August 2019

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 and/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. 
Editors: Cindy Conover; Valerie Williamson; Beth Fowler
Associate Editor: Paula Serratore
​Contributing Editors: Frank Schipani; Mariah Stewart; Pamela Christian-Wilson; Kate Fettrow; Eli Nussbaum; Mauricio Velásquez; Royal Cup Coffee; Howie Schaffer; Tiffany Montgomery
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message

As the summer comes to a close and the kids head back to school, I would like to invite all of you to come back to the Capital Chapter. The season of new backpacks and crisp notebooks is the perfect time to bring a sense of renewed energy to your pursuit of your professional goals. We have a full roster of educational and networking opportunities scheduled through the end of 2019 - some of which are already open for registration - to help you reengage with the Chapter community and further your professional development. I encourage you to take full advantage of these upcoming opportunities - no gym uniforms or #2 pencils required.

September 12: Business Partner Appreciation Event at Nationals Park - Register Now!

September 26: She Stood for Freedom: A Conversation with Freedom Rider Joan Trumpauer Mulholland - Register Now!

October 10: HR Half-Day Retreat

October 24: Quarterly Networking Lunch

November 6: The Fundamentals of Great Managers: How to Delegate, Give Feedback and Coach Others for Success (Succeeding as a Manager Series Part 2)

November 14: Networking Happy Hour & Silent Auction

December 5: Annual Meeting Holiday Lunch

December 11: The Opioid Crisis - How We Got Here and What We Need to Do to Combat the Issue
Frank Schipani

New and Returning ALA Capital Chapter Members

Kathleen Van Dusen
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Human Resources Administrator
3050 K St., N.W.
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20007
[email protected]
 
Cynthia Leonard
Banner Witcoff
Patent Services Manager
1100 13th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
[email protected]
 
Regina J. Blackmon
PilieroMazza PLLC
Director of Human Resources
888 17th St., N.W.
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
[email protected]

​​Ladora Denise Barnes
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Office Administrator
2099 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20006
[email protected]

​Kimberly Dolinger
Eyman Associates, PC
Office Manager, Firm Administrator
1120 G St., N.W.
Suite 770
Washington, DC 20005
[email protected]
Delwin K Garrett
Simpson Thacher
Operations Manager
900 G St., N.W.
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001
[email protected]

Janeanne R Gorman
Keller and Heckman LLP
Executive Director
1001 G St., N.W.
Suite 500 West
Washington, DC 20001
[email protected]

Lori Stewart
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
Office Manager
101 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001
[email protected]

Melody A. Odger
Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch, LLP
IP & BPC Coordination Manager
8110 Gatehouse Rd.
Suite 100 East
Falls Church, VA 22042
[email protected]
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Corinne Dodson
Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz
Office Administrator
901 K St., N.W.
Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001
[email protected]
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Members on the Move

Emily Christianson
Loeb & Loeb LLP
Manager, Administrative Services
901 New York Ave., N.W.
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20001
[email protected]
Richard Gibson
Ropes & Gray LLP
Director, Office Administration
2099 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
​Washington, DC 20006
[email protected]

The Government Plans to Audit Law Firms for Diversity, and Universities Can Help Them improve​

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Mariah Stewart
Staff Writer, INSIGHT Into Diversity

For decades, the legal industry has fallen behind in diversity and inclusion representation. Year after year, statistics show little change in demographics, and law firms that serve the federal government as contractors are no exception.

But this year, the federal government’s contractor watchdog announced it will hold those contractors accountable by auditing them for instances of pay inequity and discrimination.

Law firms “need to get their houses in order” before the audit, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) director Craig Leen said at a town hall in April, legal news website JD Supra reports. “There is a big problem at law firms for women and women of color.”

The U.S. Department of Labor agency is a civil rights entity responsible for ensuring contractors and subcontractors comply with affirmative action and laws that bar discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The agency’s announcement is expected to motivate firms across the country to increase diversity within their ranks.

