2026 PLDIC Spring Members Meeting
Apr 15, 2026
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Energy Innovation Center
Embrace the sports fervor of NFL draft week in Pittsburgh at the PLDIC’s 2026 Spring Members Meeting on Wednesday, April 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Energy Innovation Center. Get inspired to create change as we welcome Jim Rooney and Professor N. Jeremi Duru, who will discuss how leaders can advance racial equity with their presentation, “The Leader’s Role in Equity, Race and Opportunity.” Their candid conversation will give unparalleled insights into the Rooney Rule (named after Jim’s father), the NFL policy requiring league teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. They’ll outline the Rule’s strengths and weaknesses, providing insight into how leaders can create their own pathways for effective workplace policies. A live Q&A session will provide attendees a chance to ask questions. Guests will also hear updates from PLDIC leadership and have time for networking over cocktails and appetizers.
This event is free for all PLDIC member organizations employees (lawyers and nonlawyers) and member law students. Nonmembers are also welcome to attend for a $25 fee.
Accommodations for this in-person event are available; please contact Ena Lebel if you need a specific accommodation/to discuss further or if you have any questions.
Speaker Biographies:
Jim Rooney is a published author, consultant and national speaker. Jim’s book “A Different Way to Win: Dan Rooney’s Story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule” details his father’s long and successful career. Released in November 2019, the book quickly became an Amazon Best Seller and was selected on President Obama’s 2019 Book List.
He is co-partner of Rooney Consulting, which assists organizations with enhancing culture, building strong teams and growing their businesses. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation of Pittsburgh, The American Ireland Funds and Gilmour Academy. He is the 2019 recipient of the Lewis L. Glucksman Award for Business Leadership from New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House.
N. Jeremi Duru is a professor, author, lecturer, researcher, frequent media contributor, and advocate – and is among the nation’s foremost sports law authorities. Currently a professor of law at American University’s Washington College of Law, he is also a counselor for sports industry professionals and organizations, and is former counsel to the Fritz Pollard Alliance of minority coaches, scouts, and front office personnel in the NFL.
Duru has authored (and co-authored) books on sports law and examining the NFL’s movement toward increased racial equality. One of these books is Advancing the Ball: Race, Reformation, and the Quest for Equal Coaching Opportunity in the NFL. Duru is a member of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s Anti-Doping Review Board and the National Sports Law Institute’s Board of Advisors. He has been a legal analyst for Yahoo! Sports and has provided commentary for numerous media outlets, including CNN, BBC, NBC, MSNBC, Fox, ESPN, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
More about our venue:
The Energy Innovation Center is a Pittsburgh based, not-for-profit organization with a mission to engage corporate and community leaders, align workforce development and education, develop and demonstrate technology, and incubate businesses, to support emerging clean and sustainable energy markets. The building is a LEED Platinum Certified beacon for clean, efficient and sustainable energy solutions and technologies.Located in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District this 200,000 square foot building functions as a ‘living laboratory’ for industry-informed education and training programs and a center that co-locates diverse tenants, including energy sector corporations, national energy research laboratories, political and community leaders, economic development organizations, and leading academic institutions.