Past Events
2026
“How to be Invaluable to Your Clients as a Junior Associate: the Unwritten Rules to Succeed” drew in 50 attendees representing 18 PLDIC member organizations together to listen to a knowledgeable panel that gave their advice about the client’s perspective on what junior associates in law firms can do to make themselves invaluable both to their firms and their clients. Panelists included Bridgette Dziedzic, Sr. Manager of Legal Services, Duquesne Light Company; Shanicka Kennedy, Lead Counsel, Litigation, FedEx; Rick McMahon, Managing Director, Associate General Counsel, BNY; Cristian Minor, Senior Associate Counsel, UPMC; David Ross, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Enterprise Compliance, Giant Eagle, Inc.; Catrina Smith, Associate Counsel, Alcoa; Tony Thompson, Counsel, Dollar Bank/PLDIC Board Vice Chair – moderators Devon Ferris, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP and Brandy Ringer, Blank Rome – and closing remarks from Cella Iovino, Babst Calland. Thank you to our host and program sponsor, Meyer Unkovic & Scott.
More than 60 individuals representing 10 law schools attended the PLDIC’s Law Student Kickoff to Summer event on Wednesday, June 3 at Aslin Beer Company. Law students were able to make valuable connections with others working in the Pittsburgh legal community this summer, hear from PLDIC leaders, sign up for a mentor, and participate in fun games to win prizes. Thanks to speakers Natasha Patel, Strassburger, McKenna, Gutnick, & Gefsky, who spoke about our Law Student Working Group; Sidnee McDonald, Cozen O’Connor, and Devon Ferris, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, who gave an overview of our Young Professional Advisory Board; Tiffeny Ayoola, Hardin Thompson PC, who spoke about moving to Pittsburgh for law school and her decision to stay; and last but not least Judge Nicola Henry-Taylor, who encouraged students to get involved with the PLDIC and the ACBA. Additionally, thank you to PLDIC members Vincent Johnson, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Monica Loudon, Dentons, and Timur Dikec, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, for attending and helping to make the event a success.
Over 55 participants representing 20 PLDIC member organizations attended “Bridging the Motivation Gap: How to Lead and Motivate Gen Z” on March 20. This virtual CLE taught participants about how to better understand, motivate, and inspire the youngest generation of legal professionals, Gen Z. Participants learned what Gen Z needs from leadership from Professor R. David Lebel, Associate Professor of Business Administration and Director of the Berg Center for Ethics & Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh School of Business. They also discussed the tools and strategies needed to successfully work with younger colleagues in order to inspire their best work – and in turn, improve their law firms and organizations. PLDIC members can access the the recording on our Member Dashboard.
The PLDIC Community Building Committee hosted its fourth annual Trivia Night on March 11 at Fox Rothschild. Fifty attendees representing 13 PLDIC member organizations formed 11 teams who competed to be this year’s trivia champions while enjoying great company and refreshments. Thanks to our event sponsors: member organization Fox Rothschild who provided the venue and bar, and member organization Giant Eagle for sponsoring the food. Thanks to PLDIC Board Chair Aarthi Murty and Steve McHugh for curating and running the trivia! Last but not least, congratulations to this year’s winning team – West Coast Offense! Coming in second was team Mighty Mighty Bosstones/Justice League.
The PLDIC, in collaboration with the Boston Lawyers Group, the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms, the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, and Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, presented a CLE event featuring experts Professors Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow, who lead the NYU School of Law’s Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. They provided insights and ideas from their forthcoming book, How Equality Wins, offering a fresh vision for advancing fairness in the workplace—one that is both legally sound and deeply inclusive.
This year’s PLDIC First Year Law Student Speed Networking event was a success, with over 70 participants including 17 employers and 35 students. The evening included nine rounds of speed networking with a total of 140 meetings! The event is designed to provide first year law students interested in promoting diversity and inclusion in the Pittsburgh legal community with an opportunity to meet with PLDIC member organizations who have available 2026 and/or 2027 summer law clerk or internship positions for law students. Special thank you to our volunteers who helped with the event including Anne Pamphile, Mackenzie Moyer, Gina Zumpella, Vincent Johnson, and Sidnee McDonald!
2025
More than 20 guests representing seven PLDIC member organizations enjoyed the Community Building Committee’s annual member holiday party, this year at Ace Axe Throwing in Homestead. Guests enjoyed hitting some bullseyes, networking with colleagues and students, holiday music, and delicious food and beverage.
