August 2017

Capital Connection is published monthly for members of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators to provide information for the education and benefit of legal administrators, law office managers, managing partners of law firms, and other law related associations. Capital Connection is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or tax counseling or advice through this publication.  The contents of all articles, letters, and advertisements published in Capital Connection should not be considered endorsements by the Capital Chapter of ALA nor the opinion expressed therein of any products advertised.   Contributing authors are requested and expected to disclose financial an/or professional interests and affiliations that may influence their writing position. Articles and materials accepted for publication are subject to editing by the editorial team and become property of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. Links to Capital Connection may not be shared without permission from the Chapter. ​

Editor: Jacqueline Moline 
Associate Editors: Paula Serratore; Cindy Conover
Contributing Editors: Richard Gibson; Pheobe Smith; Elizabeth Birch; rand* construction; Grace Killelea; Claudia M. Baragano; Mauricio Velasquez, MBA; Jackie Thomas; Deborah S. Froling; Lauren Meinecke; Paul H. Barton; Arnold Sanow, MBA, CSP
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message

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Diversity can seem a contemporary challenge, a relatively new demand for management even though the term first appeared in the 1960s.  Perhaps the immediacy of the challenge results from the reality that for many organizations, including our firms, we still seek the best approach to achieving the diversity and inclusion that we want and need.
 
Through education, societal change, policies and practices, our firms developed at the very least a foundation for diversity and inclusion, and in many cases an organizational structure that actively promotes the value and benefits of diversity.  ALA expresses that value in the statement, “Advancing diversity and inclusion in your organization is more than the right thing to do: it's critical to the success of your business.”
 
Early diversity programs focused on recognizing that differences among our colleagues were important.  That importance supported the progression to appreciating the differences, and we invested in celebrating differences through forming affinity groups, conducting awareness and sensitivity training, and providing recognition of diversity successes.  From there our firms moved toward a focus on inclusion.  Management ensured that hiring practices and promotions reflected the current and desired diversity of the workforce.  Diversity in succession planning became an imperative leading to a more diverse leadership, although there is still much more to achieve in that area.  In day to day work, the membership of project teams frequently reflected the desired diversity of the firm because the value provided by a diversity of opinions and experience came to be known and appreciated.
 
More recently, it seemed that the progress of achieving diversity and inclusion in our firms, as well as other organizations, had slowed.  We had institutionalized the policies and practices to support and promote diversity and inclusion, but progress in achieving our goals remained a challenge.  Leadership still did not completely reflect the diversity of the workforce, career progression was not always smooth, and inclusion did not seem to be enough.  To address this concern education appeared on the topic of implicit bias, exploring the unintended obstacles that we, as members of an organization, may place in the way of progress toward more complete inclusion and broader diversity.  At this year’s ALA national conference I attended a presentation on “Micro-Aggressions,” which discussed how our conversations and actions, while seemingly within accepted norms, may subtly erode progress in diversity and inclusion.  It seems that for many of our firms, progress in diversity and inclusion requires a very detailed focus on behavior and communication in order to ensure that the program receives our full support in each encounter with our colleagues and clients. 
 
Diversity and inclusion are critically important to ALA at both the national and Chapter levels.  ALA’s program is described as follows: “The ALA aims to increase awareness of and sensitivity to the differences among our workforce and to advance the concept of inclusiveness and acceptance.”  Within that initiative the association offers a wealth of resources for educating, and planning and assessing progress toward comprehensively achieving success in diversity and inclusion.  Our Chapter’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is supported by a committee of thirteen members who seek out local resources to provide the Chapter’s members and our firms with guidance and direction.  The committee’s goal is described by the statement, “ALACC embraces and encourages diversity within the legal profession. We value diversity and those initiatives that promote it and look to partner with affiliated professional legal organizations to advance diversity. We not only strive to raise awareness, but to increase our sensitivity in the area of diversity and more closely reflect the diversity of our community at large.”  And, the diversity & inclusion section of our Chapter website was recently recognized at an ALA conference for the depth and quality of information provided to members.
 
I believe we are all still on the journey to achieve the goals in diversity and inclusion that we desire; we have made tremendous progress and have a strong commitment to achieve even more.  I’ll conclude with a quote featured in the ALA Diversity Initiative, which perhaps captures the current situation for many of our firms. 

"Diversity is being invited to the party.  Inclusion is being asked to dance."  - Vernā Myers
Richard Gibson

New and Returning ALA Capital Chapter Members

LeDonna C. Marine, SHRM-CP
Haynes & Boone LLP
Office Supervisor
800 17th St., N.W.
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20006
[email protected]
 
Vicki Sherraine Barham
Brown Rudnick, LLP
Administrative Services Coordinator
601 13th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
[email protected]
 
Dianna C Hunter
Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
Director of Human Resources
700 6th St., N.W.
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001
[email protected]
Jerome O. Oyeneyin
Kelley Drye & Warren
Office Services Manager
3050 K St., N.W.
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20007
[email protected]
 
Ann Marie Ziegler
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
IP Supervisor
500 North Capitol St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
[email protected]
 
Patricia A Ramsay, SHRM-SCP
Shulman Rogers
Chief Operating Officer
12505 Park Potomac Ave.
Potomac, MD 20854
[email protected]
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Members on the Move

Please join us in wishing the following member well in her new position!
Tina L. Butts
Perkins Coie
HR/Assistant Regional Office Administrator
700 13th St., N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
[email protected]

Toni K. Allen Scholarship Success Story for Recipient & Mentor

A letter from Pheobe Smith, mentor to 2013 Toni K. Allen Scholarship Recipient Kyra Fuller:

I wanted to reach out to share some great news with the Chapter.
 
