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. The Business Case for More Diversity
- In a study of S&P 500 companies, the 20 most diverse companies had better operating results and better performing shares than the least diverse companies. The Wall Street Journal
- Half of the 20 most diverse companies are LCLD Members, with scores over 70: Starbucks, Visa, Clorox, Estee Lauder, General Motors, Kroger, Merck, P&G, Walmart, and Wells Fargo. The Wall Street Journal
- Note: D&I scores range from 0 to 100. The average score was 44.
2. How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams
Leaders play a critical role in mitigating bias in their organizations when they act as bias interrupters, particularly in high-impact areas like recruiting, day-to-day operations, and evaluations and promotions. Harvard Business Review
3. 22 Legal Departments Sign On for In-House Mansfield Rule Pilot
- Participating legal departments have been asked to consider at least 50 percent underrepresented candidates for internal roles and when selecting outside counsel. They will also record their candidate pools and submit them to Diversity Lab at the end of the year. Corporate Counsel
- Nine of the 22 participating companies are LCLD Members: BASF, DaVita, Delta Dental, Gap, Lincoln Financial Group, MassMutual, PayPal, US Bank, and Voya Financial. Corporate Counsel
4. Is Lateral Hiring a Diversity Blindspot for Big Law?
The first question Merle Vaughn, a recruiter of diverse lateral candidates, asks the firms she works with is, "What are you willing to do differently to get a different result?" The American Lawyer
5. Hannah Choi Refuses to Pay Lip Service to D&I
As Chief Diversity Officer at iQor, Pathfinder Hannah Choi has rolled out a Rooney Rule-esque program for internal hiring and vendors, paid maternity leave, and supplier diversity programs. Profile Magazine
6. Can Virtual Reality Teach Executives What It Feels Like to Be Excluded?
A VR-enabled D&I training program let a white male executive experience a meeting as one of his diverse employees might--with constant interruptions, accusations of over-sensitivity, and references to decisions made at a lunch to which he wasn't inited. Fortune
