

“LCLD is on track this year to have touched the lives of 10,000 young people, ranging from first-year law students to senior attorneys in positions of leadership,” writes LCLD President Robert Grey.  ABA  

2. Diversity & Inclusion 2019: Martha Charepoo

Early experiences as an Iranian immigrant shaped 2019 Fellow Martha Charepoo’s views about inclusion. “It is about feeling like you can be yourself and reach your true potential in an environment that is welcoming to who you are, regardless of who you are,” she says of her work as Chair of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.  Missouri Lawyers Weekly 

3. New ABA Report: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Legal Profession But Didn’t Know Where to Ask 

Some demographic data of note from the ABA’s latest report: 

• Male attorneys outnumber female attorneys 2:1.  Above the Law
• Racial or ethnic minorities make up 15 percent of all lawyers; and while their representation is greater at the law student level, at 31 percent, they represent just 9 percent of partners.  Above the Law 

4. Men of Color Project Addresses Lack of Diversity in the Legal Profession 

“The responsibility to mentor and guide young lawyers of color belongs to the entire legal profession, a profession that has sworn to uphold the laws of this country and, thus, must take immense measures to protect and support the very legitimacy of the rule of law,” write two members of the Member of Color Project Committee.  ABA

5. The 1619 Project 

• This initiative, launched exactly 400 years after the start of American slavery, unpacks the lasting impact of slavery on all facets of American life.  The New York Times 
• “We are at one of those critical moments in American history when we will either double down on romanticizing our past or accept that there is something better waiting for us,” writes lawyer Bryan Stevenson in an essay on the impact of slavery on the criminal justice system.  The New York Times

6. How Drama is Helping Dechert Shrink the Gender Gap 

LCLD Member firm Dechert worked with a theater organization to help employees identify unconscious bias; combined with a global diversity assessment, leaders say this effort has led to an influx of new women partners.  The American Lawyer

6. A Lack of Sponsorship is Keeping Women from Advancing into Leadership 

According to new research, women tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored; women also tend to have less senior mentors than men and have less access to senior leaders (and therefore potential sponsors).  Harvard Business Review