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 Alexander.
In this Issue:
- Personal Announcements
- 2019 Pathfinders: Need to Know
- Pathfinder Events & Opportunities
- In the Spotlight
- You Asked, Fellows Answered
- Worth a Read, Worth a Listen
- Events & Opportunities of Interest
Pathfinders gather at the Third Annual Pathfinder Alumni Symposium in Cincinnati in 2019.
Did You Know?
Pathfinder and Fellows Alumni are now officially integrated. Click here to read the full report on Pathfinder-Fellows integration.
Announcements
2019 Pathfinder Michael Casco was promoted to Director, Business & Legal Affairs at NBCUniversal.
2019 Pathfinder Freddy Fonseca was promoted to Senior Counsel at Bowman and Brooke.
2019 Pathfinder Austin Gaddis was promoted to Senior Corporate Counsel, Home + Entertainment at T-Mobile USA, Inc.
2019 Pathfinder Phil Kim was promoted to Partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP.
2018 Pathfinder Ricardo Bonilla was promoted to Partner at Fish & Richardson PC. Ricardo is the first person to make Partner at Fish & Richardson after coming to the firm through its 1L Diversity Fellowship (est. 2005).
2018 Pathfinder Amy Chapple welcomed a son, Ethan, in July 2019.
2018 Pathfinder Loretta Freeman was promoted to Partner at Merchant & Gould P.C.
2018 Pathfinder Martha Goodman was promoted to Partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.
2018 Pathfinder Kaylen Kadotani was promoted to Senior Counsel at Hanson Bridgett LLP.
2018 Pathfinder Nila Merola has moved to Aspen Dental Management, Inc., where she is Corporate Counsel.
2018 Pathfinder Hannah Mohrman was named Partner at Bowman & Brooke LLP, and defended a trial in November 2019.
2018 Pathfinder Wesley Morrissette was promoted to Partner at Bartlett Beck LLP, the second black partner in the firm’s history.
2018 Pathfinder Victoria Oguntoye has moved to K&L Gates LLP.
2018 Pathfinder Jackie Piltch was promoted to Associate Legal Counsel at Analysis Group, after only one year in-house.
2018 Pathfinder Ann Sultan was promoted to Member (i.e. Partner) at Miller & Chevalier Chartered.
2018 Pathfinder Lauren Valastro was promoted to Partner at Diamond McCarthy LLP.
2018 Pathfinder Andrea Ahn Wechter was named Partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, while out on maternity leave.
2017 Pathfinder Vernon Marsh was promoted to Partner at Bowman and Brooke LLP.
2016 Pathfinder Derrick Lam was promoted to Shareholder at Littler Mendelson, P.C.
2016 Pathfinder Bindu Palapura welcomed the newest addition to her family, Alex Joseph Palapura, on January 19, 2020.
2016 Pathfinder Roy Prather was promoted to Shareholder at Beveridge & Diamond, PC.
2015 Pathfinder Julius Redd was promoted to Shareholder at Beveridge & Diamond, PC.
2019 Pathfinders: Need to Know!
YOU'RE LCLD ALUMNI NOW! HERE'S HOW TO GET ENGAGED.
As Alumni, there are lots of opportunities to continue to engage with other Pathfinders in your class and all LCLD Alumni.
- Update your Pathfinder Directory Profile: Be sure to keep your email address and contact information up-to-date in the Pathfinder Directory so LCLD Alumni and staff can keep you informed about upcoming events and opportunities!
- Host a Regional Event: Activities for both Pathfinders and Fellows take place under the umbrella of Fellows Alumni Regional Programming (soon to be rebranded LCLD Alumni Regional Programming). If you have an idea for an event, or if you'd like to lead an event, click here to contact your local City Lead.
- Attend Regional Events: Regional Events are publicized to local Alumni via email. Be on the lookout for emails about events in your city or a city near you!
- Find ways to connect: Attending a conference? Reach out to your LCLD colleagues on GroupMe or with the Pathfinder and Fellows directories and plan a meet-up.