Attorneys who serve as federal contractors provide legal services to government agencies. They help negotiate or secure contracts and come from “a variety of practice settings,” both boutique and major firms, according to Georgetown Law. Depending on the work they do, those firms could be required to comply with affirmative action requirements just like any other federal contractor or employees. Lawyers who serve the federal government “should ensure that they are aware of, and comply with, the laws enforced by the OFCCP,” according to Pillsbury Law.

Universities have an opportunity to bridge the disparity by providing a pipeline of more diverse law school graduates. Understanding how firms plan to boost diversity can help law schools set up their students from underrepresented groups for success in the workforce.

Nearly one in four American workers is employed by 200,000 federal contractors, according to the OFCCP website. Every year, the agency compiles a list — known as the Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter (CSAL) — of those contractors that will be audited for compliance review.

The selection process is executed differently each time, but OFCCP chooses contractors based on industries found to have the highest rates of discrimination. For the fiscal year 2019, which ends in September, the list names 3,500 contractors and subcontractors.
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Law firms make up only a small percentage of this year’s list, but Leen, who previously worked as an attorney, told attendees at the town hall that law firms can expect to be the focus of the 2020 CSAL list.
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The consequences for law firms or any contractor not complying with an OFCCP review can mean loss of government business. In 2014, New Jersey law firm Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC, refused to submit the required information OFCCP requested. As a result, the law firm signed a consent decree which ordered that it could not participate in federal contracts for two years, according to Bloomberg Law.
PictureMauricio Velásquez
When businesses and organizations recognize they have a diversity and inclusion problem, they sometimes recruit outside help from experts who provide instruction on conscious and unconscious bias training and sexual harassment prevention. Mauricio Velásquez, CEO of the consulting agency Diversity Training Group, says he isn’t surprised about the federal government’s plan to investigate law firms.
“This is nothing new,” Velásquez says. “Some law firms will be more proactive. But most firms either don’t care or realize it’s going to take some heavy lifting, and they don’t have the capital or the energy or the time.”

It’s not clear whether law firms have a valid excuse for a lack of diversity when statistics show law schools are already diverse. Thirty percent of students who attended law school in the past 20 years were not White, according to the American Bar Association (ABA). Nearly 8 percent of the 2018 student body at law schools most popular within the American Law 200 are Black, according to ABA data. But Black students have a lower chance of being accepted to law schools than White students with similar scores, according to 2016 data by the Law School Admissions Council.

Velásquez says firms aren’t looking in the right places for hiring.

“They’re not committed to widening the net to recruiting from a broader set of law schools,” Velásquez says.

​Taking a Step in the Right Direction
For firms looking to improve, the ABA offers diversity and inclusion resources on its website. There are also organizations like the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) that work to increase the retention of underrepresented and women-owned law firms.

Several big law firms share their diversity efforts on their webpages, such as Haynes and Boone, LLP, which is listed on this year’s CSAL. The firm, which is located in several cities throughout the U.S. and around the world, told INSIGHT in an email it plans to cooperate with the OFCCP review.
PictureEllen Clinton
Ellen Clinton is a member of the diversity and inclusion committee at the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), an organization that serves more than 8,500 legal professionals worldwide who are responsible for operations of management in law firms. ALA provides a variety of training and networking opportunities relating to professional development and management solutions.
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Clinton says the first step firms should take is to “check their own front door” for diversity and inclusion issues. “Simply because you don’t see blatant intentional discriminatory issues doesn’t mean that they don’t exist,” Clinton says.
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The second, Clinton says, is to monitor diversity statistics regularly and at all levels. Clinton suggests firms analyze various steps of an employee’s life cycle, beginning with the candidate pool and internal interviewing practices.

“All too often we hire people who we have an affinity for as opposed to maybe who is the best candidate,” Clinton says. “Most likely, those that we have relationships with are very similar to us and come from the same neighborhoods or the same law schools.”

Posting positions on diversity job boards can help expand the hiring pool, and having a panel of diverse attorneys who are involved with both the selection and the interview can help make the recruiting process more objective, Clinton says.


The most indicative measurement for firms to analyze is turnover, according to Clinton, who says if firms aren’t measuring that, it’s going to be difficult to plan for improvement.
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This article originally appeared in the July/August 2019 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity and has been reprinted with permission from the author.