Because of the Toni K. Allen Scholarship/mentor program, Kyra has graduated from Spelman College and landed a job with Microsoft in Irvine, TX as an Associate Consultant! 
 
Her grandmother called me yesterday and thanked me for being in Kyra’s and the family’s lives.  I could not have possibly mentored Kyra without knowing those closest to her.  It was an absolute pleasure.  She said that it was the scholarship and my guidance that gave Kyra a positive start in life.
 
I would also like to the thank the Capital Chapter for the opportunity to be a positive role model to this young lady.  The scholarship and mentoring program are very important!  I pray that they remain fully supported.
 
Best,
 
 
Pheobe Smith
Executive Assistant
FAIR LABOR ASSOCIATION

August 2017 Diversity Observances

August 6: Transfiguration, a holiday recognized by Orthodox Christians to celebrate when Jesus became radiant, and communed with Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor. To celebrate, adherents have a feast.

August 7: Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu holiday commemorating the loving kinship between a brother and a sister. Raksha means protection in Hindi, and symbolizes the longing a sister has to be protected by her brother. During the celebration, a sister ties a string around her brother’s (or brother-figure’s) wrist, and asks him to protect her. The brother usually gives the sister a gift and agrees to protect her for life.

August 15: Krishna Janmashtami is a celebration of Lord Vishnu’s most powerful human incarnations. The Hindu celebrations include praying and fasting.

August 17: Marcus Garvey Day, which celebrates the birthday of the Jamaican politician and activist who is revered by Rastafarians. Garvey is credited with starting the Back to Africa movement, which encouraged those of African descent to return to the land of their ancestors during and after slavery in North America.

August 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and the anniversary of the uprising in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) that initiated the abolition of slavery in that nation.

August 25: Krishna Jayanti, the day Hindus celebrate Krishna’s birthday, Vishnu’s eighth incarnation on earth.

August 26 (Sunrise): Paryushana Parva is a Jain festival lasting about 8-10 days, and is observed through meditation and fasting.  Its main focus is spiritual upliftment, pursuit of salvation and gaining a deeper understanding of the religion.

August 26: Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the August 26, 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution that gave women the right to vote. Congresswoman Bella Abzug first introduced a proclamation for Women’s Equality Day in 1971. Since that time, every president has published a proclamation recognizing August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.
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August 27: Celebration of Ganesha is a huge community event lasting around 10 days, where the elephant-headed Hindu God is praised and given offerings.

Road Map to a More Diverse & Inclusive Firm:
The Untapped Power of the Law Firm Administrator

Elizabeth Birch
Peris Construction & Peris Birch Real Estate Advisory

I began my career as a lawyer at a well-established San Francisco Law Firm and went on to head litigation for Apple Computer, Inc.  At Apple, I was responsible for hiring and supervising our outside litigation firms around the world. Later, I came to Washington DC to head what would become the largest LGBT advocacy organization in the world, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).  Our team is credited with bringing HRC through a period of monumental growth and igniting a fresh conversation with America. My law degree served me well as we advocated to Presidents, Congress and many corporations for LGBT parity in benefits and equality in treatment.
 
At every phase of my career, I have seen law firms who are resistant to change, and others who embrace the nimble approach adopted by many corporate law departments.  Anyone who has been around the legal industry for even a short time knows that, much like dinosaurs, many law firms are destined for merger or extinction, as we see happen every year. Much of this change has been driven by firm-savvy General Counsels who insist on leaner approaches to the resolution of disputes. Increasingly, clients are not just insisting on greater efficiency; many Fortune 1000 clients are now demanding meaningful diversity and inclusion on their outside law firm teams.
 
Despite client demands, many firms are resistant to embracing diversity and inclusion practices.  According to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP)'s NALP 2016 Report on Diversity, based on data collected for the 2016-2017 NALP Directory of Legal Employers (NDLE), its annual compendium of legal employer profiles, “the overall percentage of women associates has decreased more often than not since 2009, and the percentage of Black/African-American associates has declined every year since 2009, except for the small increase in 2016.”

“Minority women and Black/African-American men and women continue to be the least well represented in law firms, at every level, and law firms must double down to make more dramatic headway among these groups most of all. And, while the relatively high levels of diversity among the summer associate classes is always encouraging, the fact that representation falls off so dramatically for associates, and then again for partners, underscores that retention and promotion remain the primary challenges that law firms face with respect to diversity.” 
 - James Leipold, NALP Executive Director

The introduction to the ALA Scorecard states: “One of the essential skills of leadership is the ability to create an environment in which everyone who wants to succeed has the opportunity to do so. And in today’s environment, businesses that fail to actively work to advance the principles of diversity and inclusion risk undermining the health and success of the organization itself. Clients and vendors demand it, and attracting top talent requires it. Beyond race, gender and physical ability, the promise of diversity and inclusion encompasses a much broader and more complex vision of acceptance and appreciation of the differences between us on so many levels, including cultural, socio-economic, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and more."
 - ALANet.org
 