- Attend the 2020 LCLD Alumni Meeting: Join us at AT&T in Dallas, TX June 11-13 for the LCLD Alumni Leadership Symposium (all sessions will be joint this year!). Please reach out to LCLD Alumni Symposium Chairs Kelly Lipinski at klipinski@mcglinchey.com and Maritza Okata at mokata@velaw.com if you have ideas or if your organization would like to be a sponsor for the Leadership Symposium.
- Watch for information on LCLD leadership opportunities for the 2020-2021 LCLD Alumni Board, City Lead, and Class Liaison Structure. Coming March 2020!
Pathfinder Events & Opportunities
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: LCLD ALUMNI LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM: Dallas, TX - June 11-13, 2020
Registration is now open for the LCLD Alumni Leadership Symposium in Dallas from June 11 to 13. Click here for details and to register. Please note: Law Firm Early Bird Registration ends March 15, 2020.
2020 ALL IN! CAMPAIGN
The 2020 "All In!" Campaign for LCLD Alumni contributions is underway! The campaign helps fund regional Alumni events, Alumni initiatives, and a portion of the Leadership Symposium. The All In! campaign is open to all LCLD Alumni, including both Fellows and Pathfinders. Click here to make your contribution today. For questions, please contact LCLD Alumni Treasurer Robin Nunn at robin.nunn@dechert.com or LCLD Alumni Programs Manager Erin Hess at ehess@lcldnet.com. If paying by check, please send $125, made payable to LCLD, with memo All In! (list Fellow or Pathfinder) Class of (list Class Year) to: Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Attn: Erin Hess & Kate Knerr, P.O. Box 1656, Richmond, VA 23218.
NOW SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR 2019 RICK PALMORE LCLD ALUMNI AWARD: Deadline March 13, 2020 at 5 pm ET
The Rick Palmore LCLD Alumni Award recognizes the outstanding achievements, commitment, and leadership of LCLD Fellows Alumni and Pathfinder Alumni whose exemplary contributions have had a substantial and lasting impact on the LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder network and in advancing the mission and goals of LCLD in the communities in which we practice and the legal profession more broadly.
Please click here to nominate a colleague or to learn more about the nomination process and eligibility. The deadline for nominations is March 13, 2020 at 5 pm ET.
For questions, please contact Corey Lee, Immediate Past Chair of the LCLD Fellows Alumni Executive Council and 2012 Fellow, at leec@huntonak.com, or Erin Hess, LCLD Alumni Program Manager, at ehess@lcldnet.com.
ALUMNI LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Apply March 30 - April 10, 2020
Want to be involved in the LCLD Alumni leadership? Keep an eye out for information from LCLD on how to apply. The LCLD Alumni network is led by an Executive Council and the committees listed here. Alumni also have Class Liaisons, who serve as representatives for each class and work with the Communications Committee to disseminate information and encourage participation in regional events, and City Leads, who work with Regional Leads and the Programs Development Committee to plan, implement, and executive networking and substantive events for Alumni. For questions, email Erin Hess, LCLD Alumni Program Manager, at ehess@lcldnet.com.
OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY: LCLD ALUMNI PARTNER WITH POSSE FOUNDATION
The LCLD Alumni Outreach committee is looking for current Pathfinders and Alumni to serve as Career Coaches and Graduate School Coaches for The Posse Foundation. Career Coaches must be located in one of ten cities, but Graduate School Coaches can be located anywhere. Click here to learn more about these opportunities and click here if you’re interested in serving as a Career Coach or Graduate School Coach.
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!
2020 | 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:
2019 Pathfinder Kerime Akoglu is a Litigation Associate at Mintz Levin, where she also serves on the firm’s Hiring and Women Associates Steering committees, and is an Associate Mentor. In addition to her litigation practice, she is active in pro bono work, often representing individuals seeking asylum in the U.S., and in 2017 received the firm’s Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award. Kerime is also a member of the U.S. States Bankruptcy Court’s District of Massachusetts Diversity Initiative Task Force.
Learn more about Kerime here.
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 Navigate Your Organization?
Learning how to navigate your organization can be stressful—it's not always clear who to connect with or how to position yourself for success. We asked Fellows for their best suggestions on navigating your relationships with your superiors. Click here to read their quick tips, and click here to read a longer Q&A with Fellows Jaimala Pai and Jason DeJonker.