2019 Toni K. Allen Scholarship Winner

Pamela Christian-Wilson
Assistant Director - Benefits, Covington & Burling LLP
ALACC Vice President Community Services
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The Association of Legal Administrators Capital Chapter Foundation has a rich history of giving back to the community.  Since 1997, the Foundation has been granting college scholarships to qualified DC high school seniors.  In 2003, the scholarship was renamed The Toni K. Allen Scholarship Program in memory of one of the founding members of the Foundation.  Through the combined efforts of the ALA Capital Chapter and the ALA Capital Chapter Foundation, over $150,000 in scholarships has been awarded in the past 9 years alone.
 
This year's recipient of the $15,000 Toni K. Allen Scholarship is Steven Adams, a graduate of Wilson High School.  Steven will be attending Morehouse College in the fall.  To further support our scholarship recipient, Steven will have a mentor to help him navigate the challenges ahead and help empower him to succeed in college and achieve his ambitions.  The 2019 Toni K. Allen Scholarship recipient mentor is David Brooks, Director, Branch Sales at Canon. The Chapter and the Foundation are grateful to David and thank him in advance for offering his time to mentor Steven.
 
A special thank you to the members and Business Partners who volunteered to be a part of this amazing and important process this year:
  • David Campbell - Optimal Networks
  • Adele Hook - Norris George & Ostrow
  • Tiffany Montgomery - Vinson & Elkins
  • Katie Parrish - Robert Half
  • Mary Randolph - Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
  • Cindy Schuler –  Hughes Hubbard & Reed
  • Jackie Thomas -  Arnall Golden Gregory
  • Melody Watson - Gray Plant Mooty

August 2019 Diversity Observances

Click here to view the full list of August 2019 observances

Generational Leadership at Work – How to Lead in a Multi-Generational World

Kate Fettrow
Human Resources Generalist, Wiley Rein LLP 
Chair, Next Generation Leaders Community

One of the most eye-opening moments during Gabrielle Bosche’s presentation regarding Generational Leadership came during the reveal about how much it truly costs a firm when talent walks out the front door.  At 1.5 times the employee’s annual salary, the true hard cost of employee turnover (not to mention the impact to team morale and organizational efficiency) is staggering.  To translate that into real numbers, when a $100,000 a year employee leaves for greener pastures, the resulting cost to the organization is $150,000.  For many of us who serve recruiting and talent development functions within our organizations, this should have been a heart-stopping moment and a call to action.  As Gabrielle introduced the importance of having conversations about leading in a multi-generational world, she reminded us that the Millennial generation will soon comprise 65% of the workforce, many of whom will ascend into leadership roles (either by design or to fill gaps more quickly than intended).  Whether we are ready or not, change is coming to our organizations.  Change does not have to mean scary; however, it will mean that current leaders will need to spend more time understanding the motivating forces behind our next generation of leaders -- and more importantly, what would make them want to stay with our current firms to ensure continued business success.

We’ve all heard of the concept of stay interviews; however, most of us are not having real conversations about our workplace and culture until an employee has one foot out the door or is sitting in front of us at an exit interview.  Stay interviews can provide a gold mine of information about our organizations, including perception of leadership and strategic direction, opportunities for individual upward mobility, mentorship and development, workplace culture, and the list goes on.  Consider developing an anonymous survey to send to a cross-section of your top-performers across the organization.  Take the time to evaluate their responses and determine whether a shift is needed.  All too often we assume that because we do not hear from our top performers, they must be content.  While this may be true in some cases, if you could save your organization $150,000, wouldn’t it be worth it to proactively check in with these individuals and ask a few meaningful questions? 

As Gabrielle explained during her presentation, Millennials possess a different philosophy and attitude toward how they approach work as compared to their Baby Boomer and Generation X counterparts.  In addition to desiring greater flexibility with how (not what) work is accomplished, Millennials consistently want an opportunity to see the fruits of their labor and to make a noticeable difference at their organizations.  With these philosophies in mind, Millennials expect and want to be managed differently.  While previous generations grew up with a “top-down” vertical model of management, Millennials instead gravitate toward opportunities to collaborate prior to making decisions.  More importantly, as Millennials are dipping their toes into the proverbial management waters, they are often asking their own leaders “why?” or “can we do this another way?”  As noted above, Millennials are being catapulted into management positions at a quicker pace than prior generations to fill talent gaps.  When Millennial staff inevitably start asking their bosses the “why” questions, current leaders can consider this a training and development opportunity with their “up and coming leaders” rather than relying on the “this is how we’ve always done it” approach.

