Past Events

September

ATLAC CLE: Racial Equity in the Legal Profession
September 21
Union Trust Building
More than 75 attendees took part in the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County and PLDIC’s CLE on September 21, “Racial Equity in the Legal Profession” at the Union Trust Building. The program provided 1 ethics and 1 substantive PA CLE credits and featured keynote speaker Michelle Silverthorn. PLDIC Executive Director Ena Lebel moderated the session, which featured panelists including U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia L. Dodge, Western District of Pennsylvania; Gregory B. Jordan, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, PNC Financial Services Group; Rosa Copeland Miller, Managing Attorney, FedEx Ground; Jason Hazlewood, Managing Partner, Pittsburgh for Reed Smith; and Silverthorn.

Brave Space/Self-Care Series: 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis
Eckert Seamans
The PLDIC’s Community Building Committee hosted its second installment of the “Brave Space/Self-Care” series on September 20 at Eckert Seamans. Nearly a dozen individuals participated in this conversation about Supreme Court’s recent decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis.

August

PLDIC Family Picnic
August 26
Forbes and Braddock Shelter
Thanks to everyone who attended our first ever PLDIC Family Picnic at Forbes/Braddock Shelter and Playground on Saturday, August 26. More than 50 attendees, including representation from 10 member organizations, enjoyed the green space, playgrounds, food, and most importantly – good company!

CLE: Objection! An Interactive Educational Experience on Diversity and Bias Issues in the Legal Profession
August 23
Virtual
The PLDIC recently partnered with affiliate member organization Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network to bring this CLE to our membership. Developed by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Board and Carnegie Mellon Entertainment and Technology Center, the program used animated vignettes, audience polling technology, and group discussions to explore realistic workplace situations and contemplate issues, viewpoints, and ethical issues.

The Brave Space/Self-Care Series: SCOTUS Affirmative Action Case
August 16
Eckert Seamans
The PLDIC Community Building Committee designed this program to be a monthly on-going series, alternating between a brave/safe space for facilitated conversations and discussions about external events impacting our lives; and classes focused on tools to build mental and physical health and to learn skills to successfully navigate difficult situations at work. The first session was held on August 16 with a productive conversation about the SCOTUS affirmative action case.

June

Pittsburgh Pride Revolution Parade
June 3
Downtown Pittsburgh
PLDIC member organizations Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Eckert Seamans, K&L Gates, and Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP were represented at the Pittsburgh Pride Revolution Parade March on June 3 with the Allegheny County Bar Association’s LGBTQ+ Rights Committee. This parade celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Pride in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Pirates Pride Night with the PLDIC
June 9
PNC Park

May

Updating Your Firm’s DEI Strategy: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid
May 23
Emerald City
The PLDIC held an event and networking reception with Baker Donelson Shareholder Marcus Maples on May 23 at Emerald City. Nine member organizations were represented at the event. Resources and the event presentation are available on our Members Only page.

March

Building an Inclusive Business to Compete in Today’s Global Market: Interactive Workshop for Small & Mid-Sized Organizations
March 15
Schander
Attendees from eight organizations learned the theory behind the VOKLY DEI Progression Model, applied it to evaluate their own organizations, and had the opportunity to ask detailed and firm-specific questions of VOKLY. Resources from the event are available on our Members Only page.

February

The Path to Belonging – Rise Through the Authenticity Principle
February 8
Virtual

The PLDIC hosted Ritu Bhasin (an award-winning life coach, empowerment speaker, author and inclusion expert) for a virtual session aimed at individuals who identify at BIPOC. In this inspiring presentation, Ritu uncovered how the practice of authenticity and belonging can elevate professionals from equity-seeking communities to live, work and lead in a more empowered way. She revealed how to identify and interrupt your own internalized bias and self-limiting beliefs and behaviors, embrace and leverage your cultural differences to cultivate experiences of belonging, and consistently choose to be more authentic in your interactions.

Trivia Night
February 21
Eckert Seamans
More than 30 people showed up to mingle with fellow PLDIC members and have a great time! Thanks to all who attended. Special thank you to Eckert Seamans for going above and beyond with food and drink; and to Community Building Committee Chair Aarthi Murty and her husband for running the trivia. Congratulations to the winning team, Mardi Law!

PLDIC Recruiter Panel – It’s Not Me, It’s You
February 23
Virtual
Forty participants heard from a seasoned group of recruiters about their experiences working with diverse legal candidates considering opportunities in Pittsburgh. A recording from the event is available on our Members Only page.