Without the iron-clad commitment of leadership, the D&I needle is bound to remain stuck.  Administrators can help in the following ways:
 
  1.  Authenticity –The Law Firm Administrator can be one of the most authentic voices in law firm leadership.  After all, more than any other position in the law firm, administrators have built a more diverse slice of the law firm industry. The law firm administrator is one of the most important counselors to the Managing Partner and leadership team.  Many law firm leaders have come from highly privileged backgrounds and the Law Firm Administrator can translate how to truly incorporate people of difference into the firm.
  2. Use ALA’s Resources – The ALA has documented diversity and inclusion best practices in great detail which are available at alanet.org.  Attend the national conference, a regional conference, Capital Chapter Lunch and Learns.   Learn from other administrators about what is working at their firms as often as you can.
  3. Diversity Training -- Diversity training should be integrated into the firm’s overall training program.  It should be mandatory for all employees, and the tone must be set from the top.  Diversity training should be included in Summer Associate Programs and staff meetings.  Many law firm leaders shy away from this topic because they do not want to engage in missteps, and initiatives get pushed to the back burner.  Firm leaders should be assured that mistakes will happen and that there are resources that will help to resolve issues and keep initiatives moving forward.
  4. It’s More Than Mentorship – If partner/associate relationships are positioned only as exercises in mentorship, the program will lack vitality.  Partners need to understand that they must open up new opportunities for ALL associates to thrive.  The Administrator can help implement a program that presents business opportunities that partners and associates can work on together.  As everyone knows, only those associates that show skill at business development will ultimately flourish.  Rather than, “mentor” associates, partners should be encouraged to “sponsor” diverse associates.  This is a relationship that goes beyond teaching the basics of transactional and litigation techniques, and ensures that diverse associates have opportunities to learn and develop into future leaders of the firm.  There is a better chance that a female or minority lawyer will stick around when they are able to relate to a supervising lawyer and are satisfied with the quality of the assignments and opportunities they are receiving.  The Administrator should take any opportunity they can to introduce and reinforce the notion that in order to be successful, a firm must be the very best at attracting and retaining diverse legal talent.
  5. Peer Pressure – Leaders in every firm want to know “what other firms are doing?”   A suggestion would be for the ALA and/or Capital Chapter to host regular (quarterly?) Managing Partner Diversity & Inclusion roundtables.    These sessions would include presenting diversity and inclusion best practices to Managing Partners, helping them to become agents of change.  ALA has many great speakers who can be effective in helping to educate Managing Partners.  ALA leaders from firms with successful Diversity & Inclusion programs can be showcased, as well as executives who have succeeded in leading the charge in some of America’s largest corporations.  Resistance often exists because many leaders don’t want to be the “only one.”  Bringing law firm leaders together uses peer pressure to ignite action.  The essential ingredient to bringing about implementation of a road map comes when Managing Partners feel the need to be accountable to one another, especially in a local setting.
 
Too often, issues of diversity and inclusion are reduced to a list or formula that can easily become an exercise in box checking.  But the process of truly diversifying any enterprise is deeply human.  It requires a vision, strength and power – qualities every Firm Administrator possesses.     

Elizabeth Birch is an ALACC Silver Business Partner, representing Peris Construction, a 25-year old Greater Washington General Contractor, and Peris Birch Real Estate Advisory, a woman/LGBT owned and certified company.  Elizabeth was the former Chief Litigation Counsel and HR Lawyer for Apple Computer, Inc.  She began her law career at the McCutchen firm in San Francisco and is admitted to practice law in California and the District of Columbia. 

Bridging the Gap: How Law Firm Managers Can Foster Gender Equity

Grace Killelea
Founder & CEO, The GKC Group

​A large part of what I do every day is talk to professionals, especially women, about how they can get what they want out of their careers. A way of achieving this success, which I discuss in more depth in my book, The Confidence Effect, is building a network of sponsors  who can support your career trajectory by serving as champions for you in your organization. For women lawyers, this tends to be difficult to find, especially as women still only comprise 34% of attorneys at law firms (New York Times). Despite slight progress year over year, women have not broken through the male stronghold in the legal community. And while men can certainly serve as sponsors, and many do, having female peers in positions of power is crucial to understanding the unique challenges that female attorneys face in a law firm. Women need advocates in positions of influence who can push for initiatives they want, and those that they may not even know they need.

This presents a great opportunity for law firm management. While the spotlight often falls on senior attorneys and managing partners to shape the culture of a law firm, legal managers can also play an important role in building an equitable work place for women. By shaping hiring processes, creating marketing plans and allocating budget dollars, non-legal staff can have a stake in attracting, developing and retaining female attorneys in their firms. As a former SVP of Talent for a Fortune 50 company, I had many internal stakeholders I was accountable to, with a variety of agendas being pushed my way daily. However, I understood that a top priority in my role was identifying and highlighting high-potential diverse employees so they would continue to grow with the company and set the stage for the next generation of diverse leaders. So where do we begin at a law firm? First, understand that there is no one formula for success. Every company must develop their own diversity and inclusion plan based on their current situation and future goals.