Nearly 50 attendees (including representation from 27 PLDIC member organizations) gathered for the PLDIC’s 2025 Annual Members Meeting on November 12 at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. At this meeting, we hosted a fireside chat between Yusuf Zakir, Chief Talent and Inclusion Officer at Davis Wright Tremaine, and PLDIC Executive Director Ena Lebel. They discussed the critical importance of continuing to advance and advocate for DEI work in the current climate, taking many insightful audience questions.
Member organizations also heard from PLDIC Board Chair Eric Cottle, K&L Gates, about PLDIC business including the election and re-election of PLDIC Board members and the state of the Coalition; Executive Director Ena Lebel on the PLDIC’s objectives and goals for 2026, and updates from our three committees. The fourth annual “PLDIC Volunteer of the Year” award was also presented to Barb Strnad of Dickie McCamey. The Executive Director’s Report from this meeting is available on our Member Dashboard.
The PLDIC held a moderated Q&A on November 10 about recent changes with law school recruiting that may impact our member organizations. Participants from a dozen PLDIC member organizations learned what has changed with law school recruiting, how historically marginalized students are being affected even more than in the past, and why legal employers need to stay informed so that they can hire the best talent. It featured Kellie Ware, Assistant Dean for Professional Development at Pitt Law; and Maria Comas, Assistant Dean of Career Services and Alumni Relations at Duquesne Kline Law. An event recording and resources are available for member to access on our Member Dashboard.
On September 30, the PLDIC’s Retention Committee held a “So Now What?” program wrap celebration at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote. The SNW program was created to help participants move their great ideas about improving diversity, inclusion, and belonging into action. Members collaborated in small groups to focus on moving the needle forward on a specific initiative within their organizations. Groups met over a five-month span to help develop tangible action plans and hold their peers accountable. Weekly scorecards helped each individual tally their progress throughout the program, and a leaderboard was used to track team progress throughout. The program managers/co-chairs were Krista Staley, PJ Dick – Trumbull – Lindy; and Barbara Strnad, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote. Program facilitators were Sarina Miller, Babst Calland; Antoinette Oliver, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP; and Patrick Reilly, Marshall Dennehey. The group participants included: Ariell Antonio, Highmark Health; Tiffeny Ayoola, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University/Sommer Law Group; Kris Bergstrom, Neighborhood Legal Services; Brittany M. Bloam, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP; Melissa Evans, Neighborhood Legal Services; Jesse Exilus, City of Pittsburgh Law Department; Camille Goleb, Koppers Inc.; Daniel Inadomi, Burns White LLC; Mark Phillis, Littler; Ann Sinsheimer, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; Allyson Tokarek, Edgar Snyder & Associates; and Natasha B. Patel, Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky. Congrats to the winning group, “Dominating Everyone Intentionally,” which consisted of Oliver, Bloam, Goleb, Phillis, and Evans. Stay tuned for resources from this program that all PLDIC members can use in their organizations!
Learn more about the So Now What? Program.
The PLDIC’s Retention Commitee created the “So Now What?” program to help participants move their great ideas about improving diversity, inclusion, and belonging into action. Motivated PLDIC members collaborated in small groups/teams to focus on moving the needle forward on a specific initiative within their organizations – including new projects, existing projects that could use a tune-up, or figuring out an impactful way to apply PLDIC experience and knowledge. The outcome-focused program’s goal was to gather a community of your PLDIC peers to help you make progress. The groups met over a five-month span to help each teammate develop a tangible action plan and hold their peers accountable. Weekly scorecards helped each individual tally their progress throughout the program. Stay tuned for resources from this program that all PLDIC members can use in their organizations.
The Program Managers/Co-Chairs for the program were Krista Staley, PJ Dick Trumbull; and Barb Strnad, Dickie McCamey & Chilcote.
Program Facilitators were Sarina Miller, Babst Calland; Antoinette Oliver, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP; and Pat Reilly, Marshall Dennehey.
2025 participants included: Ariel Antonio, Highmark Health; Tiffeny Ayoola, Sommer Law Group; Kris Bergstrom, Neighborhood Legal Services; Brittany Bloam, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP; Melissa Evans, Neighborhood Legal Services; Jesse Exilus, City of Pittsburgh Law Department; Camille Goleb, Koppers; Daniel Inadomi, Burns White LLC; Mark Phillis, Littler Mendelson, P.C.; Ann Sinsheimer, Pitt Law; Allyson Tokarek, Edgar Snyder & Associates; and Natasha Patel, Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky.
A leaderboard was used to track team progress throughout. Congratulations to the winning team, “Dominating Everyone Intentionally,” which consisted of Oliver, Bloam, Goleb, Phillis, and Evans.
Over 20 people attended the 2025 Susan Yohe Scholar Meet & Greet last night at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote to welcome the newest SY PLDIC scholars (Nada Abdalla, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; and Keanna Yoder, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University) to the Pittsburgh legal community!
