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  For course materials for each session, please scroll to the session descriptions listed below.

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  Robert J. Grey, Jr., Executive Director of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), will deliver keynote remarks at the kickoff luncheon. Grey is a past President of the American Bar Association and the second African American to hold that position.

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  The Union League of Philadelphia is a shining jewel of history in the heart of the cultural and commercial district of Philadelphia, a city defined by such treasure. Founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of President Abraham Lincoln, it laid the philosophical foundation of other Union Leagues across a nation torn by Civil War. Learn more at: www.unionleague.org

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Event Photos

Chief Legal Officers, Law Firm Managing Partners and Diversity Thought-Leaders from across the country are gathering in Philadelphia to discuss:

• Best Practices for the Recruitment, Retention and Advancement of Women and Diverse Attorneys
• Benchmarks to Measure Success
• The Roles White Men Can Play to Advance Diversity and Inclusion in Corporate Legal Departments and Law Firms
• Generational Diversity and Its Impact in the Workplace
• Successful Pipeline Initiatives and Mentoring Programs

Speakers

(As of November 8, 2011)

National Advisory Board Members

Philadelphia Bar Association Advisory Board Members

Who Should Attend

• Law Firm

  • Managing Partners

  • Hiring Partners

  • Practice Group Leaders

  • Executive Committee Members

  • Chief Talent Officers

  • Chief Diversity Officers

  • Diversity Committee Members

• Chief Legal Officers

• Bar Association Leaders

• Diversity and Inclusion Leaders

Schedule

• Registration Opens 10 a.m.

• Luncheon 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

• Opening Plenary 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (2 CLE credits)

  • A Vision for Collaboration
    

    Industry leaders will provide an overview of the current state of diversity in the legal profession. Speakers will share statistics on law school admissions and minority and women law firm partners and associates; and discuss survey findings on the business case for diversity, gender disparities in law firm compensation and the experiences of women of color in corporate legal departments. Thereafter, a panel of local and non-local chief legal officers and law firm managing partners will discuss the importance of collaboration to advance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession; benchmarks to measure success; and best practices for the recruitment, retention and advancement of women and diverse attorneys.

    Moderator:
    
    • Sherry D. Williams, Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Halliburton
    Panelists:
    
    • Thomas E. Cabaniss, Managing Partner, McGuireWoods LLP
    • Robert J. Grey, Jr., Executive Director, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)
    • Mark Hershey, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
    • Alan J. Hoffman, Co-Chair and Managing Partner, Blank Rome LLP
    • Robert A. Nicholas, Partner and Global Director of Legal Personnel, Reed Smith LLP
    • Karl A. Racine, Managing Partner, Venable LLP
    • Ramona E. Romero, General Counsel, United States Department of Agriculture
    • Robin Sangston, Vice President, Legal Affairs, Cox Communications, Inc.
    • Michael K. Tucker, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Avis Budget Group, Inc.
    Speakers:
    
    • JoAnne A. Epps, Dean, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
    • Deborah Epstein Henry, Esq., Founder & President, Law & Reorder™ A Division of Flex-Time Lawyers LLC, Philadelphia, PA
    • James G. Leipold, Executive Director, NALP: The Association for Legal Career Professionals, Washington, DC
    • Sandra S. Yamate, Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP), Chicago, IL
    Course Materials
    • Best Law Firms for Women 2011-NAFE and Flex-Time Lawyers.pdf
    • Findings from the Survey of Woman Partners on Law Firm Compensation Systems-ABA Commission
    • ILLP-The Business Case for Diversity - Reality or Wishful Thinking.pdf
    • Key Issues Impacting Women's Success in the Law-Flex-Time Lawyers and Law and Reorder
    • Legal Industry Solutions for Restructure, Rention, Promotion & WorkLife Balance-Flex-Time Lawyers and Law and Reorder
    • NALP-Law Firm Demographics-Snapspot of 2011
    • NALP-The Demographics of Equity
    • Business Case for Diversity-Philadelphia Lawyer