Firms also need to understand that women must develop competencies to navigate their own careers. The one-two punch for success that I share with professional women across all industries is to focus on a combination of competence and confidence. Being good at what you do is critical, but confidence is what makes your colleagues take you seriously and helps you stand out for your abilities. In my program Half The Sky Leadership, one of the critical skill developments we focus on teaching emerging female leaders is a component of executive presence.  Developing gravitas – a sense of weight and presence that goes hand in hand with confidence – shows women how to hone their power in order to move them to the next level in their careers. This skill can be applied internally when dealing with peers and senior colleagues as well as with existing and potential clients – both which enable women to showcase their performance, rather than be overlooked.

It is also important for firms to be involved in organizations which focus on the unique dynamics facing diverse attorneys in the legal community specifically. One of them is the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity or LCLD, which aims to create a more inclusive legal profession by offering programs on how to create more opportunities for diverse talent in organizations. Legal professionals discuss the hurdles to advancement for women and other minority groups and exchange tactics for combating these challenges. By proposing and financing various leadership development programs for female attorneys such as those described, law firms help high-potential women expand their skillset while also demonstrating that they want them to succeed and value their contribution in the organization.

Many valuable initiatives exist outside of law firms which can be utilized to benefit your female attorneys. However, the root of gender imbalance usually lives within the office and needs to be tackled there as well. Diversity and inclusion efforts are growing within law firms (Bloomberg)  to better address the needs of diverse attorneys, but companies need to have the right people involved. Too often, discussions are had in a women’s affinity group that don’t infiltrate the rest of the company. Improvements come when firm leadership is involved in diversity efforts, and held accountable for them, rather than simply relying on siloed conversations amongst peers to fix the problem. It is critical to have sponsorship from senior male and female leaders in the organization to create a more inclusive workplace. In any corporate setting, including law firms, I advocate for a combination of initiatives where women can congregate and discuss their perspectives in a private, non-judgmental environment, as well as programming that is open to and required by staff of all levels. Further, organizations need to combine these efforts with their recruiting and talent management initiatives to demonstrate a continued dedication to diversity for new candidates as well as those who are already part of the firm.  

All in all, there is no one size fits all plan for how to make law firms more conducive for women. Based on individual interest and fit, there are a multitude of options to help female attorneys feel valued and able to contribute to the growth of the firm. While it’s beneficial to build your own collection of resources to disseminate to attorneys, it also helpful to get direct feedback. Attorneys at all levels can be surveyed on the current diversity and inclusion programs at the firm, so managers are aware of what employees are getting, what they need and how the firm can improve. Tackling diversity involves staff of all levels and backgrounds to create an approach which is integrated and impactful – otherwise, you’re just checking off the box without initiating real change.

Grace Killelea is the Founder & CEO of The GKC Group, a leadership development firm based in Philadelphia, PA.  In addition to running 7 leadership development programs for men and women annually, Ms. Killelea is a best-selling author and sought-after keynote speaker. Follow @thegkcgroup on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

July Quarterly Networking Lunch & Scholarship Celebration

Claudia M. Baragaño
Human Resources Manager, Kelley, Drye & Warren, LLC
Vice President Community Services

As I reflect on the many ways our Chapter offers support and services to our membership, one of the most profound experiences I have had to this date is to have the honor and privilege to be part of a group of individuals that understand the power of education and how we can make a difference through the Toni K. Allen Scholarship program. The Capital Chapter has a rich history of giving back to the community by awarding college scholarships to deserving  DC Public School, Charter School and home schooled high school seniors.  The Toni K. Allen Scholarship program, through the combined efforts of the ALA Capital Chapter and ALA Foundation, awards a $ 15,000 scholarship annually.
 
The results of all the hard work achieved on behalf of the scholarship program throughout the past year culminated at the July Quarterly Networking Lunch on July 12th at the W Washington, at which our members and Business Partners connected and had the opportunity to meet and celebrate this year’s scholarship recipient. The Capital Chapter received scholarship applications from various DC High Schools including Dunbar High School, Cardozo Senior High School and Benjamin Banneker Academic High School to name a few.
 
This year’s event was unlike any other year since we had the good fortune to have Shomari Stone, reporter from NBC4 News, introducing the 2017 Toni K. Allen Scholarship winner and her family. As part of the introduction, Shomari quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. : “ The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.  Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”  - fitting words for this occasion. Shomari thanked the Chapter for it's invitation to join us for the presentation and introduced the 2017 Toni K. Allen scholarship recipient, Ahmari Graves, along with her mother, India Graves, and her sisters, Zaela, Zarra and Yasmeen.  

Ahmari graduated from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. She was the captain of the varsity cheerleading team, participated in various community service activities, worked a part-time job and maintained a rigorous academic workload.  Ahmari’s story is very compelling.  Her dream is to “open [her] own business/organization for students with incarcerated parents.”  Due to her own set of circumstances, she understands the struggle these children go through on a daily basis and ultimately, she would like to ensure that “through [her] organization, these children feel secure, financially stable and loved".  In order to help her achieve her dreams, Ahmari will not only receive financial assistance but will have a dedicated mentor to help her navigate the challenges ahead.  This year’s scholarship recipient mentor is Kenia Garner, Sr. Operations Manager at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.  Ahmari will be attending Spelman College in the Fall. 
 
As part of the program, Shomari encouraged all attendees to donate to the 2018 Scholarship Fund.  At the lunch, ALACC members the Executive Committee, the Leadership Team, Past Chapter Presidents and Business Partners raised over $4000 for the 2018 Scholarship Fund.

