Compiled for the LCLD 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, of if you would like to subscribe, please email Caitlin Puffenberger at cpuffenberger@lcldnet.com.
1. Thought Leader Forum: Business of Pride
Portland Business Journal, 8/3/16
2016 Fellow Julie Engbloom talks about LGBT pride in the workplace and how Lane Powell promotes LGBT inclusion. She also cites the firm’s participation in LCLD as important part of their commitment to inclusion. “In the legal field, we are in the problem-solving business, and whether it is a generational viewpoint, socio-economic background, geographic location, race ethnicity, etc. – all of those things bring together a diversity of thought to help get the right result and approach for the client,” Engbloom said. The panel also discusses the role corporations can play in promoting LGBT rights and inclusion, and where there is still room for improvement.
2. Study Says Female In-House Counsel Are More Cost-Conscious (and Paid Less)
Corporate Counsel, 8/29/16
A survey of 1,800 senior in-house counsel around the world found that men earn and spend more than their female counterparts. Men anticipated a spending increase of 12 percent over the next year, while women anticipated no increase; internationally, both expected an increase, but men predicted 8 percent higher spending. The survey also found a pay gap (about 18 percent in the U.S.) and a difference in values – women listed commerciality, responsiveness, and efficiency among their top business priorities, while men were attracted to results, reputation, and relationships.
3. Op-Ed: Diversity Key in Improving Trust, Confidence in Legal System
Tampa Bay Times, 8/26/16
About 82 percent of Florida judges are white, and only 31 percent are female, despite the diversity of the overall state, writes William Schifino, President of the Florida Bar. The justice system was built on a foundation of trust and confidence, one that most attorneys and justices are proud to uphold, Schifino says. “But how can we expect people to trust those systems if they don’t feel they are being fairly represented?” Diversifying the legal profession is a crucial step in renewing the public’s faith in the justice system, he concludes.
4. WATCH: What American Women Who Wear Hijab Want You to Know
The Atlantic, 8/26/16
Four Muslim-American women share their daily experiences wearing a headscarf, including why those chose to observe hijab, the questions people ask, and the ways in which it empowers them. “It would be a lot safer, a lot easier, a lot more convenient if I just took off my hijab,” one woman explained. “But if you do that...you accept the idea that Muslim women don't belong in America, or Muslim women who wear hijab aren't part of the American story -- when in fact we are.”
5. All Mixed Up: What Do We Call People of Multiple Backgrounds?
NPR Code Switch, 8/25/16
Throughout history, the government, the media, and the public have used dozens of terms to describe people with multiple backgrounds. “Mixed race” is currently the most prominent term in academic writing, while “multiracial” is the more mainstream preference. It’s important to understand the (often negative) history behind the words we use. But ultimately, author Leah Donnella passes along her mother's advice: “Why does anyone ask you, ‘What are you?’ Whose business is it…? [If] someone can’t immediately put you in a box or a frame of reference, that’s their problem. It should never be yours.”
