LCLD COMMUNICATIONS

LCLD Insider: October 2019

October 24, 2019

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:

  • Celebrating the Most Active Members of 2019
  • Fellows Alumni Join Leadership Ranks
  • More Mentors Needed in Select Cities
  • Register to Host 2020 1L Scholars, Consider a Member Partnership
  • Ten Years, 10,000 Careers: LCLD Celebrates Programs Milestone at Annual Meeting
  • 2019 Fellows Meet for Second Time in Washington
  • Three LCLD Members Share What's Working in D&I at Their Organizations
  • Prepare to Nominate 2020 Fellows and Pathfinders
  • Recent Learning Experience at Viacom
  • October Regional Events
  • Welcome, New Members!
  • In the News

Did You Know?

See if “What’s Working” in innovative diversity and inclusion initiatives at LCLD Member organizations can work for your organization, too.

Celebrating the Most Active Members of 2019

 

LCLD is proud to announce that in 2019, 55 LCLD Member organizations were named Top Performers, 44 were named Compass Award winners, and 21 earned both designations. We applaud these Members for their continued commitment to building more diverse organizations and a more inclusive profession.

Click here for more information on these awards and how your organization can receive them, or contact Jennifer Denton, LCLD Membership & Operations Director.

Back to top

Fellows Alumni Join Leadership Ranks

 

Congratulations to the following LCLD Fellows Alumni who have recently joined the leadership ranks. 2017 Fellow Javier Flores (left) has moved to Dinsmore & Shohl LLP to open its Boston office, where he is the Office Managing Partner. 2011 Fellow Laura Maechtlen (center) was elected to Seyfarth Shaw's Executive Committee. She is the first Latinx and person of color elected to the committee. 2013 Fellow Anthony Sharett (right) has moved to Meta Financial Group, Inc., where he is Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary.

Back to top

More Mentors Needed in Select Cities

The 2019-2020 LCLD Success in Law School Mentoring Program is in need of more attorney Mentors. We hope you'll consider being a Mentor this year if you haven't already signed up, or pass this opportunity along to other attorneys at your organization who may be interested. Registered Mentors will be matched with diverse, first-year law students.

More mentors are needed in the following cities:

  • Baltimore (10)
  • Chicago (20)
  • Indianapolis (2)
  • Lexington (4)
  • Orlando (19) Critical Need – Offering a gift if registered by October 31.
  • St. Louis (7)
  • Raleigh (10)

For more information about becoming an LCLD Mentor, please review this brief FAQ page. For any other questions, please contact Nancy Richardson, LCLD Program Manager.

Back to top

Register to Host 2020 1L Scholars, Consider a Member Partnership 

The 1L LCLD Scholars Program is designed to strengthen the legal pipeline by expanding the number of opportunities for diverse first-year law students. Prior to completing a summer internship at your organization, the 1L Scholars will be invited to attend the 2020 1L LCLD Scholars Summit, June 2-4, 2020 at The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, GA. This is a career-development conference designed specifically for 1L Scholars. The deadline to register your organization to host 2020 1L Scholars is Friday, November 15, 2019.

We also encourage you to consider collaborating with another LCLD Member organization on a 2020 1L Scholars Partnership. Through 1L Scholars Partnerships, law firms and corporate legal departments work together to create summer internships in which both organizations provide insights and experience to diverse, first-year law students.

Click here to read about how Altria and Hunton Andrews Kurth have built a valuable partnership for 1L Scholars at their organizations.

For questions about the 1L LCLD Scholars Program, please review the FAQs or contact Nancy Richardson, LCLD Program Manager.

Back to top

Ten Years, 10,000 Careers: LCLD Celebrates Programs Milestone at Annual Meeting

At LCLD's 10th Annual Meeting, President Robert Grey, at left, interviewed four past and present LCLD Chairs (L to R): Brad Smith, Laura Stein, Wally Martinez, and Rick Palmore. (Photo by Joe Mahoney)


For the grand finale of LCLD's tenth Annual Meeting, Founding Chair Rick Palmore, current Chair Laura Stein, and President Robert Grey were joined on stage by LCLD Board members, program participants, and staff to celebrate the achievement of a major milestone—the 10,000 individuals served by LCLD programs since the founding of the organization a decade ago.

That goal—10,000 leaders—was a target first identified in 2014 by former chair Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, who had participated in a morning panel discussion moderated by Grey that included Palmore, Stein, and former chair Wally Martinez.