The 2017 Toni K. Allen Scholarship recipient,  Philip O’ Sullivan, was also recognized during the lunch.  Philip is attending the University of Chicago and is currently completing a summer internship at Arnold and Porter.  Philip will be studying abroad in Spain this Fall.
 
This lunch is not only inspirational but also extremely rewarding in many ways.  ALACC members and Business Partners continually demonstrate a high level of dedication, excellence and desire to support the program and scholarship recipients. This event is especially meaningful to the scholarship recipients and their families. 
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A very special thanks was given to the scholarship interviewer and scholarship selection committee for their dedication and hard work throughout the interview and selection process:  Cindy Schuler, Chief HR Officer at Sterne Kessler, Oscar Alvarez, HR Manager at Willkie Farr & Gallager LLP, Claudia M. Baragaño, HR Manager at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Kenia Garner, Sr. Operations Manager at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Qeyanna Hart, HR Generalist at Miles & Stockbridge and Katie Parrish, Assistant VP at Robert Half Legal.  Thanks to all who made this event possible.
 
Our goal as a Chapter, in partnership with the Capital Chapter Foundation, is to provide a way to make dreams come true, not only by awarding the needed funds to attend college but also by providing support and mentorship to the scholarship recipients during their college journey. This goal is possible in large part due to the generosity of our members and Business Partners.  Without your support, the success of the scholarship program would not be possible. Thank you!

Harrity Pledge and Challenge:
An Interview with John Harrity, Managing Partner, Harrity & Harrity, LLP

Mauricio Velásquez, MBA
President, The Diversity Training Group

At a recent Association of Legal Administrators, Capital Chapter meeting – John Harrity, Managing Partner and Diversity Partner of Harrity & Harrity was on a panel and presented his firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Journey.  Harrity and Harrity, LLP is an Intellectual Property Firm boutique based in Fairfax, VA, experiencing high growth.  He explained their commitment to Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) and said, “We believe that the ‘practice of law’ is advanced by a more diverse legal team – with diversity of background, upbringing, education, and perspective comes quality legal innovation.  At Harrity & Harrity, we are committed to The Harrity Rule, a supercharged version of the Rooney Rule that shows our firm’s commitment to D & I is not window dressing or smoke and mirrors.” 
 
The Rooney Rule is a National Football League policy that requires league teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. 
But there was a flaw – the football team only had to interview at least one minority candidate for an NFL coach opening but could interview an unlimited number of candidates from the majority.  For Mr. Harrity – “The NFL is just not going far enough.” Mr. Harrity said, “We wanted to go much farther and so we decided for every opening – attorney, non-attorney – for every candidate that is from the majority, there must be a candidate 1:1 from a minority background to match and level the opportunity playing field.”
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I interviewed Mr. Harrity before and after his presentation and he went on to tell me - “We are creating and nurturing a workplace culture that is inclusive, values differences, is authentic, and we want our team to know we really care about them, their well-being, and their future.  This will make us the IP law firm employer of choice.  We are looking for good people – from all backgrounds.  Right now we have more work than we can handle.” 
After the meeting it struck Mr. Harrity and he asked me in his interview – “Is what we are doing that special?”  I told him – “Yes, absolutely,” and that is why I wrote this article.  There is talk of the recently introduced Mansfield Rule - the rule requires women and minorities to comprise at least 30 percent of the candidates for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and lateral positions in law firms.  Again Mr. Harrity countered - “By when?  We don’t think that rule goes far enough and we are in a hurry.”
 
Sandra Maxey, Chief Diversity Officer at Harrity & Harrity told me “Making the commitment is one thing, executing, the every-day work of finding and hiring and retaining diverse talent is the real challenge and we are staying the course.”  Jazmine Hitt, Diversity Coordinator at Harrity and Harrity stated, “If you are intentional, constantly keeping your eye on this prize, holding people accountable – you will get results and we are pleased with our results to date.”  They both said to me - “We have a D&I Strategy and Plan and a team, an infrastructure supporting our efforts here at H&H and we are constantly tweaking and improving our strategy and plan.” 
They have put it all on their website (www.harrityllp.com) - they are transparent and inclusive.  Please join Harrity & Harrity and the ranks of other law firms - “Who really want to see change and are among the most committed to the hiring and retention of more diverse talent for the betterment of the practice of law.”

Mauricio Velásquez, MBA, is President and CEO of the Diversity Training Group based in Herndon, VA.  He can be reached at 703-478-9191 or [email protected].  DTG is in our 21st year of operation.

2017 Catering Extravaganza

Jackie Thomas
DC Office Administrator, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
Co-Chair, Branch Office Administrators Section

Due to the great success and benefit it provided to our membership last year, on July 11th, the Branch Section of the ALA Capital Chapter once again hosted the now-annual Catering Extravaganza at Nelson Mullins.  With 15 caterers ranging from small, specialty dessert caterers to large-scale, full service caterers, there was something for every size of firm and event available for sampling.  These caterers were invited to the Catering Extravaganza based on recommendations from the ALA Capital Chapter members of the best of the caterers we all use.  The caterers provided a sampling of breakfast, lunch and dinner options, as well as specialty desserts.  They presented their samplings along with information and handouts to the ALA Capital Chapter members and our hope is that attendees will now have a few new caterers they can call upon when needed.  

