Posted by on Friday, June 3, 2011
6.3.11 Next week NALP and ALFDP will host the sixth annual Diversity Summit in Chicago. This year’s conference will focus on Rethinking Success in the current economic climate. While it is too late to register online, on-site registration will be available. Learn more about the conference sessions and events here.
6.3.11 The Philadelphia Business Journal has an interesting article on the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group and its recent rebound after the recession. According to the article, “The Philadelphia Diversity Law Group, a consortium of local legal employers attempting to improve minority recruitment and retention numbers, has seen its summer internship program participation rebound to its highest point since it began in 2003. The uptick comes after it was negatively affected by several law firms deciding to suspend or cancel their summer intern programs in 2009 and 2010.” You can read the article here.
6.2.11 Harvard Law School’s David Wilkins presented at the Diversity
Awareness Partnership in St. Louis last week. Wilkins spoke about law firms and their
diversity initiatives saying, “Many companies and law firms have created formal
policies and signed agreements with other law firms and companies to show their
commitment to diversity. But those could be just words on paper without
diligent accountability” Read more about
Wilkins’ research and speech in the St. Louis American.
5.30.11 We previously wrote about the 40 Canadian General Counsel coming together to create Legal Leaders for Diversity and Inclusiveness and pledging to make diversity a priority. Despite these efforts, Ontario’s Law Times expressed concern that these efforts fall short. According to the editorial, “…as with many things, little changes unless people and organizations have to. As a result, pledges and statements about diversity are nice but they aren’t enough unless they come with a way to enforce them. Let’s hope, then, that companies move beyond the Legal Leaders effort.” Read the full article in the Law Times.
5.25.11 Finally, the new Tennessee law prohibiting local governments from passing anti-discrimination measures that protect gays and lesbians has garnered national attention. It has also brought some unwanted attention to companies who temporarily supported the bill. DivesrityInc magazine reports, “Several corporations, including three on the DiversityInc Top 50 and two on the DiversityInc 25 Noteworthy Companies lists, got caught in the crossfire in Tennessee. They were members of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce that supported this bill.” The article goes on to discuss how “corporations with very public values of inclusion” can take a stand against LGBT bias. Read the full article When Should Your Company Take a Stand Against LGBT Bias?. You can learn more about the Tennessee law in The Tennessean.