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:
- New Faces on the LCLD Board, Ellen Dwyer Named Chair
- Fellows Alumna Co-Founds New Firm
- Reminder: Nominate Your 2020 Fellows
- Reminder: Select Your 2020 Pathfinders
- Next Steps: 2020 1L Scholars Program
- Schedule of 2020 Diversity Professionals' Phone Conferences
- LCLD Fellows Experience Show Business at Viacom
- December Regional Events
- Welcome, New Members!
- In the News
Happy Holidays!
We hope you're having a wonderful holiday season, and we wish you a happy and successful new year!
New Faces on the LCLD Board, Ellen Dwyer Named Chair
By Joe Slay, Strategic Initiatives Director, LCLD
LCLD welcomes new members of the Board of Directors, L to R: Tom O'Neill of Exelon; Deneen Donnley of Consolidated Edison; and Mitch Zuklie of Orrick. Not pictured: Maryanne Lavan of Lockheed Martin. (Photo by Jay Haas)
As outgoing Chair Laura Stein steps down after three terms, LCLD is proud to announce that Ellen Dwyer of Crowell & Moring has been named Chair of the LCLD Board, effective January 1, 2020. Kim Rivera, President, Strategy and Business Management and Chief Legal Officer of HP Inc. has been named LCLD's Chair-Elect.
A partner in Crowell & Moring's employment practice, Dwyer (left) served as the firm's managing partner for eight years, general counsel, and chair of its promotions, diversity and lawyer development committees during her career. A driving force in creating the legal industry's first sponsorship program to advance talented women and diverse lawyers, Dwyer was recently recognized by Corporate Counsel for her innovative leadership as part of their "Women, Influence and Power in Law."
"It is an honor to serve as chair of LCLD, and I look forward to partnering with in-house counsel and other law firm leaders who share my passion to create environments where women and diverse lawyers can thrive, gain sponsorship, and make enduring positive changes in the profession for the next generation," said Dwyer. "This is an important moment in society, especially for diverse talent, to be visible, to be heard, and to have the agency and opportunities to succeed." Read more.
This news was also featured in The American Lawyer and Bloomberg Law.
Fellows Alumna Co-Founds New Firm
We'd like to congratulate 2012 Fellow Zohra Tejani, who recently co-founded Tong Tejani PLLC, a boutique law firm focused on government contracts. Based in the Washington, D.C.-metro area, Tejani was previously an attorney at LCLD Member corporations VMware, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation. Tejani is also a 2019 recipient of the Rick Palmore LCLD Alumni Award. See the "In the News" section below for an interview with Tejani.
Reminder: Nominate Your 2020 Fellows
2019 Fellows at their First Meeting in Austin, TX, March 2019. (Photo by Joe Mahoney)
As a reminder, LCLD Members may now submit nominations for the 2020 LCLD Fellows Program. 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 nominating your Fellows here. The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 31, 2020.
We also encourage you to review the Member Tool Kit for the Fellows Program and the 2020 Fellows Program Prospectus.
For questions about the Fellows Program, contact Nichole Velasquez, Fellows Program Manager.
Reminder: Select Your 2020 Pathfinders
2019 Pathfinders at their Second Meeting at Nationwide in Columbus, OH, November 2019. (Photo by Ira Graham)
As a reminder, LCLD Member organizations may now select attorneys for the 2020 LCLD Pathfinder Program. 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.
We're excited to announce that many 2012-2015 1L LCLD Scholars are now employed by LCLD Member organizations and eligible to participate in the 2020 Pathfinder Program! We hope you will consider selecting them for your 2020 Pathfinders!
Please be sure to review the program selection criteria and fees before submitting your Pathfinder selections here. The deadline for selections is Friday, February 7, 2020.
We also encourage you to review the 2020 Pathfinder Program Prospectus, the Pathfinder Program Quick Reference Guide, and the Program Facilitator Guide.
For questions about the Pathfinder Program, contact Sarah Wintle Alexander, Pathfinder Program Manager.
Next Steps: 2020 1L Scholars Program
Thanks to you, a record 140 Member organizations will host 1L LCLD Scholars Program internships next summer! We have notified more than 100 law schools nationwide of the 2020 1L LCLD Scholars Opportunities, which were posted to the LCLD website on December 2.
Next Steps:
- Hire 1L Scholars: Each Member organization will independently identify, select, and hire its respective 1L Scholars. Candidates are now applying to internship postings on the Scholars Opportunities webpage.
- Register Individual 1L Scholars by May 8, 2020: LCLD Member organizations will need to provide their Scholars' information to LCLD and register them for the 2020 1L LCLD Scholars Summit, which will take place June 2-4, 2020, at The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, GA. Registered Member organizations will receive a reminder email in early 2020, or you may register each Scholar here at your convenience.
For questions about the next steps in the 1L Scholars Program, please contact Nancy Richardson, Program Manager.
Schedule of 2020 Diversity Professionals' Phone Conferences
LCLD hosts a quarterly Diversity Professionals' Phone Conference in which we provide information on our action programs and give diversity professionals an opportunity to ask questions and provide us with feedback on your participation experiences. The call is also intended to help orient new diversity professionals to LCLD and provide an open forum for questions, feedback, and suggestions.
2020 Diversity Professionals' Phone Conferences:
- Wednesday, January 15, 2020, 2:00-3:00 pm ET.
- Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 2:00-3:00 pm ET.
- Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 2:00-3:00 pm ET.