The day began with a keynote address from David Wilkins of Harvard Law School, who framed the challenges facing LCLD while also offering hope for the future, as a new and more diverse generation of lawyers rises to leadership in the profession.

The Chairs panel was followed by breakout sessions, led by GC's and MP's, designed to share their D&I initiatives, detailed in the What's Working section of this website, with other Members.

Click here to read more about the 2019 Annual Meeting and review resources and a photo gallery.

Back to top

2019 Fellows Meet for Second Time in Washington

By Nichole Velasquez, Fellows Program Manager, LCLD

 

The 2019 LCLD Fellows outside the Hilton National Mall, Washington, D.C. (Photo by Wilma Jackson)


The 2019 Fellows descended upon the nation’s capital for the 2019 Fellows second in-person meeting on September 23-25, 2019 at the Hilton National Mall. In total, 275 Fellows attended—145 from Member corporations and 130 from Member law firms.

The first day started with a session entitled, “Just Belonging: How to Have Courageous Conversations on Race & Bias,” led by Kori Carew, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Seyfarth Shaw. Her presentation was based on a popular TEDx Talk she delivered in May 2018. In the session, Fellows discussed difficult scenarios they’ve experienced in the workplace and whether they feel they can bring their whole self to work. It got many in the audience thinking not only about their own personal journey dealing with racial and other bias, but the experiences of their colleagues and friends.

Then the Fellows broke into four groups for sessions focused on the What’s Working section of the LCLD website, which features innovative D&I solutions undertaken by LCLD Member organizations. The breakouts, listed below, allowed the Fellows to learn and ask questions about initiatives that they can then take back to their own organizations. Read more and view photos.

Back to top

Three LCLD Members Share What's Working in D&I at Their Organizations

 

As the managing partners and general counsel of top law firms and corporate legal departments, LCLD Members are some of the most powerful legal leaders in the United States. But some of our Members go above and beyond in applying their leadership to advance diversity and inclusion at their organizations and in the broader legal profession. These individuals exemplify LCLD's mission to make the legal profession as diverse as the nation it serves. Read more about their diversity and inclusion initiatives in the following articles:

Learn more about 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 Manager.

Back to top

Prepare to Nominate 2020 Fellows and Pathfinders

 

2019 Pathfinders at their first meeting at Eli Lilly & Company in Indianapolis, May 2019. (Photo by Caitlin Sullivan)


As a reminder, the nomination period for the LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder programs will open on Friday, November 8, 2019. If you missed last week's informational webinars about these programs, we invite you to watch a recording, or review slides from the webinars, which feature more details about the programs.

The Fellows Program is a one-year, multifaceted, relationship-building and leadership-training experience for diverse lawyers with 8-15 years of practice experience and demonstrated leadership potential. As LCLD's flagship program, all Fellows must be handpicked by LCLD Members themselves. Please be sure to review the program selection criteria and fees before submitting your nomination(s).

The Pathfinder Program is designed to connect in-house and law firm early career, high-potential attorneys for an eight-month professional development series that focuses on foundational leadership skills, professional networks and relationship building skills, and career development strategies applicable to both in-house and law firm practice. Please be sure to review the program selection criteria and fees before submitting your selection(s).

For questions about the Fellows Program, contact Nichole Velasquez, Fellows Program Manager. For questions about the Pathfinder Program, contact Sarah Wintle Alexander, Pathfinder Program Manager.

Back to top

Recent Learning Experience at Viacom 

We'd like to thank LCLD Member Christa D'Alimonte, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Viacom Inc., and her team, for hosting a Learning Experience for Fellows on October 22, 2019. 

We'd also like to thank LCLD Member law firm Shearman & Sterling for hosting a Welcome Event the evening before.

Look out for an article about the Learning Experience this fall.

For questions about hosting a Learning Experience, contact Nichole Velasquez, Fellows Program Manager.

Back to top

October Regional Events

LCLD would like to thank the following Members and organizations for organizing and hosting regional events this month:

  • Jeffrey Melucci, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and David Taylor, Partner and Chair of Locke Lord LLP, for speaking at a Fellows Leadership Lunch hosted at the Dallas office of Locke Lord LLP on October 10, 2019.
     