• Four Concurrent Breakout Sessions 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (1 CLE credit)

  • Pipeline and Mentoring Programs: Models for Success

    • Pipeline and mentoring programs are critical to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Such programs encourage minorities to enter the legal profession and provide professional development opportunities for practicing attorneys. From high school pipeline programs such as the Constitution High School program in Philadelphia and the NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s national fellows program for experienced attorneys, our esteemed panelists will share best practices for developing and implementing successful pipeline and mentoring programs. Discussion topics will include the creation of program objectives, criteria, candidate requirements, program timelines and duration, and metrics and evaluation methods.

      Moderator:
      
      • Mary Gay Scanlon, Pro Bono Counsel, Ballard Spahr LLP, Philadelphia, PA
      Panelists:
      
      • Ruthe Catolico Ashley, President, Diversity Matters, Rocklin, CA
      • Nolan N. Atkinson, Jr., Partner and Chief Diversity Officer, Duane Morris LLP, Philadelphia, PA
      • Millicent Bond, Fellow, NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, Washington, DC
      • Virginia G. Essandoh, Chief Diversity Officer, Ballard Spahr LLP, Philadelphia, PA
      • Anthony K. Greene, Director, Jamison Insurance Group, West Orange, NJ
      • Sophia Lee, Chief Counsel-Litigation, Sunoco, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
      Course Materials
      • Ballard Finds Rewards in Partnership with Constitution High
      • Ballard Spahr-Constitution High School Scholarship
      • Ballard Spahr-Partnerships in Pipeline
      • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
      • MCCA KAN-DO Mentoring Brochure
      • MCCA Lloyd M Johnson Scholarship Program Brochure
      • NALP Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program
      • Philadelphia Diversity Law Group
      • Reach the Next Level with Group Mentoring
      • Volunteers Experience the Impact of the Street Law Pipeline Program
  • Generational Diversity: An Inescapable Reality

    • There are four generations of attorneys in the workplace: Traditionalists (born 1922-1945); Baby Boomers (born 1946 -1964); Generation X (born 1965-1980); and Generation Y (born 1980-1994). Our distinguished panelists will discuss the traits, characteristics, communication styles, attitudes, opinions and expectations of each generation and its impact in the workplace. They will offer insight into how the various generations view work-life balance, professional development, and gender, racial and ethnic diversity.

      Moderator:
      
      • Gerry L. Williams, Partner, DLA Piper, Atlanta, GA
      Panelists:
      
      • Wilma Beaty, Former Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, General Counsel and Secretary, Caraustar Industries, Inc., Atlanta, GA
      • H. Eric Hilton, Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, H. J. Russell & Company and Concessions International, LLC, Atlanta, GA
      • Roberta Jacobs-Meadway, Member, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC., Philadelphia, PA
      • Taylor Ocasio, Philadelphia Diversity Law Group Fellow, Philadelphia, PA
      • Robin Sangston, Vice President, Legal Affairs, Cox Communications, Inc., Atlanta, GA
      • Joel C. Trotter, Senior Counsel, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, PA
      Course Materials
      • Generational Diversity
  • A Legal Update: Diversity or Discrimination?

    • Increasingly, corporations are seeking diversity and inclusion in their selection of outside counsel. In 1999, Charles Morgan, then general counsel of BellSouth Corporation, authored Diversity in the Workplace—A Statement of Principle, wherein corporate signatories communicated an expectation that outside law firms promote diversity in their workplaces. Eventually the number of signatories to the Statement exceeded 500. Years later, dissatisfied with the lack of progress, Roderick Palmore, then general counsel of Sara Lee Corporation, authored A Call to Action - Diversity in the Legal Profession, in which Chief Legal Officers reaffirm their commitment to diversity. This session will explore the impact of case law, regulations and legislation on corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives. Panelists will discuss why corporate initiatives to promote inclusion through the selection of outside counsel can co-exist with Title VII.