By sharing information with the next generation, you are creating valuable mentoring opportunities as well as inviting fresh perspectives, even if it means taking more time out of your day.  This approach benefits the organization by allowing greater transfer of knowledge and experience from one generation to the next, as well as fulfilling Millennials' needs of collaboration and the ability to take ownership and effect positive change.  Having multiple generations in the workforce, as well as preparing for the inevitable generational change at the leadership level, will have positive effects on our organizations.  We just need to take the time to ask the right questions, listen, teach, and learn from each other.

Security & Your Data

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Eli Nussbaum
Managing Director, Keno Kozie

There are many policies and procedures that go into securing the modern law firm IT environment. Regularly checking to make sure that all of yours are up to date is critical. While IT environments vary from firm to firm, here are a few things that all law firms should be reviewing to ensure that they are set up for success.

Administrative Accounts: Make sure that your administrative accounts are active and only necessary accounts are enabled. Also be sure that only active users and employees have access to your systems. An HR review of user accounts can easily identify valid and active employees, which is useful because IT departments are not always informed of personnel changes.

Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware Measures: Many firms rely on software to keep out intruders and stop malicious attacks. Review the various anti-virus solutions, firewall systems and host intrusion prevention systems that you have in place to make sure they are not just up to date, but performing the tasks you need to meet your security objectives. Best practices with each of these constantly evolve – reviewing the vendors’ current best practices documents will ensure you aren’t missing out on valuable protection.

Backup Systems: Adequately backing up your data is crucial to security. You may have backup systems or disaster recovery plans in place, but when is the last time you checked to see if they actually work? The best time to test a business continuity and disaster recovery plan in place is before you actually need it – and before your clients ask to see it.

Equipment Review: Just like your software, you want your hardware to be up to date. Do a review of your physical equipment to create a current inventory. Once you have that, you can discard equipment that is old or unused. This will also allow you to make better decisions about your ongoing infrastructure needs.

Security Training: All employees should be required to complete annual security awareness training. Even if such requirements are in place, it’s important to make sure that they are being met.

Network Policies: Your users are your first line of defense, but they can also be a weakness if they’re opening your system to threats, even unintentionally. To curb that possibility, you should review your network policies, update them as necessary and make sure that your users fully understand them.

Mobile Devices: When it comes to law firm IT, few areas have changed as drastically in the last decade as mobile device use. Chances are, your users have lots of them and have probably changed the mobile devices they rely on in the past year. Run a review of the mobile devices that have connected to your system and delete or purge those that have not connected in a while. Better yet, implement limits on the number of approved devices per user – this will ensure that users self-manage their devices and reduce the firm’s risk.

Passwords: Passwords are the most direct means of accessing data, and therefore they should be changed regularly to ensure that only those who should have access actually do. Administrative, user and services passwords should be changed systemwide on a regular basis. If you don’t already have a password-change policy, you should implement one. Ideally the policy will require that passwords be changed every 90 days and include complex characters.

Wireless: If your guest network has a shared password, consider changing it and resetting it on a regular basis. Your internal wireless network should require user-specific credentials that tie back to your domain to ensure that when user accounts are locked or passwords are changed wireless devices are prohibited from reconnecting to the network.

Upgrades: Software and systems need to be regularly upgraded in order to remain protected from the latest security threats and take advantage of available functionalities. If your systems and software are not up to date, schedule an upgrade now. Going forward, you should consider implementing a schedule for software upgrades, ideally every month or as critical patches become available.

Physical Security: While law firm IT departments typically devote most of their time to security systems and the firm’s virtual presence, it’s important not to forget your physical environment. Test things like your smoke alarms, UPS (uninterrupted power supply) and security cameras.

