The Alumni Leadership Symposium is always a blast: Alums including Amy Ahn-Roll and Andy Mar tour the Paramount Pictures Studio at the 2018 Alumni Leadership Symposium in Los Angeles (left); a group of Alums celebrate at the 2022 Alumni Leadership Symposium in Chicago (top right); and a group of Alums participate in the community service event at the 2018 Alumni Leadership Symposium in Cincinnati (bottom right). 

LCLD’s 12th Annual Alumni Leadership Symposium takes place in Seattle, June 8-10, and past participants—comprising both LCLD Fellows and Pathfinders—are sharing their excitement about this yearly gathering.

Amy Ahn-Roll, a 2014 Fellow who is the General Counsel - Roofing at Owens Corning, said she attends the Symposium because of what she describes as her “four Cs”:

• The ability to connect.
• The caliber of lawyers who comprise the LCLD Alumni.
• The community impact of LCLD initiatives that build more diverse leaders in the legal profession and the Symposium’s local give-back activities to support a better world.
• And the celebration that takes place, where there is an immediate sense of trust that’s created.

Amy said she most looks forward to the dine-arounds that take place on the second evening of the Symposium that allow people to meaningfully connect in smaller, intimate groups as well as the panel discussions typically led by general counsel.

BakerHostetler associate Sushant Mohan, a 2017 Pathfinder, agreed, saying the dine-arounds present a great opportunity to “break bread” with strangers and have conversations about what’s important to each of them. Sushant also said he attends because of the opportunities the Symposium provides to meet other Alumni in person.

“Face time is so valuable,” Sushant noted, and forming meaningful relationships can be incredibly beneficial in advancing diversity. As proof, he described meeting three other Alumni at last year’s gathering (including a BakerHostetler partner from a different office), which led to his participation in LCLD’s Pathways to Equity program.

Alums connect at the 2018 Alumni Leadership Symposium in Los Angeles. 

Both Amy and Sushant say being an LCLD Alum has permitted them to meet and hear from people they might not otherwise have access to. It’s an exclusive community, Amy said, filled with people who have shared similar experiences. As a diverse lawyer, Sushant added, attending LCLD events like the Alumni Symposium recharges him and makes him realize that “others are fighting the fight with you.”

Amy credited the speakers and educational component of LCLD programming with redefining her horizons by giving her visibility “to something great” and, as a result, has allowed her to develop people better because of what she has learned.

Sushant, meanwhile, pointed to some tangible benefits, noting that connections he has made through LCLD have not only led to new business, which—for an associate at a law firm—is extremely beneficial, but also to increased visibility and credibility within his firm, allowing him to be a meaningful participant in shaping the firm’s efforts to create a more inclusive culture.

One of the highlights of the 2022 Leadership Symposium: a fireside chat and book signing with Dr. Bernice A. King, global thought leader, orator, peace advocate, CEO of The King Center, and daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The June Symposium will feature a variety of programs, kicking off with a community service event at which Alumni will be asked to utilize their skills as lawyers to work on issues such as restrictive covenants and redlining.

There will be sessions on pitching to prospective clients, with Paula T. Edgar, Esq., CEO of PGE Consulting Group; leadership and executive presence, with Kori Carew, founder of Bridge68; and networking, cultivating and managing relationships, with Jason Levin, founder of Ready Set Launch.

Kim Anthony, a UCLA and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inductee and four-time women’s gymnastics U.S. national champion, will host a keynote fireside chat.

New this year, will be Drinks & Dialogue. A two-hour event with small-group, 20-minute networking rotations based on practice area, giving people a chance to meet as many people as possible during the allotted time.

There will also be the presentation of the LCLD Alumni Awards:

• The Rick Palmore Award, recognizing LCLD Fellows and Pathfinder Alumni whose vision, commitment and contributions have exemplified the mission of LCLD and the LCLD Alumni community and have had a lasting impact on Alumni specifically and their communities more generally. This year, the Award will be given to up to two alums in the 2011-2019 Fellows or Pathfinder classes.
• The inaugural Rising Star Award, which will recognize a recent LCLD Alum who is engaged with the LCLD Alumni community and exemplifies LCLD’s mission of leadership, action and results. The Award will be given to an alum in the 2020-2023 Fellows or Pathfinder classes.

For more on the upcoming Alumni Leadership Symposium, click here.

If you have any questions about the Alumni Leadership Symposium, please reach out to Alyssa Yuen, Alumni Program Manager.