Welcome to the Pathfinder Newsletter
“Pathways” is distributed to current and alumni Pathfinders each quarter and features program news and information, alerts of upcoming events, updates on your fellow Pathfinders, and other resources to help you get the most out of your involvement in the LCLD Pathfinder Program. Past Pathways newsletters are archived on the LCLD website.
We want to hear from you! If you received a promotion, changed jobs, are engaged in community service, or have a practice-related publication, we want to share it. If you plan to host a Pathfinder Meet-Up, or are attending an event and want to connect with other Pathfinders while traveling, let us know. We also want to hear personal updates—so let us know if you got married, had a baby, or had other big life changes, and we'll help you celebrate. Email newsletter submissions to Program Manager Sarah Wintle Alexander.
In this Issue:
- Personal Announcements
- Pathfinders: Need to Know
- Pathfinder Events & Opportunities
- In the Spotlight
- You Asked, Fellows Answered
- Worth a Read, Worth a Listen
- Events & Opportunities of Interest
2019 Pathfinders Sean Montgomery (L), Melissa Plunkett, Olivia Wilson, and Aviva Gilbert get creative during an activity at the First Pathfinder Meeting in Indianapolis.
Did You Know?
The nomination period for 2020 Pathfinders and Fellows begins November 8!
Announcements
2019 Pathfinder Dana Chaaban has moved to Carlton Fields, where she is Associate Attorney.
2019 Pathfinder Diana Choe has moved to Rockport Healthcare Services.
2019 Pathfinder Daan Erikson relocated from Husch Blackwell LLP’s Omaha office to their Chicago office.
2019 Pathfinder Stanley Foreman Jr. has moved to Pinnacle West Capital Corporation.
2019 Pathfinder Joy Johns has moved to Uber Technologies, Inc.
2019 Pathfinder Joanne Kim has moved to the Los Angeles United School District, where she is Assistant General Counsel II.
2019 Pathfinder Matt Kugizaki has moved to Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton.
2019 Pathfinder Gina LeBlanc has moved to Vox Media Inc., where she is Senior Counsel, Employment & Litigation.
2019 Pathfinder Sarita Matheson has moved to Carlson Caspers Vandenburgh & Lindquist.
2019 Pathfinder Bibeane Metsch is now Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
2019 Pathfinder Anitra Raiford spoke at the Corporate Counsel Women of Color Fifteenth Annual Career Strategies Conference. Her talk was titled, “I Don't Have a Sponsor Yet. What Do I Do?.”
2019 Pathfinder Betty Richmond has moved to Equinor.
2019 Pathfinder Angel Torres has moved to Winston & Strawn LLP.
2018 Pathfinder Natalia Cabrera has moved to the Environmental Integrity Project in Washington, DC.
2018 Pathfinder Joanna McDonald was promoted to Senior Associate at Linklaters LLP.
2018 Pathfinder Sylvia St. Clair recently co-chaired Faegre Baker Daniels' 2019 Diverse Lawyers Resource Group Retreat in Denver, CO, attended by over 75% of the firm's diverse members and 12 firm clients. 2019 Pathfinder Ruben Gonzalez was also involved in leading the retreat.
2018 Pathfinder Stephanie Win Hu was promoted to Senior Counsel at Comcast.
2018 Pathfinder Dennie Zastrow has moved to Pepper Hamilton LLP.
2016 Pathfinder Niyala Harrison has moved to Greenberg Traurig LLP.
2015 Pathfinders Preetha Chakrabarti and Makalika Naholowaa co-authored an article for the World Trademark Review titled "Why the Legal Profession Should Encourage Diversity and Inclusion." Read it here.
2015 Pathfinder Brian Lee was promoted to Senior Counsel at PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Congratulations to Christina Anderson, who will be getting married in January.
2019 Pathfinders: Need to Know!
COMPLETE E-MODULES AND ASSIGNMENTS
Please note that e-modules will remain open until the Second Pathfinder Meeting. If you have not yet completed them, we strongly encourage you to do so before the meeting. If you did not receive an invitation to access the e-modules, or have other questions, please contact Program Manager Sarah Wintle Alexander. For instructions on completing the e-modules, actions assignments, and readings, please click here.
2019 PATHFINDER SECOND MEETING: Nationwide, Columbus, OH – November 20-22, 2019
The second, and final, in-person meeting for 2019 Pathfinders will take place Wednesday, November 20, through Friday, November 22, at Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio. Click here to see the agenda, to register, and to book your hotel. Please note that you must reserve a hotel room by Wednesday, October 23, to receive LCLD's special hotel rate. For questions about registration or the hotel, please contact Stella Askin, LCLD Events Manager. For questions about the meeting or pre-meeting assignments, please contact Sarah Wintle Alexander, Program Manager.
Pathfinder Events & Opportunities
2020 PATHFINDER AND FELLOW NOMINATIONS: Open November 8, 2019
Did you value what you learned and the connections you made during your LCLD Pathfinder year? Has being a member of the LCLD Alumni community helped enrich your career? Are there others in your organization who you think would benefit from the LCLD Pathfinder Program?
If you answered, "Yes!" to any of these questions, be sure to share your story and ensure that your organization participates in the 2020 Pathfinder Program. Review the program prospectus here and a quick-reference sheet on the program here. The nomination form will be available on the LCLD website when the selection period opens Friday, November 8, 2019, and it will remain available through Friday, February 7, 2020. For questions, please contact Pathfinder Program Manager Sarah Wintle Alexander.
Additionally, if you know of any mid-career attorneys at your organization that would benefit from participating in the Fellows Program, we encourage you to pass their names along for consideration in the 2020 Fellows Program, which will accept nominations online November 8, 2019 through January 31, 2020. For questions about the Fellows Program, please contact Fellows Program Manager Nichole Velasquez.
