2021 Members Meeting

PLDIC Annual Members Meeting
November 18, 2021

Nearly 100 individuals attended the Coalition’s 2021 Annual Members Meeting on November 18, both virtually and in-person at K&L Gates Center. Evan Parker of Parker Analytics presented some of his groundbreaking research and hosted a panel of some of our members with whom he has worked to make real change, including John Iino, Reed Smith Chief Diversity Officer; Sneha Desai, BASF Deputy General Counsel; Peter Cummins, Frost Brown Todd Litigator & Recruiting Committee Chair; and Ryan Goellner, Frost Brown Todd, Managing Associate (Cincinnati office). Members heard first-hand from Sneha and John on how data can be used as a tool to engage law firm leaders in objective and collaborative dialogue about diversity at their firm, establish priority action items and evaluate progress on an annual basis through Parker Analytics’ Diversity Scorecard. Members also learned how Frost Brown Todd uses empirical and quantitative evidence to advance equitable talent selection with Parker Analytics’ Talent Selection Algorithm and how the firms’ innovative “stay interviews” are improving diverse attorney retention. View these resources and more from Parker Analytics.

At the meeting, the Coalition, in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and the Duquesne University School of Law, announced the creation of the Susan Yohe PLDIC Scholarship to honor Susan Yohe’s lifetime of service to championing and furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Pittsburgh legal community. Learn more about the scholarship.

Board elections were also held at the 2021 meeting. Four individuals were elected to the Board of Directors, with terms to begin in January 2022. Congratulations to Keith Whitson, Managing Partner at Schnader, who was elected to a first three-year term. Three existing Board members were also elected to a second three-year term: Don Bluedorn, Managing Shareholder at Babst Calland; Amy Wildermuth, Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; and Tony Thompson, Counsel, Dollar Bank.