Reminder emails with agendas and dial-in numbers will be sent to diversity professionals in the weeks leading up to each call. The latest meeting minutes will be emailed following each call and posted on the Diversity Professionals resource page.
For questions about the Diversity Professionals' Phone Conferences, please contact Jennifer Denton, Membership & Operations Director.
LCLD Fellows Experience Show Business at Viacom
By Nichole Velasquez, Fellows Program Manager, LCLD
At New York's Times Square in October 2019, three dozen LCLD Fellows took a run at show business, filing into the headquarters of Viacom, the mass media conglomerate, for a day-long Learning Experience at a company famous for iconic entertainment brands such as Paramount, Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central.
There they were welcomed by General Counsel Christa D'Alimonte, who began by providing an overview of the Viacom legal department. She also described her own career journey, from an associate at Shearman & Sterling working on Viacom matters, to joining Viacom's legal department in 2012 and rising to GC in 2017. She answered Fellows' questions on topics ranging from long-term career planning to choosing outside counsel and the role of innovation in the entertainment industry.
The day was structured as a series of panel discussions. Read more.
Look out for articles in 2020 about the following Learning Experiences:
On November 19, 2019, LCLD Member Sharon Barner, Vice President and General Counsel of Cummins Inc., and her team, hosted an LCLD Fellows Learning Experience at Cummins' headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. LCLD Member Law Firm Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP hosted a Welcome Event on November 18, 2019.
On January 31, 2020, the next Learning Experience will be hosted by LCLD Member Katherine Adams, SVP and General Counsel of Apple Inc., in Cupertino, CA.
For questions about hosting a Learning Experience, please contact Nichole Velasquez, LCLD Fellows Program Manager.
December Regional Events
L to R: Thomas O'Neill, SVP & General Counsel of Exelon; and Leslie Minier, Chief Diversity Partner, and Roger Furey, Chairman, of Katten, at the Leadership Lunch in Chicago. (Photo by Sami Altshul)
LCLD would like to thank the following Members and organizations for organizing and hosting regional events this month:
- Vinson & Elkins LLP, which hosted a 1L Winter Reception for LCLD Mentees at its Dallas office on December 18, 2019, and will host another reception at its Houston office this evening, December 19, 2019. More receptions will follow in other cities in January 2020.
- Timothy Hester, Chair of the Management and Executive Committees of Covington & Burling, LLP, and Rich Sauer, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Workday, Inc., for speaking at a Fellows Leadership Lunch hosted at the Pleasanton, CA, office of Workday on Monday, December 9, 2019.
- Roger Furey, Chairman of Katten Muchin Rosenman, and Thomas O'Neill, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel of Exelon Corporation, for speaking at a Fellows Leadership Lunch hosted at the Chicago office of Katten on December 6, 2019.
For questions about hosting a Group Mentoring Program Event, please contact Nancy Richardson, LCLD Program Manager. For questions about hosting a Leadership Lunch, please contact Nichole Velasquez, LCLD Fellows Program Manager.
Welcome, New Members!
Warren T. Allen II (left) and Ray D. McKenzie (right), Co-Founders, WTAII PLLC. WTAII PLLC is a Washington, D.C., area law firm launched earlier this year by 2016 LCLD Fellow Warren T. Allen II and Co-Founder, Ray D. McKenzie. The firm’s founding members are Skadden alumni, and McKenzie most recently served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. WTAII (pronounced “W-T-A 2”) primarily assists clients with investigations, litigation, and compliance matters. Allen and McKenzie launched WTAII because they wanted to build a law firm business model that prioritizes positive relationships and flexibility over maximizing profits.
Barbaros Karaahmet, Chief Operating Partner, Herrick, Feinstein LLP. From our offices in New York City, Newark, New Jersey, and Istanbul, Turkey, we maintain robust corporate, litigation, and commercial real estate capabilities, complemented by significant depth in art, bankruptcy, employment, government relations, intellectual property, sports, tax, and trusts and estates.
Whether you are negotiating, defending, innovating, evolving, or seizing the moment, you will benefit from highly sophisticated, business savvy lawyers who will fiercely protect your interests.
We consider ourselves a family firm, with a fundamental culture of respect, camaraderie, and cooperation that permeates all of our activities. At the core of Herrick’s culture is its steadfast commitment to equal opportunity for all of its employees and members. The firm encourages diverse persons to join in the practice of law, share diversity of background and experience, and pursue opportunities to be firm leaders.
In the News
Jackie Aguilar, 2018 Fellow and Corporate Counsel at The Procter & Gamble Company, was profiled in the Cincinnati Business Courier as a 2019 Fortune Under 40 Winner.
Jason Barnwell (left), 2016 Fellow and Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft Corporation, and Christophe Mosby (right), 2013 Fellow and Associate General Counsel and Vice President at HP Inc., recently represented their companies in Washington, DC at the House Tech Accountability Caucus’ discussion on legal diversity, entitled “Tech Meets Law: How Big Tech is Diversifying Representation and Promoting Diversity in Law.”
Kate Behncken, 2015 Fellow and Lead of Microsoft Philanthropies, spoke about Microsoft’s partnership with Walmart and the Cognizant U.S. Foundation to support women and students of color in pursuing careers in technology.
Heather Hubbard (left), 2013 Fellow and Strategic Advisor at All Rise LLC, and Zohra Tejani (right), 2012 Fellow and Co-Founder of Tong Tejani PLLC, discuss the ways in which the Fellows Program was a “game changer” in their lives and careers.
Various LCLD Member organizations were featured in the news.
See 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.
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.
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.
