June 29, 2022

LCLD Diversity News Digest

Here you’ll find the latest diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) news, resources, tips, and thought leadership, curated biweekly for today’s legal leaders—LCLD’s Members—and Diversity Professionals.

On the Need for Equity in America

PRIDE MONTH

What It Means to Be an LGBTQ+ Ally

Being a true ally means “being one in all aspects of your life, professionally and personally, all year long, not when it’s convenient and not only in June, during Pride month.”  Duane Morris

No More ‘Abrasive,’ ‘Opinionated,’ or ‘Nice’: Why Managers Need to Stop Giving Women and People of Color Feedback on Their Personality

A new report on language biases in the workplace reveals stark gaps in the quality of feedback women and people of color receive, compared to the substantive feedback given their white and male coworkers.  Fortune

Still a Boys’ Club? Survey Offers Clues into Law Firm Gender Inequality Gap

“To achieve more parity at the top, having the robust support of men strikes me as key,” writes Jenna Greene, “but the survey results suggest that the majority are, at best, indifferent.”  Reuters

DE&I Development

DEI Efforts Can Help Diverse Attorneys Overcome Perfection Paradox

Yusuf Zakir, chief DEI officer of Davis Wright Tremaine, shares how firms can help alleviate the disproportionate burden of expectations attorney of color carry.  Bloomberg Law

An Intersectional Approach to Inclusion at Work

Six evidence-based principles that can help combat sequential, siloed inclusion efforts.  Harvard Business Review

Building Resilience in Diversity and Inclusion Programs

Practical tips for creating sustainable DE&I initiatives that can “weather disruptions while also supporting employees.”  MIT Sloan Management Review

Soft Language in DEI May Actually Make It More Difficult to Achieve Hard Results

“’Journey’ is far too squishy of a word,” writes Anne Chow. “If a journey seems and feels endless, do you ever arrive? Does it imply that you are wandering toward some abstract destination instead of being focused and purposefully driven?”  Fortune

Mastercard’s Chief Inclusion Officer on the Critical Role of DEI (and 3 Keys to Getting It Right)

Wisdom gleaned over two decades at the helm of global DEI strategy, from Mastercard’s chief inclusion officer.  Yahoo! Finance

LCLD Leads on DE&I

The NLJ 500: Diverse Representation Matters

LCLD Members comprise the top seven firms on this scorecard for LGBTQ+ representation and community impact, with Jenner & Block in first place.  The National Law Journal

Podcast | How Sidley Creates a Positive Firm Culture

LCLD Member Yvette Ostolaza discusses how Sidley Austin LLP creates and maintains a positive culture, as well as her goals and priorities in assuming the role of the first female chair of the firm’s management committee.  Above the Law

Skadden’s Jessica Hough Talks Talent Challenges, Return-to-Office and Diversity

“As an LGBT Black woman—in everything I do—diversity has always been in the back of my mind,” writes 2011 Fellow Jessica Hough of Skadden. “You can bring [diverse attorneys] in the door, but the key is, they need to feel valued.”  The National Law Journal

Planning Your Diversity & Inclusion Strategy? Take Note of Deloitte’s High-Impact Lessons

Three best practices emerge from lessons learned through this year-old Deloitte program.  Forbes

Leading for Tomorrow

Supporting Your Team When the News Is Terrible

Five steps to help you and your team feel and perform better amid a continuous stream of devastating news.  Harvard Business Review

Reimagining the Workplace

Why Microsoft Measures Employee Thriving, Not Engagement

Draw on Microsoft’s “Five Ps”—pay, perks, people, pride, and purpose—to gauge whether your employees are “energized and empowered to do meaningful work.”  Harvard Business Review

Over 400 Managing Partners, GCs Make Public DEI Pledges as LCLD Campaign Concludes

“The purpose was to create transparency and accountability, but also to create an opportunity where there could be more learning and piloting of ideas by sharing with each other,” said LCLD President Robert Grey.  The American Lawyer

Apple, Google GCs Among LCLD Members Making Public Diversity Pledges

Highlights from pledges by LCLD Board Chair Ellen Dwyer (Crowell & Moring) and Board Members Halimah DeLaine Prado (Google), Dev Stahlkopf (Cisco), and Joel Unruch (Accenture).  The Global Legal Post

If you have questions about the Leaders at the Front initiative, please contact Caitlin Puffenberger, LCLD Member Programs and Communications Manager.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Members & Diversity Professionals

JULY 13   |  1:00 pm ET   ||   LCLD Community
Language of Leadership Series: Mike Fricklas (Advance)
Robert Grey, LCLD President, and Mike Fricklas, CLO of Advance, will discuss how leaders can use their personal commitments to DE&I to drive change. Register here.

AUGUST 31   |  2:00 pm ET   ||   Diversity Professionals
LCLD Diversity Professionals' Virtual Meeting
Join LCLD staff and fellow Diversity Pros to receive updates and ask questions about LCLD programs and initiatives. Register here.

SEPTEMBER 22–23    ||   LCLD Members + Guests
13th Annual LCLD Membership Meeting
It's official: the annual LCLD Membership Meeting will convene in-person this fall! Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and NYU Law professor Kenji Yoshino will join us in launching the next phase of Leaders at the Front: Transforming Tomorrow. Register here.

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