​In an organization as complex and with as many moving parts as a law firm, there are countless factors that go into securing data. Take these steps now to ensure your data – and your client’s data – remains secure! To learn more about these topics or how Keno Kozie can assist with implementing these changes within your environment, visit us at www.kenokozie.com.

Intent Versus Impact

Mauricio Velásquez, MBA
President and CEO, The Diversity Training Group 

Diversity issues or employee relation issues (among people who are different) typically involve two people.  The perpetrator or the initiator of the behavior is one party and the target or the receiver of the behavior is the second party.  

The diversity issue or incident (sometimes it is one “moment of truth”) is defined as a behavior, an action, or a series of behaviors (a pathology or trend) that one party (the target) feels or concludes based on the behavior(s) was wrong, inappropriate, disrespectful, discriminatory or illegal.

First – We Don’t Know the Intentions of Others 
We all mean well.  We should never question the intent of any person’s actions. We actually don’t know the intentions of the other person, but we assume their intentions based on the behavior we see, how we react (our feelings) or the kind of relationship we have with the perpetrator.  This is the first mistake.   We should look at the behavior(s) in question and only the behavior(s).  Looking just at the face value of the behavior is a good start.

We tend to focus on the actual behavior and how that behavior might affect or influence other people.  In other words, we focus on the impact said behavior(s) has on other people.  The consequences of any action, how the behavior might be received or perceived or experienced is what we tend to scrutinize.  

Second – “I Didn’t Mean It”
Too many people will get defensive when the target confronts the perpetrator about the behavior(s).  The perpetrator typically responds with, “I didn’t mean it the way you took it.”  Often, people don’t want to be held accountable for their actions.  Unfortunately, this does not take the “sting” out of the behavior(s).  What matters is what was said, not what was meant.

What Is Appropriate
Don’t take it personally – apologize for your comment.  Don’t try to avoid your responsibility – step up to the plate.  Don’t focus on your intentions – no one knows your intentions.  Try to put yourself in the target’s shoes and understand their feelings.  Put your feelings aside.  This is not about you – the perpetrator – this is about the target.  Try to empathize with the target.  Apologize and ask the target to always come and share with this person their feelings whenever they feel wronged.  You want to be perceived as humble, approachable and “bigger” than any one incident.  What you don’t want to do is to seem defensive or stubborn.  Reach out!  This is a wake-up call that you need to improve this relationship.  Misunderstandings are more likely to arise among strangers or people who have strained or weak relationships. 

July Quarterly Networking Lunch & Scholarship Celebration

On July 11th the Capital Chapter gathered at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, & Stone Crab for a special Quarterly Networking Lunch in celebration of our 2019 Toni K. Allen Scholarship recipient, Steven Adams. Steven, a graduate of Wilson High School, will be attending Morehouse College in the fall to pursue a degree in business.

Chapter President-Elect Monique Terrell welcomed attendees to the event, then turned the program over to Vice President of Community Services Pamela Christian-Wilson. Pam thanked the 2019 Scholarship Interviewers and Selection Committee for their work in awarding this year’s scholarship, and Chapter Business Partner David Brooks of Canon Solutions America for volunteering to be Steven’s mentor. Pam then introduced Steven, who was invited to the podium along with his mother Sherilyn – who beamed with pride throughout the entire event – to accept his certificate and pose for a photo with the oversized check commemorating his accomplishment.

When invited to say a few words, Steven thanked the Capital Chapter and the Foundation Board for helping to make his pursuit of higher education easier for him and his family. He went on to explain that he is grateful for all that his community has done to support him, and that with his degree he hopes to start a business that will allow him to give back to the community that has done so much for him. Given that Steven has completed over 700 hours of community service to date, his service-minded aspirations came as no surprise to anyone in attendance.

At the conclusion of the presentation, Pam encouraged attendees to pledge donations to support the 2020 Toni K. Allen Scholarship Fund. Members and Business Partners alike pledged generously, resulting in a total of $2,900 in contributions. Thank you to all who gave – your support of our community and our kids means that more deserving young people like Steven will be able to pursue their dreams.