  • Matthew Cooper, General Counsel of Capital One Financial, and Benjamin Klubes, Managing Partner of Buckley LLP, for speaking at a Leadership Lunch hosted at the Washington, DC office of Buckley LLP on October 10, 2019.
     
  • Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, which is hosting a Success in Law School Mentoring Program Welcome Happy Hour for LCLD Mentees and Mentors at their Seattle office today, October 24, 2019.
     
  • Daniel Moylan, Co-Managing Partner of Venable LLP and guest John Maclay, General Counsel Americas of Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, who will speak at a Leadership Lunch hosted at the New York Office of Venable LLP on October 29, 2019.
     
  • LCLD Board Chair Laura Stein, Executive Vice President and General Counsel Corporate Affairs of The Clorox Company, who will speak to San Fransciso Bay-area Fellows Alumni in the second session of the 2019 LCLD Sustainable Partnership Program on October 29, 2019. We also thank all of the attorneys and Fellows Alumni at LCLD Member organizations who will also speak, and we thank The Clorox Company, Coinbase, and HP Inc. for sponsoring the program.

Please contact the following LCLD staff members for questions:

Back to top

Welcome, New Members!

David Djaha, Managing Partner-Elect, Ropes & Gray LLP. Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm with approximately 1,400 lawyers and legal professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government. The firm has offices in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Seoul, and has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas.

At Ropes & Gray, diversity has long been an essential part of our firm identity, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive community of professionals of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and family structures. In the 2019 Vault survey, Ropes & Gray was ranked number eight for overall diversity, marking the 10th consecutive year that the firm has been ranked in the top 10. For the past 11 years, the firm received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, earning designation as a “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.”

Keiko Sugisaka, Member of Firm Governance Committee, Maslon LLP. For more than 60 years, Maslon LLP has provided strategic legal counsel to the business community in Minnesota and nationwide. From general corporate guidance to bet-the-company litigation, Maslon is dedicated to excellence in the practice of law and we believe strongly that upholding a diverse and inclusive workplace is an essential part of serving our clients, the profession, and the broader community.

Back to top

In the News 



Brad Smith, LCLD Immediate Past Chair and President of Microsoft Corporation, has helped the company become the tech sector’s leading advocate on public policy matters.

 

 



John Harrity, LCLD Member and Co-Founder of Harrity & Harrity LLP, created a Minority Firm Incubator program to help train, develop, and launch minority-owned patent firms.

 

 



Timothy Hester, LCLD Member and Chair of Covington & Burling LLP, spoke about how the firm has created a diverse partner class.

 

 

 


Jami McKeon, LCLD Member and Chair of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, started her second term leading the firm by announcing that women make up 60 percent of the firm’s new partner class.

 



Earsa Jackson, LCLD Diversity Contact and Chair of the Diversity Committee at Clark Hill PLC, was profiled in The Texas Lawyer for her diversity work.

 

 



Cornell Leverette Moore, LCLD Diversity Contact and Partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, was interviewed for an article on “lawyering while black.”

 

 



Kia Scipio, LCLD Diversity Contact, is the first-ever Director of Diversity at Ropes & Gray LLP.

 

 

 


George Fatheree, 2019 Fellow and Partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, helped craft a $30 million bid to preserve an archive chronicling the black experience in America.

 

 



Lillian Hardy, 2016 Fellow and Partner at Hogan Lovells US LLP, shared tips for growing a sustainable practice after becoming partner.

 

 



Marilyn McClure-Demers, 2014 Fellow and Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Corporate Litigation & Discovery Management shared her top 10 leadership strategies, which recently helped her lead a legal transformation at Nationwide.

 



Dawn Smalls, 2017 Fellow and Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, was chosen to serve as an independent monitor for Deutsche Bank.

 

 


Jaimala Pai, 2012 Fellow and Principal Legal Counsel at Medtronic, Inc., wrote an article on the importance of networking for in-house attorneys.

 

 



Rishi Puri, 2018 Fellow and Associate at Lane Powell PC, spoke about diversity and his experience with the Fellows Program in the Oregon State Bar Bulletin.

 

 



Serving as national coordinating counsel, Mary Young, 2014 Fellow, and her firm, Blackwell Burke P.A., won a landmark victory for 3M Company.

 

 



Ephraim Pierre, 2017 Pathfinder and Senior Associate at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, co-authored an article for ACC Docket on increasing diversity through engaged corporate counsel.

 

 


Various LCLD Member organizations were 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.

Back to top

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.