Diversity:  An Effective Talent Management and Business Development Tool

Deborah S. Froling
Partner, Kutak Rock LLP, Washington, DC

As the legal industry becomes increasingly global and serves companies whose offices and employees are far flung across the globe, it is no wonder that diversity is front and center in decision making at all levels.  Just as companies look to serve an ever increasing diversity in their customer base, so too should the legal profession reflect its client base.  Given that diversity is a core value of both global and domestic companies, the legal profession, and law firms in general, should be strategic and purposeful in trying to achieve diversity in all aspects of their organizations.

Diversity encompasses not only gender, but also, among others, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, differing abilities and religion.  Better decisions are made when there are different perspectives around a table; while decisions made in an echo chamber where all perspectives are the same, rarely result in sound decisions. 

As a former president of the National Association of Women Lawyers, I heard time and time again from in-house lawyers that they expected their legal teams to look like them, bring the required expertise to the table, show a willingness to innovate with respect to billing arrangements and give credit for the work to the lawyers chosen by the client.  Law firms are loathe to have someone on the “outside” (even clients) telling them how to reward their lawyers or run their business.  However, law firms rarely respond to calls for more diversity and/or change the way they do business just because it’s the “right thing to do.”  With more clients demanding more diversity and showing a willingness to reward those who work to change the status quo, perhaps firms will begin to change their behavior and realize the significant talent management crisis and corresponding business issue they are facing. 

The American Bar Association (the “ABA”) created the Diversity and Inclusion 360 Commission (the “Commission”) to provide guidance and expectations regarding diversity in the legal profession.  The ABA House of Delegates also adopted Resolution 113 urging law firms and corporations to “expand and create opportunities at all levels … for diverse attorneys.”  In its report on Resolution 113, the ABA stated that clients “want to know that they are using law firms that reflect the diversity of their employees, customers, other stakeholders, and society as a whole.” 

The Commission’s Executive Summary states that “law firms should ensure that the diverse attorneys working within their ranks receive meaningful opportunities to develop their skills, grow their client bases, contribute to the management and leadership of their firms, and ultimately reap the rewards that flow from that investment of time and talent.”  For clients, “[they] should use their buying power to incentivize firms to improve in the area of diversity and inclusion.  The well-established business case for diversity posits that diverse teams provide better results.” (quoting from Mark Roellig, “‘WHY’ Diversity and Inclusion Are Critical to the Success of Your Law Department” (paper presented at the PLI Corporate Counsel Institute, New York, NY October 2012). 

Many large corporations are paying close attention to who is getting the “credit” for the work they are sending to firms.  They are also focused on the identity of the lawyers on the team handling their work.  If there is a disconnect between pitch teams (more diverse) and the actual team doing the work (less diverse) or even the lead lawyer getting the credit, clients are going to start migrating away from the firms that are non-responsive to these concerns and lawyers will then leave based on lack of opportunity and lack of training and mentorship available at those firms.  Those lawyers who left their firm to go in-house because they viewed the lack of opportunities or training as failures of the law firm will, in turn, not be inclined to reward their previous firm by providing new opportunities for work.  As clients move away from these firms, these law firms will continue to suffer, by the exodus of lawyers, from a talent management perspective as well as by losing business and clients. 

Perpetuating a system whereby significant legal talent continues to leave a firm is short-sighted, especially given the high replacement costs associated with recruiting and developing talented lawyers.  Replacing a top female partner takes an average of 14 months compared to 11 months to replace a top male partner, and it costs approximately ten percent and twenty percent more to replace female senior associates and female partners, respectively, than their male counterparts (“What It Costs When Talent Walks Out the Door,” The American Lawyer, February 1, 2017).  Those replacement costs do not take into account the disruption to a client’s relationship and business, along with the goodwill and historical client knowledge the departing attorney maintained.  Given the high costs of turnover in attorneys, firms would be well advised to be more focused on retaining their top talent by providing those sought after growth and leadership opportunities as well as mentoring and training with respect to business development skills.

If firms continue to ignore this talent management issue, clients could be doing more walking than talking as the world continues to move towards globalization and firms do not continue to evolve to the same extent.  This is an issue that law firms need to focus on, starting now.  In another couple of years, it will be too late.

IT Section Lunch & Learn: From Security to Telecommuting to Maintaining Firm Culture

Lauren Meinecke
Sales and Marketing Specialist, Optimal Networks

The July IT section Lunch & Learn had no one topic of focus; rather than choosing their own subject matter, presenters Heinan Landa and Chris Abel of Optimal Networks, Inc. surveyed section members to identify what mattered to them. The results? Members wanted to know:

1. What security threats they need to care about, and how they should keep their firm protected.
In today’s climate, we’re all concerned about being the victim of a cyberattack. What technical controls and disaster recovery solutions do we need to have in place, and where does technology simply fall short? What security policies do we need to create and enforce? Does it make sense to invest in cyber liability insurance? In a Security Awareness Training program for attorneys and staff? What can we expect all these investments to add up to?

2. How to properly manage remote attorneys and staff, while maintaining firm culture in the process.
Is it more difficult to manage employees who telecommute? What restrictions, if any, do you need to put in place once your attorneys and staff can work from anywhere? Does it makes sense to have a separate application process for your remote workforce, where these restrictions and expectations are made clear? How do you maintain your firm culture when your team is so far-flung?
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We hope the roundtable discussion helped to answer these questions, and Heinan and Chris can’t wait to come back this fall for more!