January

Fostering Effective & Inclusive Feedback: an Interactive Presentation & Feedback Hackathon Experience led by Paula Edgar
January 18
In-Person

The PLDIC held our first event of 2023 on January 18. Sixty people attended the highly interactive and thought-provoking session led by DEI expert and professional coach Paula Edgar. During the workshop, Paula facilitated a conversation about feedback challenges and strategies to overcome those barriers to effective and inclusive feedback. The participants worked in small groups to discuss real life scenarios and then, spent the last hour of the workshop in a hackathon! Paula divided the attendees into teams, each with a particular feedback challenge to tackle, and the teams issue-spotted, then problem-solved – ultimately developing innovative solutions to provide effective and inclusive feedback. A big thank you to UPMC for hosting our participants. We are eager to see if these solutions get implemented at our member organizations.

January

Diversity Terms 2.0
January 26
Webinar

Over 75 individuals attended the Coalition's first event of 2022, Diversity Terms 2.0, on January 26. Following the session, the Coalition updated its popular glossary, "Key Terms Used in the D&I Conversation," to include changes and additions that have occurred to the terminology over the past year. This guide is an ongoing work in progress, so please feel free to reach out to us if you notice anything else that needs changed. We encourage our members to use this glossary as a resource and share with their organizations. The PLDIC would also like to extend a special thank you to Danielle Mundekis, Employee Relations and Inclusion Manager at Coalition member Eckert Seamans, for providing her expertise during this program and helping to update our terms glossary.

February

Bias Interrupted: Creating Inclusion for Good and for Real
February 28
Webinar

The Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements have revealed the inadequacy of our efforts to date, in addressing racism and gender discrimination. “We have to change systems,” declares Joan C. Williams, Director of the Center for WorkLife Law and professor at the University of California, Hastings. Williams discussed her book, Bias Interrupted, on February 28 at 1 p.m. In her book, she shares the results of a decade-long research program with nearly 18,000 people in different industries. Her research shows that mentoring and other programs only help people navigate systems that remain fundamentally unfair, while bias training, while well-meaning, is ineffective or even counterproductive. Williams’ highly pragmatic approach begins with measuring progress at four key points where bias is transmitted in organizations: hiring, performance reviews, compensation, and promotion (as well as access to opportunities like key assignments). Williams then introduces bias interrupters: evidence-based, metrics-driven tools that can, over time, produce big changes.

March

Q&A with Ruchika Tulshyan
March 24
Webinar

The PLIDC hosted a webinar Q&A with author, keynote speaker, and inclusion strategist Ruchika Tulshyan. Ruchika's book, Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work, was released on March 1. You may also have seen Ruchika's article from the Harvard Business Review, "Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome." Upon registering, participants were able to submit their questions to Ruchika.

May
Deep Retention: Inclusion vs. Tokenism
May 11
In-Person CLE

The PLDIC held a free CLE program, Deep Retention: Inclusion vs. Tokenism. Nearly three dozen people representing nine PLDIC member organizations attended the training, which received positive feedback from many attendees. Thanks to Asta Kill, Esq. of the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation for leading this informative program. Additionally, thank you to member Babst Calland for hosting the event. Many Babst employees were able to take advantage of this opportunity - and not just lawyers, either - representatives from other departments such as HR and Marketing took part. If you would like to host a future PLDIC event at your organization and make it easier for your employees to attend a DEI event, please let us know!

June

Sewickley Community Center's Juneteenth Festival
June 18

The Community Building Committee had a great time meeting local attorneys, community members, and students at the Sewickley Community Center's Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 18. The PLDIC was represented by Community Building Chair Aarthi Murty, Gretchen Roos from member PPG, and Rebecca Kennedy from member K&L Gates. Special thanks to Meghan Kalmar for coordinating with the SCC and for donating candy and toy favors for the kids in attendance!

Riverhounds Pride Night Event
June 25

The PLDIC’s Community Building Committee and many other PLIDC members celebrated Pride with at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Pride Night. This special event benefited the PGH Equality Center, an LGBTQIA+ Community Center that serves as a bridge that promotes education, advocacy, and social justice for all LGBTQIA+ people and allies in Western Pennsylvania.

October

Implementing a Successful CLE Program
October 24
In-Person CLE

The PLDIC Retention Committee held a CLE event on October 24, Implementing a Successful Stay Interview Program. More than 30 attendees learned from attorneys who have integrated stay interviews into their employee development programs. The CLE covered different types of stay interview programs and how they were developed and implemented, benefits of stay interviews, and lessons learned by panelists. The event also included small group exercise and rounded out with a happy hour in celebration of Diwali. Attendees received a how-to guide with tips on implementing a stay interview program in their own organizations (available on our Members Only page). A big thank you to member organization Dentons Cohen & Grigsby for hosting this program.

December

PLDIC Members Holiday Party
December 14
Shorty's Pins x Pints

The PLDIC held a members holiday party featuring duckpin bowling, table shuffleboard, foosball, pinball, vintage arcade games, food and drink, and most importantly, good company. This casual event was a fun opportunity to network, celebrate, and end the year with fellow Coalition members.