4 Environmentally Friendly Coffee and Tea Habits to Practice

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Our team prides itself on keeping sustainability top of mind, so it’s no surprise that we’re all big fans of Earth Day! From the farms that grow our ingredients to the factories where we brew our coffees, Royal Cup is committed to championing social responsibility, economic stability and environmental stewardship in all that we do. We want to inspire our loyal customers to give back in their own way by sharing some sustainable, environmentally friendly coffee and tea habits. 

Reusable Cups & Straws
Did you know that nearly two-thirds of Americans drink coffee every day? That’s a whole lot of Royal Cup! While coffee is a wonderful way to kickstart your morning or catch up with friends, it can also produce a lot of waste in the environment depending on the kind of cups you use. In fact, people around the world produce more than 335 million metric tons of plastic each year with more than half of that being made for single-use products. Eco-friendly cups and paper straws are great to use day-to-day and cut down on plastic. You can also find the perfect reusable thermos or mug that both helps the environment and adds to your coffee aesthetic! 

Composting & Gardening
There’s no better time than now to put your green thumb to work! Composting is an efficient way to turn organic waste into mulch and fertilizer that can fuel your garden with the nutrients it needs. Tea and coffee are full of ingredients that can supercharge your compost and help you grow fruits, vegetables and herbs all year-round. You can also use coffee grounds in your garden to act as a repellent for snails and slugs.

Fair Trade Products
Fair trade products have become increasingly popular in recent years, expanding into day-to-day items such as clothing, fruits, and of course – coffee and tea! These products are beneficial to both the environment and economy and are held to various sets of standards to ensure they follow sustainable practices. We’ve increased our commitment to fair trade products in recent years by quantifying the impact of the ingredients we use and partnering with more Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and tea farm producers.

Charitable Giving
Donating to organizations and non-profits that focus on environmental efforts is a wonderful way to make a difference. In fact, you can give back even by simply buying from Royal Cup! We donate a portion of every purchase of ROAR coffees and teas to groups dedicated to providing clean water to people around the globe. Now that’s a cup full of care!

We’re proud to support sustainable efforts and will always stay conscious of the impact we have on our employees, customers, partners and communities. No matter how big or small, make a difference by trying out some of these environmentally friendly habits in your life!

Exploring the Impact of Bias on Remote Workers

Howie Schaffer
Big Tent Consulting

Remote work. Virtual work. Telecommuting. Workshifting. Distributed work. Smart work. Agile work, Using a home office. We have many names for the maturing trend of colleagues working outside the regular central office. With these new work arrangements come beliefs, judgments, and bias about the value and effectiveness of alternative work settings. Tell a person you work remotely and they may have a strong immediate reaction, often emotional. Without actually examining any evidence, people will have immediate judgments about remote work and sometimes act without full consideration/testing/validation of their beliefs. Some people may experience anxiety and doubt. Others will feel open and excited. This is normal. Those who have familiarity or experience with flexible work arrangements may see remote work as normal and necessary. Some colleagues may feel that new work structures alter the core architecture of work and teams. There is no single correct perspective.

As we all know, bias can be positive or negative. Both equally restrict accurate perception. A positive bias might be the belief that a virtually connected colleague works harder to prove their value because they fear being overlooked for a promotion. A negative bias might be the belief that it requires more effort to engage or collaborate with a remote worker. The bottom line impact of the sum of this bias can be seen in every facet of work that is connected to innovation, performance, productivity and profit: team cohesion, communication, hiring, interviewing, performance review, assignments, career development, stretch assignments, conflict resolution, giving feedback, supervision…the list goes on.

Let’s see where you enter this conversation. Think about the following six statements. Are they myth or reality?