Five Killer Note Taking Abbreviations

Paul H. Barton
QuietSpacing
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Action-Oriented Note Taking
Taking notes is a good way to capture and digest the content of a meeting. It also increases focus on the subject matter at hand, as the notes preserve the salient points. 

Here is a list of abbreviations for use when taking notes to make them even more productive:

1.    A is an Action item.
2.    C is a Call that needs to be made.
3.    R is a Reference item for further use.
4.    F is a Follow-up that needs to occur.
5.    S is something that needs to be Scheduled.

After the meeting, work through the notes to prioritize or delegate the associated action items.
​
This article has been reprinted with permission from the author and originally appeared on ​http://www.quietspacing.com/blog/ 

Keeping Connected in a Connection-Challenged World

Arnold Sanow, MBA, CSP
Sanow Professional Development

​“The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.”
     - Joseph Priestley

As we increasingly live in the fast lane, a few road signs might be useful to guide us along the way—words warning us when good connections are being overlooked, threatened, or endangered. Some possibilities might include: Yield to Connection, Stop to Connect, or Use Caution! Relationships at Work.
 
Following these signs could make the paths we travel more satisfying, as well as directing us to some fascinating and fulfilling destinations we might have otherwise missed. These are signs
for our times to keep us focused on the proper care required to cultivate good connections.
 
Our personal “connect-ability” is at risk of erosion more than ever from a culture being transformed by technology and increasing anonymity. The more plugged in we’ve become for the sake of speed and convenience, the more our once-traditional connecting points for personal relationships are disappearing. Our high-tech culture has ushered in bittersweet experiences; it has made connection faster and more fleeting, yet we’re reaping
more frequent episodes of disconnected humanity, a danger whose consequences
may be more far-reaching than we suspect.
 
Phone calls and meetings are increasingly replaced by e-mails, which may leave us confused and trying to read between the lines. Complex automatic voice messaging systems wind us through a maze of computer generated prompts, frustrating us when we just want to talk to a living, breathing person who can address our concerns.
 
Cell phones interrupt personal conversations, disrupt meetings, and block us from conversing with the everyday people passing through our lives. We gas up our cars, pay by credit card, and drive off without a “thank you.” Familiar faces that were once touchstones in our everyday lives—from the banker depositing our paychecks to the travel agent planning our vacations—are
increasingly being replaced by automated systems or the Internet.
 
We now frequently walk, drive, and even fly without noticing or acknowledging the people who are sharing that slice of time and space with us, because we’re too busy conversing with people halfway around the globe. For example, if you were seated or standing next to someone right now, that person could be starved for attention, for any human contact on any level — but how would you know? When we do reach out, we can never guess what effect our connection at that point in time will have on others. Even the briefest encounter can bring someone a moment of much needed comfort or delight.
 
For many of us, even an instant interaction can make a world of difference in whether we feel connected, visible, and cared about. That’s why it’s even more important to connect with intention and “show up” to extend our best.
 
Increasingly, we’re losing the valuable connections of greeting and interacting with the fellow travelers we encounter along life’s complex, multiple networks. Employees whose sole job is to serve customers may barely acknowledge their presence during a transaction. People walk along city streets, shopping malls, supermarket aisles, and office hallways, plugged into wireless networks rather than being wired to the moment and connecting with each other.
 
As we whirl past one another in dizzying style, frazzled from our fast-paced lifestyles, connectedness can indeed unravel, unless we’re careful to keep weaving connecting threads back to one another. With technology changing the landscape of living, coupled with corresponding changes in today’s cultural fabric, we risk losing something precious—the wondrous slice-of-time adventures with other human beings, the people who show up in our lives and make a difference. These are the most delicious fruits of life’s connections, the unexpected pleasures that flow from people who make us smile, laugh with us, help us out, offer directions, take time to share, save the day, and more.
 
Personal “connect-ability” is indeed vital, as is our ability to be “hightouch” in the face of frequently more faceless connections. In our increasingly anonymous culture, when someone takes the time to notice, tune in, care about, or fuss over us, that benevolence ripples out in
wonderful ways. We’re constantly creating currents of energy that envelope the people with whom we live, work, and share time and space—bathing them in the rich warmth of our kindness, understanding, and appreciation. It’s all part of the interconnected nature of life. But the connections you make can create waves of positive, negative, or neutral energy. You must decide what message you want to send out to the universe and to all the people in it.
 
By awakening to the abundant pleasures and joy of joining, you connect at the core of what’s meaningful and makes a difference to others and to your life experience. People connecting to people bring ordinary moments to life through extraordinary acts of valuable, high-touch humanity. When we create that “Wow, you noticed!” experience, a magical bond forms that leaves an enduring impression.
 
Connect-ability matters, because of the countless ways our connections count. We can nurture or neglect them, relish or reject them, cherish or chuck them. However we handle them, they all add up. We may rather quickly forget neutral experiences that don’t leave an impression on us one way or the other. The bad taste left from negative experiences we likely wish we could forget. But it is the compelling nature of our positive interactions that forge enduring connections—compelling vibrations of dynamic power and vibrancy, created in a place we call “The Connection Zone.”

