Strategies for Hiring and Retaining Diverse Attorneys and Creating an Inclusive Workplace
CD of Teleconference with Q&A
Click here for program outline
Conducted on Thursday, August 21, 2008
Now available on CD
Sponsored by the Legal Publishing Group of Strafford Publications
Progress toward diversity in the legal profession has been slow. There are still 44% more men than women in the profession, and only 15% of legal professionals are minorities. Law firms and general counsel at companies are addressing the challenge.
Since 2004, over 110 general counsel have signed a Call to Action (CTA) pledge to hire law firms that demonstrate a commitment to diversity and to terminate firms that fail to show a meaningful interest in becoming diverse.
In April 2008, 100 managing partners of the nation's largest firms and 50 general counsel of top companies gathered to discuss the profession's progress toward diversity at a CTA Summit in Arizona.
What can law firms and corporate legal departments do to improve recruitment and retention of diverse attorneys? What are the best practices for firms and legal departments to implement diversity programs in order to create and build a more diverse legal profession?
Listen as our authoritative panel examines the issue of diversity among legal professionals. The panel will provide its guidance for hiring and retaining diverse attorneys and strategies for firms and corporate legal departments to implement diversity programs.
The panel included:
Philip L. Harris, Partner, Jenner & Block, Chicago. He focuses his practice on the defense of substantial and complex product liability, mass tort and commercial cases for large corporate entities. He is a member of the firm's Management Committee. He serves on numerous boards, including the Board of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. He has also written on the topic of race in the legal profession.
Michael Davis, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, DLA Piper, New York. He has full responsibility for the design and implementation of the firm’s diversity and inclusion strategy and programming. He has worked worldwide conducting organization assessments, designing and delivering diversity education sessions, and developing and launching diversity councils and affinity groups.
Theresa Cropper, Director of Diversity and Professional Development, Perkins Coie, Chicago. She is responsible for the firm's diversity initiatives, policies and recruitment and works with each office and practice to promote diversity and recruit and retain diverse attorneys. She is also responsible for professional development initiatives and the creation of firmwide programs designed to insure advancement for the firm's attorneys.
The panel reviewed these and other key questions:
- What can firms and legal departments do to improve recruitment of women and minorities?
- How can law firms and legal departments help overcome the barriers to a more diverse profession?
- What strategies should firms and legal departments utilize to retain diverse attorneys?
TELECONFERENCE CD
Purchase a CD-ROM of the full conference proceedings, including Q&A and PDF files of all handouts (available 10 days after the program).
- Regular Price - $297 (plus $9.45 S&H)
- With Teleconference Registration – an additional $75 (plus $9.45 S&H)