PLDIC staff, Board members, YPAB members, leadership from Pitt Law, Duquesne Kline, and our hosts Dickie McCamey were in attendance to honor the scholars present. Additionally, thank you to PLDIC member Duquesne Light Company for their continued sponsorship of this scholarship. Photo credits: Steven Adams, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote.
More than 45 attendees joined the PLDIC for the Virtual Pittsburgh Legal Career Symposium on July 23, including 12 PLDIC member organizations and attendees from five member law schools. Attendees heard from keynote speaker Carrie Xu of K&L Gates about what makes Pittsburgh the best market to launch your career and find your community and had a chance to visit breakout rooms and ask Pittsburgh legal employers questions. Participants also shared their resumes with participating employers and had a chance to connect with a Pittsburgh attorney.
Over 35 participants representing 17 PLDIC member organizations attended “Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design with Siri Chilazi” on June 2. Chilazi’s book of the same name unveils a “new paradigm for fairness at work and offers professionals at every level, in any kind of organization, immediate, proven, and evidence-based ways to do their everyday work better and smarter—and more fairly.” PLDIC members can access the event recording on our Member Dashboard.
More than 45 people (including 35 law students representing six law schools) attended the Law Student Kickoff to Summer Event last night at the Allegheny County Bar Association headquarters. Students had a chance to meet fellow Pittsburgh area summer law clerks, PLDIC leadership (including the Young Professional Advisory Board), and YLD Leadership. They were also able to sign up for a mentor.
More than 15 people representing six PLDIC member organizations attended the second session in the Disabled Attorney Brave Space/Self-Care series on May 9 from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom. We welcomed Amy Mathieu, an experienced employment law attorney and partner at HKM Employment Attorneys, and Sarina Miller, HR Director at Babst Calland, for an expert-led discussion of your rights under the ADA and FMLA. Conversation focused on eligibility, job protections, documentation requirements, and how to collaborate with your employer to establish reasonable accommodations.
The PLDIC held its Spring Members Meeting on April 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories – Bakery Square. Approximately 40 attendees representing 25 PLDIC member organizations networked over cocktails and appetizers, heard from PLDIC leadership, and listened to keynote speaker Prasanna Ranganathan as he joined us virtually to deliver his talk: I Am Not the Problem: Understanding Disability and Re-Imagining Accessibility and Accommodations in the Workplace and the World. Ranganathan is a documentary producer, human rights lawyer, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging (DEIAB) consultant/advisor, speaker, author, correspondent, writer and arts columnist. Attendees also had the unique opportunity to tour the HERL and learn about some of the amazing advances in assistive technology happening right here in Pittsburgh!
The PLDIC’s Community Building Commitee hosted the third annual Trivia Night on Thursday, March 27. Over 35 attendees representing nine PLDIC member organizations formed seven teams who competed to be this year’s trivia champions while enjoying laughs, great company, and food and drink. Thank you to member Giant Eagle for sponsoring this event, to K&L Gates for hosting, and to PLDIC Board member Aarthi Murty and her husband for once again running the trivia. Last but not least, congratulations to this year’s winning team – Malicious Compliance!
On February 21, the PLDIC’s Community Building Committee hosted the first event in the 2025 Brave Space/Self-Care series focused on lawyers with disabilities. The first session, “Brave Space: What It Means to be a Disabled Lawyer,” was a virtual conversation facilitated by Erin McCluan of McCluan Law, PPLC. The group had an open, honest discussion, sharing experiences about what it means to be a lawyer with a disability.
On February 12, the PLDIC’s Young Professionals Advisory Board celebrated Black History Month with lawyers and law students at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Guests enjoyed an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a tour of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center including its newest exhibit, “August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape.” This Black History Month event was designed to bring together lawyers and law students to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the arts and to foster connections within the Pittsburgh legal community.
On January 22, the PLDIC hosted its second annual organized speed networking event at Roost between diverse 1L law students and PLDIC member organizations with available 2025 summer law clerk or internship positions. Fourteen employers (ranging from large to small and corporate to local government) and 28 students hailing from Pitt Law, Duquesne Kline, and WVU Law participated. Special thanks to Gina Zumpella, Edgar Snyder & Associates; and Miranda Schramm, University of Pittsburgh law student (and PLDIC Susan Yohe scholar), for their help during the event.
2024
More than 50 guests representing 20 PLDIC member organizations enjoyed the Community Building Committee’s annual member holiday party, this year at the Mattress Factory. Guests enjoyed free access to explore the museum’s exhibits, networking with colleagues and students, a photobooth, scavenger hunt, holiday music, appetizers/cocktails, and a grand prize drawing including three baskets valued at over $500.