NAPABA RECEPTION: Austin, TX - November 9, 2019
Littler Mendelson, PC is proud to again host a Happy Hour for LCLD Fellows, Pathfinders, and 1L Scholars at the upcoming NAPABA Conference in Austin, Texas, on November 9, 2019 at Cedar Street Courtyard, between 4:00-5:30 pm. Please email Fellows Eddie Chyun (EChyun@littler.com) or Judy Iriye (JIriye@littler.com) to RSVP and/or for more information.
KANSAS CITY HAPPY HOUR: Kansas City, MO - November 14, 2019
Kansas City-area Fellows and Pathfinders are invited to attend a happy hour hosted by Armstrong Teasdale on November 14 from 4-6 p.m. Click here for more information and to register.
SAVE THE DATE: LCLD ALUMNI LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM: Dallas, TX - June 11-13, 2020
Mark your calendars for the LCLD Alumni Leadership Symposium in Dallas from June 11 to 13. We are also looking for Pathfinder Alumni volunteers to serve on the Leadership Symposium committee. The committee needs Dallas-area Alumni as well as Alumni from the rest of the country. If interested, please contact Erin Hess at ehess@lcldnet.com.
STAY CONNECTED: Join your class GroupMe!
See below for links to the GroupMe for your class of Pathfinders. This is a great way to stay connected with other Pathfinders, arrange meet-ups when traveling, and more!
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | All Pathfinders
You can also connect with Pathfinders from all classes and get updates from LCLD by joining the Pathfinder LinkedIn group.
In the Spotlight: Kamilah Alexander
Before attending law school, 2019 Pathfinder Kamilah Alexander worked as a patent manager for an early-stage clinical biotechnology company and spent a year as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Policy Fellow at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. While earning her doctorate degree, Kamilah also conducted research on the cell signaling pathways involved in cellular senescence and cancer development.
Today, she is an Associate at Latham & Watkins LLP, representing companies in a wide array of technological fields, and serves on the firm’s Diversity Leadership Committee.
For a chance to be chosen for the Pathfinder Spotlight, make sure your Pathfinder Directory Profile stands out and tells your story.
You Asked, Fellows Answered: How Do You Quantify Success?
Career goals may change over time, and not everyone wants the same things. So how do you figure out what success looks like for you? Click here for tips from Fellows Jean Kuei and Ashley Wicks.
You can also check out these additional resources on creating a career that works for you:
- Steps for Building a Sustainable Career | Law Practice Today
- Why You Should Stop Trying to Be Happy at Work | Harvard Business Review
- Are You Pursuing Your Vision of Career Success or Someone Else's? | Harvard Business Review
- Who's on Your Personal Board of Directors? | Be Leaderly
To suggest a topic, email Program Manager Sarah Wintle Alexander at swintle@lcldnet.com, and we'll solicit answers from the LCLD Fellows.
Worth a Read, Worth a Listen
Playing the Long Game: Client Development Strategies for Young Lawyers | The National Law Journal
“The earlier in a career that a lawyer begins thinking about client development, the more opportunities that lawyer will have for building trust and confidence with potential clients.”
Generational Differences at Work Are Small. Thinking They’re Big Affects Our Behavior. | Harvard Business Review
When people think inter-generational differences are more profound than they are, it can lead to rocky interpersonal relationships, inferior training, and negative mentorship experiences.
How to Say “No” at Work Without Making Enemies | Harvard Business Review
“A sculptor creates a masterpiece from stone by subtracting the pieces that don’t belong. By the same token, it is what remains after removing those things you decline that becomes who you are.”
The Juggling Act: Tips for Young Lawyers with Families | The National Law Journal
Plan ahead but be flexible, set boundaries and stick to them, maximize your downtime, and get on the same page with your partner.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION RESOURCES:
As a person of color, a woman, a member of a religious minority, a person who identifies as LGBTQ+, and/or an ally of diversity and inclusion, your organization may turn to you for advice and resources on diversity and inclusion efforts. Because inclusion requires everyone, the following articles provide tangible tips for majority groups to take action and become part of the solution:
- Fixing the Flawed Approach to Diversity, Boston Consulting Group
- 5 Ways Traditional Law Firm Culture Burdens Lawyers of Color, The National Law Review
- 8 Steps to Start or Grow a Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, Forbes
- The Things Parents Don't Talk About With Their Kids, But Should, NPR
- Gender Pronouns in the Workplace, Quartz
Events and Opportunities of Interest
EQUAL JUSTICE: CONFRONTING BIAS WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Webinar - October 28, 2019 | CLE credit varies
Click here for more information.
PROTECTING YOUR CLIENTS' INFORMATION: DATA-ETHICAL AND PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Webinar - October 30, 2019 | CLE credit varies
Click here for more information.
PRACTICING LAW ETHICALLY IN A TECHNOLOGICAL MINEFIELD: Webinar - November 5, 2019
Click here for more information.
A LAWYER'S GUIDE TO WORKING WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CLIENTS: Webinar - November 6, 2019
Click here for more information.
DIVERSITY & FLEXIBILITY ALLIANCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Washington, DC - November 7, 2019 | Multiple CLE credit options available
Click here for more information.
2019 WOMEN IN LITIGATION JOINT CLE CONFERENCE: Chicago, IL - November 13-15, 2019 | Multiple CLE credit options available
Click here for more information.
COMPETITION POLICY AND ECONOMICS: WHAT'S GENDER GOT TO DO WITH IT?: Washington, DC or Teleconference - November 19, 2019
Click here for more information.
Questions?
If you have questions about the Pathfinder Program Pathways for Pathfinders, please email Sarah Wintle Alexander, Program Manager, at swintle@lcldnet.com.
