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. US Bank’s GC Urges Firms to Think Aggressively on Diversity 

LCLD Member James Chosy, General Counsel at US Bank, hopes law firms “realize that it’s safe to enter the deep end of the pool with diversity objectives, and that clients will support bold goals and work collaboratively with them to get there.”  The American Lawyer

2. Diverse Equity Partners on the Rise in Big Law, But Gaps Remain 

A survey of 70 law firms addressed the progress firms are making on diversity and inclusion in leadership roles and in key practice areas.  Bloomberg

A few findings of note from the original DiversityLab/CHiPs report (available here): 

• Over the past year, 63% of firms have increased their percentage of female equity partners, and 54% have increased minority equity partners. 
• The “least-tracked inclusion activities,” at both leadership and practice group levels, are origination credit, pay equity, and first-chair responsibilities. 
• 76% of firms indicate that partner compensation is impacted by D&I contributions, but only 29% indicate that practice group leader compensation is impacted.    

The report also identified 13 Inclusion Blueprint Champions, 12 of whom are LCLD Member firms. 

3. A Better Way to Develop and Retain Top Talent 

• A 2018 report found that one-third of employee turnover came from “unsupportive management and a lack of development opportunities.”  Harvard Business Review
• How do you better support your talent? Work to understand how your employees want to develop, create “learning moments,” and provide regular feedback, says consultant Margaret Rogers.  Harvard Business Review

4. Diversity, Succession Planning Played a Role in 2019 Fortune 500 GC Hiring

• At the end of 2019, women made up 33% of Fortune 500 general counsel, in part because GCs are paying closer attention to diversity in their succession planning, according to research from search firm BarkerGilmore.  Corporate Counsel
• Another finding of note: It takes women an average of 14 years to be internally promoted to GC, as opposed to 13 years for men.  Corporate Counsel

5. Big Law Tops Big Business for LGBTQ Equality, Report Says 

On this year’s Corporate Equality Index—which evaluates organizations’ support of LGBTQ+ employees—almost 80% of participating law firms earned perfect scores, compared to 60% of Fortune 500 companies.  Law.com

6. Goldman Sachs Won’t Take Companies Public Without Diversity on Boards  

“We’re not going to take a company public unless there’s at least one diverse board candidate, with a focus on women,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon announced last week. He noted that the impetus for this decision was research that shows that companies with diverse boards perform better.  CNBC 

7. Dear Ally: “It’s Not About You”

“Allyship, in practice, often boils down to you leveraging your position and power to claim space for marginalized people,” writes Katrina Jones, who leads D&I efforts at LCLD Member organization Amazon, in an essay for the raceAhead newsletter. “It’s reminding people who have the lived experience and expertise and centering their voices, their ideas, their solutions.”  raceAhead 

8. Quiz: How Much Racism Do You Face Every Day? 

In the past two weeks, how many times were you mistaken for someone else of your same race/ethnicity (even if they look nothing like you)? How many times were you asked to speak for all members of your race/ethnicity? Or hassled by a store clerk or security guard? How many times were you uncomfortable in your own community because of your race/ethnicity? See how your responses compared to those of black teenagers in Washington, DC.  New York Times