Over 75 attendees (including representation from half of our 67 member organizations) gathered for the PLDIC’s 2024 Annual Members Meeting on November 20 at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. At this meeting, we hosted an insightful panel discussion on the national, state, and local implications of the 2024 elections on DEI in the legal industry. The panel featured a national perspective from Lisa Kirby, President of Inclusive Talent Systems at Diversity Lab; a state perspective from Maraleen Shields, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness; and a local perspective from Felicity Williams, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Pittsburgh. Member organizations also heard from PLDIC Board Chair Eric Cottle, K&L Gates, about PLDIC business and the state of the Coalition; Executive Director Ena Lebel on the PLDIC’s objectives and goals for 2025, and from our three committees and the Young Professional Advisory Board. The third annual “PLDIC Volunteer of the Year” award was also presented to Sidnee McDonald of Cozen O’Connor. All resources from this meeting are available on our Member Dashboard.
The PLDIC’s Recruitment Committee hosted its first ever Pittsburgh Legal Career Symposium in Washington, DC on October 23 at the Grand Hyatt Washington. Event attendees included one Pitt Law alum working in DC and 16 DC area law students representing five law schools (Georgetown, George Washington, American University, Catholic University, and Howard University) and all law student levels (1L, 2L, 3L, and LLM). Guests spent a wonderful evening learning about Pittsburgh and the PLDIC’s efforts to achieve continued, meaningful, and measurable progress towards the shared goals of diversity and inclusion in the Pittsburgh legal community and the city at large. Nine PLDIC member organizations representing various sized law firms, major corporations, non-profit organizations were present and included the ACBA, Alcoa, BNY, City of Pittsburgh Law Department, Edgar Snyder, Fox Rothschild, K&L Gates, Marshall Dennehey, and Neighborhood Legal Services. Students had a chance to speak with these organizations, provide their resumes, and sign up for opportunities to be connected to more Pittsburgh area lawyers. Thank you to Cameron Crowe, Rachel Ellenburger, Melissa Evans, Michael Komo, Catrina Smith, Stuart Sostmann, Jill Steier, Keysha Taylor, Allyson Tokarek, and Chance Wideman for attending on behalf of their organizations.
More than 40 participants joined PLDIC’s Corporate Roundable on October 18 for a free virtual CLE, “Remote Work/Return to Work and DEI Implications.” The webinar included a presentation from Professor Mark Ma of Pitt Business about current research and data on this topic; and a panel discussion moderated by Cassie Yeager from Ansys and featuring PLDIC Board member Don Bluedorn, Babst Calland; Janet Lee, Ansys; and Kevin Carter, Alcoa. The event offered 1.5 hours in PA CLE Credit sponsored by PLDIC member Babst Calland. Member employees can view the full webinar and resources from this event on our Member Dashboard.
Over 25 people attended the 2024 Susan Yohe Scholar Meet & Greet on Thursday, September 5 from 5:30-7:30 at K&L Gates – including Susan Yohe herself and all six scholars! In addition, there were eight PLDIC Board members present, two PLDIC staff members, four YPAB members, one leader from the University of Pittsburgh, one leader from Duquesne Kline, and two K&L Gates employees. This year’s recipients are Miranda Schramm (Robert Morris University ’25), Pitt Law; and Nia Latham (Pennsylvania West University ’23), Duquesne Kline. With the scholarship now in its third year of existence, there are now scholars at both schools in the 1L, 2L, and 3L levels. Special thank you to PLDIC member K&L Gates for hosting and sponsoring the event. Photo credits: Corey McDonough, K&L Gates.
Over 60 individuals representing 11 PLDIC member organizations had a wonderful afternoon at our second annual PLDIC Family Picnic on Sunday, August 25 at Forbes & Braddock Shelter. Attendees enjoyed the green space, playgrounds, delicious locally catered food and drink, and most importantly – great company!
Ask Us Anything Panel and Networking Reception
The PLDIC held an “Ask Us Anything” panel and networking reception for over a dozen Pittsburgh area law students who identify as diverse. Students enjoyed asking our experienced panel of in-house counsel a wide variety of questions about what it’s like to work in-house. Thanks to member organization Babst Calland for hosting, to our panel for participating, and to the PLDIC’s Corporate Roundtable for planning.