Myth or Reality?
  1. Remote workers are more productive. Reality. Working from home can make a worker more productive, but there are no guarantees. Most people are more productive when working from home, but that productivity is strongly subject to the policies put in place by the employer. Corporate leaders are learning to focus less on where the work gets done and more on the outcomes. Remote work options actually reduce employee turnover.
  2. Remote workers are less committed, less focused, and less engaged. Myth. Studies show that remote workers are slightly more engaged than their home office counterparts. They also take less sick leave and report higher quality team interactions, as planned meetings can be more purposeful than informal or unplanned interactions.
  3. Remote workers have off-ramped and seek less career development. Myth. Despite the fear that asking for flexible work options will hurt career advancement, research has shown that using flexible work arrangements does not have to be a career-limiting move, and those who use flexible work arrangements are more likely to be promoted than those who need them but do not use them.
  4. Collaborating Across Cultures & Time Zones Creates Challenges. Reality. People involved in global teams should know, understand, and be prepared to address the complex challenges that come with communicating across cultures. Some of the problems that multicultural teams experience include: time delays in replies, lack of synergy, different approaches to conflict resolution and receiving feedback, limited hours allowed to be worked, and different holidays. These are workable challenges and present opportunities for inclusion of new perspectives and ideas. New cultural knowledge, openness to questions, new awareness and skills, and collaboration tools are key to success.
  5. Team and organizational culture suffers when people don’t show up at the office. Myth. Culture depends upon trust, leadership, and clear policies with upfront conversations about expectations. One thing is clear: micromanagement and remote work don’t mix well.
  6. Remote workers are parents, mostly women. Myth. Similar to the global skilled-labor workforce,  3 out of 4 are men, and no difference in parental status has been reported. One in five workers around the globe work remotely.
 
Key Concepts to Explore

Visibility Bias or Presenteeism
Visibility or familiarity bias refers to the tendency to favor or give greater value to people, places, or situations where one has previous or frequent comfort, awareness or proximity. Perceived distance from a supervisor could have an impact on remote workers. 

Remote Worker Bias
People working outside the group office are more likely to intentionally work harder in an effort to demonstrate that working independently is a benefit to their employer. Remote workers also may self-report increases in job satisfaction and productivity in many cases without data to support the claim. This lack of credible data makes studying remote employees a challenge.

Workplace Flexibility Stigma
Men who seek work flexibility may be penalized more severely than women, because they’re viewed as more feminine, deviating from their traditional role of fully committed breadwinners.
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Recency Bias
The tendency for some people to focus on "what's happened lately" when evaluating or judging something. In performance reviews, some managers tend to weigh what the employee appears to have done in the last weeks or months, rather than looking at the entire period of evaluation.
 
The Final Word
“Remote teams have to trust their teammates. There is simply no way around it. The beauty of trusting your teammates is that often times your teammates reward you. Most people genuinely want to do a good job.“ - Wade Foster, How to Build Culture in a Remote Team

Ed Ross Scholarship Chapter Leadership Institute Recap

Tiffany Montgomery
Senior Human Resources Manager, Vinson & Elkins LLP
Chair, Human Resources Community
​
I was so honored to be awarded the Edward P. Ross scholarship to attend the Chapter Leadership Institute in Louisville, KY. This year’s theme was Envisioning the Association We Want to See and Be.

The conference began with an opening session that provided an overview of the ALA governance structure, demographics, member benefits and resources available to chapter leaders. This session gave a good snapshot of ALA. This was followed by the General Session titled The Impactful Chapter Leader: A Roadmap for a Dynamic Year. This session focused on how we should think differently about the way we structure our associations to get the maximum amount of work done in the one-year cycle of Chapter leadership. We discussed the value of having a Chapter Strategic Plan, how to structure a committee that gets important work done, ways to motivate volunteer leaders, and how to identify future leaders, invest in their success and get them invested in the Chapter.

Every session that I attended was valuable. The presenters were very interactive and informative. They presented content that could be put to use right away within our Chapters and at our firms. Rather than having a lunch with a speaker every day as is the case with most conferences, on the first day had a working roundtable lunch. Tables were separated by hot topics and attendees were encouraged to sit at a table and participate in relevant discussions. I chose the diversity table. The conversation was both dynamic and insightful.

While there were many great takeaways from the conference, I will highlight three recurring themes:
1.) The organization would like to encourage more participation on the ground level within the Chapters in an effort to cultivate potential leaders. If we work to get members involved in the various areas of the Chapter, they will potentially want to become more involved on the board at the Chapter level and possibly at the National level. We learned that we should encourage “Experience” pathing rather than “Career” pathing within our Chapters. Succession planning should be a constant for Chapter leadership.