Arnold Sanow, MBA, CSP (certified speaking professional) is a speaker, trainer, presentations coach and facilitator with over 2,500 presentations. He is the author of 6 books to include, “Present with Power, Punch and Pizzazz” and “Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere” www.arnoldsanow.com – [email protected]  

Sign up for Arnold's 2 minute tips newsletter at [email protected]
Want to start your own speaking and training business?  Contact Arnold at 703-255-3133 

Administrative Committees

Communications and Media Relations
As members of the Newsletter and Media Relations Committee, Chapter members participate in producing the award-winning Capital Connection. Members gather to brainstorm new ideas for editorial themes for upcoming editions. The newsletter reports Chapter business activities such as Section and Committee news and provides information about upcoming educational and other events. It also includes articles of interest to members and other legal management personnel, collected, authored and/or edited by members of the committee. This committee also works with other legal associations and the media to ensure that ALA and the Capital Chapter are represented in the legal industry. The Newsletter Committee welcomes new members.

Contact: Jacqueline Moline, [email protected]; Paula Serratore, [email protected]

Diversity & Inclusion
The Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators is a professional organization comprised of administrative managers from private, corporate and government legal organizations in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland areas.  ALACC embraces and encourages diversity within the legal profession. We value diversity and those initiatives that promote it and look to partner with affiliated professional legal organizations to advance diversity. We not only strive to raise awareness, but to increase our sensitivity in the area of diversity and more closely reflect the diversity of our community at large. Having a more inclusive and diverse legal community will improve the quality of our organizations workforce and respond to our client’s requirements for diversity. As a committee we are very interested in your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about achieving greater diversity in our Chapter, our profession, and in our firms. 

Contact: Cindy Schuler (Chair), [email protected]; Monique Terrell (Co-Chair), [email protected] 
Salary Survey
The Salary Survey Committee is responsible for maintaining, updating and running the local survey each year. They review the positions listed, the job descriptions, and the benefits questions to ensure that the survey remains relevant to the end users. The members of the committee also promote the survey within the Chapter to stimulate participation. 

Contact: Emily Christianson (Chair), [email protected]; Julie Tomey (Co-Chair), [email protected]






Member Experience
The Member Experience Committee will establish a welcoming environment for new members to be integrated into the Chapter through a formal Ambassador Program. Ambassadors will provide support and guidance to new members through their first 12 months of membership, ensuring new members realize benefits of membership and become ambassadors of the Chapter. 

Contact: Cheryl Flynn (Chair), [email protected]; Sarahi Estrella
(Co-Chair), [email protected]mailto:[email protected] 


Educational Sections

Branch Office Administrators
The Branch Office Adminsitrators Section focuses on a broad range of topics of interest to local adminisraotrs who must coordinate with other officees of their firms. The Section's monthly luncheon meetings, held on the second Tuesday of the month, provide a venue for members to discuss issues of common interest, share ideas, and network. Members are encouraged to raise topics and to recommend speakers.

Contact: Danita Ellis (Chair), [email protected]; Jackie Thomas (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]
Intellectual Property (IP)
The Intellectual Property (IP) Section focuses on all aspects of legal management as it pertains to the IP Administrator. The group discusses the complexity of the ever-changing IP environment and how to effectively create and apply IP specific, non-legal procedures in both boutique and general practice firms
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Contact: Kimberly J. Potter (Chair),  [email protected]; Astrid Emond (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]
Human Resources
The Human Resources Section operates as a venue for educational information on global human resources issues.  While the Section is mostly comprised of HR professionals, any member is invited to participate in the meetings which typically take place on the second or third Wednesday of each month.  The meetings feature industry speakers or roundtable discussions on topics such as recruiting, benefits, strategic planning, performance management, career pathing, retention and other matters of interest.

Contact: Aryn Blanton (Chair),  [email protected]; Jasmine Stribling (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]

Office Operations Management
The members of the Office Operations Management Section represent a cross section of legal expertise from functional administrators to branch office managers. The Office Operations Management Section (OOMS) meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month to discuss operations related hot topics. We welcome all members to join the section, especially if you are an administrator in a small law office and you have to wear multiple hats. We can provide you with many best practices to run your operation smoothly.

Contact:  Kevin O'Hare (Chair),  [email protected]; Greg Fudge (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]

Small Firm Management
The purpose of the Small Firm Management Section is to provide Administrators of law firms with 35 or fewer attorneys educational opportunities through vendor presentations, idea sharing and open forums specifically designed for those who work in smaller firms. The Small Firm Management Section meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at host law firms.

Contact: Wilmara Guido-Chizhik (Chair), [email protected]; Marion Baker (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]


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Finance
Based on member feedback the Capital Chapter has formed a new Finance Section. We are seeking active members to helps us get this group up and running in 2016! As we get started, we will be focusing on what issues members are facing within their firms that we may be able to help address together. Topics may range from reviewing new time and billing systems to tax filings and matter budgeting solutions and anything in between. Your input is needed! Please consider adding Finance section meetings to your monthly educational schedule.
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Contact: Andy George (Chair),  [email protected]; Evan Kettig (Co-Chair),  [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]
 
Technology
The Technology Section is looking for members to join the group for lively discussions about practical situations we all face daily in the information technology world. With ever-changing IT needs and issues, we will look at our firms' policies and procedures and help develop best practices and speak of the many concerns we all have. Even if you are not in the IT field,  your experiences and opinions will help us in bringing all departments of a law firm together and working on the same page.

Contact: Frank Schipani (Chair),  [email protected]; Kenny Mitchell (Co-Chair),  [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]