The PLDIC and ACBA YLD Diversity Committee hosted a fun kickoff to summer event at Standard Market & Pint for law students working in Pittsburgh this summer who identify as diverse. Attendees representing five local law schools (including students set to work at eight different PLDIC member organizations) connected with other summer law clerks and signed up for mentors. They also had a chance to meet with lawyers on the PLDIC Board, YPAB, Law Student Support Working Group, YLD Diversity Committee, and the ACBA.
Over a dozen participants representing seven PLDIC member organizations attended this event led by Dr. Tsedale Melaku. The session focused on the finding of her book, You Don’t Look Like a Lawyer: Black Women and Systemic Gendered Racism. Dr. Melaku addressed specific findings that speak to the experiences of women and racially subordinated groups through the narrative experiences of Black women. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions of Dr. Melaku and left empowered with tools on how to successfully navigate their workplaces.
The PLDIC’s Retention Committee hosted a three-part CLE workshop series led by Professor Audrey Murrell from Pitt Business on mentoring. The well-attended, highly praised program delved into “Understanding the Impact of Mentoring for Personal and Professional Development,” “The Power of Peer-to-Peer Mentors and Networks for Personal and Professional Development, and “The Importance of Mentoring for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a Key Driver for Organizational Effectiveness.” The sessions each offered 1.5 CLE credit and the last session featured a panel of PLDIC member organizations including Antoinette Oliver from Meyer Unkovic & Scott, and Amber Castelli from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, who provided insight into their formal mentoring programs. Program resources are available on the PLDIC Member Dashboard for all PLDIC member employees to access.
The PLDIC’s Community Building Committee hosted the second annual Trivia Night on Thursday, April 18, at member organization Dollar Bank. 42 guests representing 18 PLDIC member organizations showed up to meet others and have a great time! Thanks to all who attended. Special thank you to Dollar Bank for hosting; and to PLDIC Board member Aarthi Murty and her husband for running the trivia. Congratulations to the winning team, Public Interest Attorneys Do It for Free!
The PLDIC Community Building Committee engaged Dialogistics, LLC, and in particular Prof. Abdesalam Soudi and Prof. Adriana Modesto Gomes Da Silva, to lead a two-part series on Workplace Cultural Engagement and how we can embrace the power of language and human connection to navigate difficult conversations in the workplace. Over the course of two 2-hour sessions held about a month apart, the instructors led participants representing nine PLDIC member organizations in empathy-centered exercises and discussions to better understand how we could lead with compassion in our organizations.
Approximately 60 in-house counsel and law firm leadership attended this free two-hour CLE and networking reception. This General Counsel Summit included a keynote address from James Banks, Jr. President/CEO of JBanks Consulting LLC and recently retired GC of SHRM, and a panel of distinguished general counsel – including Greg Jordan of PNC, Duane Holloway of U.S. Steel, Alison Moore-Alexis of BNY Mellon, Janet Lee of Ansys, and Christie Tillapaugh of Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, and an opportunity for you to try “leading from your seat.” Victoria McKenney, U.S. Steel, moderated.
Several PLDIC members enjoyed a restorative yoga practice to start off the year as part of the Community Building Committee’s Brave Space/Self-Care series.
2023
Seventeen PLDIC member organizations were represented at our annual Member Holiday Party event, which was held at Puttery. Guests mingled, enjoyed food and drink, and tried their hand at mini golf!
Over 60 attendees representing 14 PLDIC member organizations (10 of which were corporate members) took part in a free, virtual, interactive CLE hosted by the PLDIC, the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s In-House Counsel Committee, and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Western PA Chapter. During “Professionalism in the 21st Century: An Interactive Experience on Implicit Bias and Bystander Training for the Legal Profession,” attendees had the opportunity to preview the PA CLE Board’s latest offering on implicit bias and hear thoughtful discussion from Eric Cottle, Partner, K&L Gates LLP (and PLDIC Board Chair); Lloyd Freeman, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC; Victoria McKenney, Deputy General Counsel, United States Steel Corporation; and Hemma Lomax, VP, Associate General Counsel, Integrity, Governance, Risk, & Compliance at Zendesk. PBA Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Trent Hargrove moderated the event.
The October session of the Community Building Committee’s Brave Space/Self-Care series with Sensei Mowod provided valuable knowledge for all who attended! Participants gained the knowledge, the right mindset, the techniques, and the skills to avoid and, if necessary, overcome an attack or confrontation with an attacker.
Nineteen members organizations were represented at our webinar with DEI strategist and author Lily Zheng last Thursday, 19. Lily shared the best practices and insightful advice that have helped many organizations make the next step in their journeys toward more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces. They also provided foundational knowledge about DEI work, insights tailored to leaders and change-makers, and guidance on how we can all make changes that stick in our own organizations. PLDIC members can access the full recording on our members only page.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
2022
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.