To suggest a topic, email Program Manager Sarah Alexander at salexander@lcldnet.com, and we'll solicit answers from the LCLD Fellows.
Worth a Read, Worth a Listen
Success Comes from Affirming Your Potential | Harvard Business Review
“The practice of self-affirmation has broad benefits, not just in helping people to develop a healthy self-identity but also to limit the detrimental effects of identity threats like negative stereotyping and overt discrimination.”
LISTEN: Seeing Ourselves as Leaders | Women at Work Podcast
“The shift from being part of a team to leading one isn’t like flipping a switch; it’s a process, and often an awkward one. Not only do you have to convince other people that you can and should lead, but sometimes you have to convince yourself.”
What Happens When Your Career Becomes Your Identity? | Harvard Business Review
“A particular confluence of high achievement, intense competitiveness, and culture of overwork has caught many in a perfect storm of career enmeshment and burnout.” Learn how you can look for--and prevent--signs that your professional life is overriding your personal one.
Let’s Get Real About Why Women of Color Are So Tired | Medium
“Navigating white supremacist institutions while focused on inclusion and equity is a long and weary road,” writes author Satu Bhojwani. What’s one of the best ways to avoid burnout? Spend time in spaces of solidarity, “linking arms as we stand at the frontlines of the battle for our very humanity.”
30 Years Sober: A Tale of a Law Firm Leader | The American Lawyer
“When you acknowledge your humanity and flaws, when you subjugate your ego and you try to live a balanced life, it’s amazing how much better an adviser, a trusted confidant, you are to the people you represent,” said Greg Smith, LCLD Member and Chairman of Husch Blackwell, at the firm’s partner retreat. Smith said he hoped sharing his story would help end some of the stigma around mental illness.
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 food for thought and tangible tips for majority groups to take action and become part of the solution:
- Dear Ally: It's Not About You | Fortune
- A Workplace Divided: Understanding the Climate for LGBTQ Workers Nationwide | Human Rights Campaign
- A New Way to Combat Bias at Work | Harvard Business Review
- Being Black in Corporate America | Center for Talent Innovation
- Names That Aren't Familiar to You Aren't "Hard," They're "Unpracticed" | Vogue
- What "Intersectionality" Means Today | TIME
Events and Opportunities of Interest
ADVANCED NEGOTIATION SKILLS: March 9, 2020 - Washington, DC | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
PRACTICING LAW ACROSS STATE LINES: ETHICS AND PRACTICE ADVICE: March 16, 2020 - Webinar or in person in Washington, DC | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
WHAT DOES TRANSGENDER/NON-BINARY ALLYSHIP MEAN? A BEGINNING DIALOGUE: March 19, 2020 - Webinar or in person in New York, NY | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
MORE EFFECTIVE WRITING MAKES MORE EFFECTIVE LAWYERS: March 20, 2020 - Washington, DC | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES: SEEING THROUGH FACIAL RECOGNITION: March 24, 2020 - Webinar | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
PRACTICING LAW WHILE LIVING OPENLY WITH A DISABILITY: March 25, 2020 - Webinar
Click here for more information.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF LEGAL PROFESSIONALS: March 30, 2020 - Webinar | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
EMERGING ISSUES IN THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY: March 30, 2020 - Webinar or in person in Washington, DC | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
2020 ABA-IPL SECTION ANNUAL MEETING: April 1-3, 2020 - Washington, DC | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
USING EQ AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONCERNS, ISSUES, AND PLIGHT OF CLIENTS: April 16, 2020 - Webinar or in person in New York, NY | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
INTERRUPT IMPLICIT BIAS BY DESIGN: HOW LEGAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE USING INCLUSION NUDGES AND EMBEDDING BIAS INTERRUPTERS: April 21, 2020 - New York, NY | CLE credit available
Click here for more information.
2020 ABA/NLADA EQUAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE: May 6-9, 2020 - Atlanta, GA
Click here for more information.
Questions?
If you have questions about the Pathfinder Program or Pathways for Pathfinders, please email Sarah Alexander, Program Manager, at salexander@lcldnet.com.