      Moderator:
      
      • LeRoy J. Watkins, Jr., Partner, Jackson Lewis LLP, Morristown, NJ
      Panelists:
      
      • Paul Lancaster Adams, Senior Director, U.S. Government Affairs, Microsoft Corporation, Washington, DC
      • Halima Horton, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP, Atlanta, GA
      • Tabitha R. Jenkins, Senior Employment Counsel, Burlington Coat Factory, Burlington, NJ
      • Hinton J. Lucas, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, DuPont Legal, Wilmington, DE
      Course Materials
      • DiversityInc Debunking 3 Myths Sept 2010
  • White Men and Diversity: A Candid Conversation

    • Advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession must involve management "buy in." According to statistics, white men predominately hold the positions of chief legal officers, managing partners and practice group leaders. This session will explore the roles white men can play to advance diversity and inclusion in corporate legal departments and law firms. Panelists will share specific action steps to engage white men in the diversity dialogue. They will speak openly about white male privilege, subtle and unconscious bias, and the myth of the meritocracy.

      Moderator:
      
      • Michael K. Tucker, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Avis Budget Group, Inc., Parsippany, NJ
      Panelists:
      
      • John L. Latham, Partner, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta, GA
      • David Smith, Chairman, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Philadelphia, PA
      • Mark S. Stewart, Chair, Ballard Spahr LLP, Philadelphia, PA
      Course Materials
      • MCCA 2008-07 Diversity & the Bar-A Conversation with Gary F. Kennedy
      • MCCA 2006-07 Diversity & the Bar-The Role of White Males in Improving Diversity
      • MCCA 2005-01 Diversity & the Bar-White Men and Diversity: An Oxymoron?

  • VIP Networking Reception 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

    Speakers:
    
    • JoAnne A. Epps, Dean, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
    • Joseph K. West, President and CEO, Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), Washington, DC

Register

For the Symposium informational booklet click here.

Where to Stay

A LIMITED number of hotel rooms are being held on the nights of November 7-8, 2011 at a rate of $209 for a standard room. Please call The Union League front desk at 215-587-5570 and refer to the National Symposium on Diversity room block. The rooms will be held until October 6, 2011.

Sponsors

(As of October 19, 2011)

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Special Supporter

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Contact

For additional information or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Naomi K. McLaurin, Esq., Director of Diversity, at nmclaurin@philabar.org or 215-238-6340.

Program Booklet Advertisers:
Click here for Ad Specifications

Office of Diversity

The Office of Diversity strives to ensure greater opportunities for the inclusion of diverse attorneys in the legal profession. Objectives for the Office include partnering with hiring partners and managers at law firms, legal departments, and public agencies to develop educational and community outreach activities. In doing so, the Office guides, supports and leads the diversity and inclusion efforts for the entire Association, including the Board of Governors, the Association's Sections and Divisions, Committees, tasks forces, and external efforts.

The Office also serves as a resource for affinity bar associations, law firms, corporate legal departments, and law schools who seek support advancing diversity and inclusion. The Director is tasked with providing the expertise, vision, knowledge and leadership in advancing the goals of the Association and the Office of Diversity. She works strategically at all levels to encourage diversity within the legal community.

According to a NALP

The Association for Legal Career Professionals' November 2010 press release, nationwide, minority attorneys account for 6.16% of law firm partners and 19.53% of associates. Women account for 19.43% of law firm partners and 45.41% of associates.

In Philadelphia, minority attorneys account for 3.97% of law firm partners and 13.29% of associates. Women account for 19.04% of law firm partners and 45.79% of associates.

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❝We recognize that Philadelphia is below the national average in the categories of minority partners and associates, and women partners. And, we're barely above the national average when it comes to women associates. We must do better.

The Philadelphia Bar Association is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in our profession and we look forward to hearing from leaders such as Grey to gain insight about how to do better.❞