2.) We should shift our focus from Committees to Teams. Committee members are a group of people who come together to represent a subset of a larger group. Team members partner with others who have a common goal; and as such, team members feel more accountable to the end result that is being delivered and often implemented. Additionally, people get energized when they hear the word team. As leaders we need to ensure that we are cultivating the proper environments so that members remain energized to do the work of the organization.

3.) Leaders should seek out ways to structure their Chapters in order to create maximum efficiencies and optimal attendance. This includes actions like moving from monthly to quarterly meetings for the general body, determining if the length of an office term on the board is optimal, i.e., five years vs. two years, strategically utilizing Business Partner relationships in an effort to make it mutually beneficial and creating a solid transition plan for knowledge transfer when individuals are coming into office.

The final keynote session titled, The Power of Strategic Foresight: Creating the Future Together, was presented by Michael Brenner, PhD.  It was a very energetic and powerful presentation. Dr. Brenner shared that we are living in VUCA times – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Organizations that cling to the status quo, fearful to experiment with new ideas, risk becoming obsolete. This is especially true for the legal profession, which is historically averse to risk-taking yet now finds itself facing enormous challenges requiring bold, out-of-the box thinking. Dr. Brenner demonstrated innovative ways of thinking that will lead to new approaches to effective Chapter leadership.

This year’s CLI was an excellent conference. It was very well organized with just the right mix of information-packed sessions and downtime.  I gained knowledge that I will be able to utilize within the Chapter and outside of the Chapter. And while there were many good takeaways for our Chapter, it was excellent to learn that the Capital Chapter already employs many of the suggested best practices that were shared throughout the conference. In the end, I left the conference feeling great that I belong to such an awesome Chapter!

2019-2020 ALACC Foundation Board Announced

The ALACC Foundation is pleased to announce the 2019-2020 Board of Directors, effective July 1st 2019:
President: LaVerne Anenia – 2019-2020
Secretary: Richard Gibson – 2019-2021
Treasurer: Wilmara Guido-Chizhik – 2019-2021
Secretary-Elect: Emily Christianson – 2019-2022
Treasurer-Elect: Jenna Carter – 2019-2022
Barbara Mannix: Trustee – 2019-2020

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: Cindy Conover, [email protected]; Valerie Williamson, [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: Cheryl Flynn (Chair), [email protected]; Beth Fowler (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: Sheri Shifflett (Chair), [email protected]; Valerie Williamson, [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: Dot Mooney (Co-Chair), [email protected]​; LaVerne Anenia (Co-Chair), [email protected]


Educational Communities

Branch Office Administrators
The Branch Office Adminsitrators Community focuses on a broad range of topics of interest to local adminisraotrs who must coordinate with other officees of their firms. The Community'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: Barbara Kernus (Chair), [email protected]; Joanna Hurt (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]
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Office Operations Management
The members of the Office Operations Management Community 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:  Kenia Garner (Chair), [email protected]; Jacqueline Keener (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]
Intellectual Property (IP)
The Intellectual Property (IP) Community 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. 

Contact: Matthew Cichocki (Chair), [email protected]; Judi Heston (Co-Chair), [email protected]
Listserv: [email protected]



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Small Firm Administrators
The purpose of the Small Firm Administrators Community 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 Community meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at host law firms.

Contact: Valerie Williamson (Chair), [email protected]; Tabatha Harris (Co-Chair), [email protected]  
Listserv: [email protected]


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Human Resources
The Human Resources Community operates as a venue for educational information on global human resources issues.  While the Community 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: Tiffany Montgomery (Chair), [email protected]; Cindy Schuler (Co-Chair), [email protected]

Listserv: [email protected]

Next Generation Leaders
The mission of the Next Generation Leaders Community is to support our next generation of leaders and close the gap faced by our association and the legal industry as a whole by providing a community for Millennial legal managers and new managers in the legal field with a focus on mentoring, education, and networking. To accomplish this goal, the section hosts monthly meetings, pop-up events, and educational sessions, and provides 2-way mentoring opportunities. 

Contact: Kate Fettrow (Chair), [email protected]; Amy Walkowiak (Co-Chair), [email protected] 
Listserv: [email protected]