December 2020

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;  Beth Fowler
​Contributing Editors: Jackie Johnson; HR Community; David Sherdil; Beth Fowler
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message: A Conversation Over Coffee – Black Swan Theory

“A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences.  Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight.”
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When I sent around the offer to the Capital Chapter Business Partners to join me for my December President’s message, I was not sure what the composition of the group would be, but interestingly enough the group I ended up with had a similar flow of business.  Three moving companies, two IT professionals, a corporate real estate broker and cleaning services – all companies that make our law firm worlds go round and all subject-matter experts ready to share their expertise, especially with regards to 2020.  By comparison, some of the companies had an easier time adapting to the changes necessary this year and some had to be more creative in the beginning, but collectively they all have done some amazing things to continue pivoting their businesses for value-add, as well as contributing to the success of the Chapter and our education.  Thank you to Matt Benyo of Rentacrate Enterprises, Elizabeth West of milliCare, Courtney Leonard of Washington Express/Office Movers Express, Marvin MacKay of Keno Kozie Associates, Darragh Fitzpatrick of Tabush Group, Mindy Saffer of Cresa, and Darlene De Lorenzo of JK Moving Services.

The challenge as we see it, is that uncertainty breeds inertia and inertia brings a lack of ability to change.  We have learned a great deal in 2020.  Change will do that to a person, whether they like it or not.  As we move closer to 2021 and to a vaccine that we hope will make a positive impact against COVID we do not want to find ourselves behind the eight ball on the other side, which is possible if we do not take into account some of the key changes we have made and their benefits going forward.  Here are lessons learned in 2020 from my conversation with some of our amazing Capital Chapter Business Partners which are not just about business but can also be applied to our personal lives.   
  • PIVOT.  Every time I hear the word “pivot” this year, all I can see is the Friends episode where Ross, Rachel and Chandler were trying to move a couch up the stairs.  And Ross yelling, as the couch does not move, “Pivot! Pivot! Piv-ot! Piv-et!! Piv-ett!!! Piv-et!”  It ultimately gets stuck in the stairwell.  We do not want to get stuck!  Look at the product you have and see new uses and new opportunities in it.  It’s kind of like when life throws you lemons, you can choose to see and taste only the bitter part of it, or you can see the lemony roadblock in front of you laced in sugar and turn it into lemonade.  As Darragh says, the first action to this pandemic was a reaction to say ok, we have to deal with this now and the key focus was getting the firm and the people operating.  This is an amazing time to find out what we can do better in our businesses and what we can do to grow.  How about applying that to our personal lives as well?  Several of our Business Partners looked at the product they had and made adjustments.   Rentacrate repurposed the carts they previously rented for moving and used some to provide long term rental space and others to move boxes of items from the office to your car.  They pivoted their product.  And as Matt said, a company that did not previously work in technology now provides its clients with technology solutions to manage their spaces, coordinate schedules, and provide desk-booking – all things that are relevant to our current condition.  Courtney reiterated Matt’s comment that the increased need for extended storage has changed the playing field completely.  While Washington Express transitioned to a remote call center at the start of the pandemic, the moving and warehouse side of their business, Office Movers Express (“OMX”), had already been largely functioning in that way, but expanded on existing virtual technologies to accommodate virtual walkthroughs and contactless moves. In addition, they have seen a significant increase in short and long-term storage of office furniture and equipment.  Pivot where planted.  Make lemonade with those lemons.

  • Be comfortable with being uncomfortable and understand there is a learning curve.   Darragh pointed out that after a period of time, everyone was saying ok, this pandemic may go on for a while, let’s become more effective and efficient and figure out what can we do better.  As mentioned above about OMX already having the framework for the remote call center and dispatch, Courtney reminded us that 2020 forced us to be comfortable being remote full-time.  Workers needed to learn new skills which were never required previously.  I can say for certain in the law firm world, there was a lot more accomplished with minimal amounts of assistance and for that we should be proud.  I hope even when we go back into the office on a more regular basis, that we continue to utilize our new-found skills.  It may be uncomfortable to start, but that is truly the only way we grow.  I know you are tired of hearing me say it, but we still need to give ourselves and others grace in this time.  We are still not, even after 8 months, in a normal routine.  Do not judge yesterday’s decisions with today’s wisdom.  We are still ever adapting and now is as good a time as ever to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.   
 
  • Create connection.  You have probably heard the phrase in a previous message of mine, but when there is rain for days, sometimes we need to create our own sunshine.  Though the IT world did not slow down initially, and Keno Kozie’s HelpDesk volume surged significantly from their normal call volume, Marvin talked about how well everyone did adapting, but that working from home is just not the same.  We lost the personal touch of being onsite, and like creating your own sunshine in the rain, we need to create our own connection in the absence of being in person and keep our people engaged.  And in terms of ALA, we can all admit that in this virtual environment, we truly miss the in-person networking events.  Marvin misses shaking hands and having a glass of wine with folks at our Quarterly Networking Lunches.  Me too – though thank you again to Melody Watson and Tiffany Montgomery for putting together the amazing opportunity to connect as close to in-person as possible and raise a glass with each other during the Year-End Gala and Silent Auction.  It was incredible and I very much enjoyed seeing everyone.  Do not be surprised if you see invitations in the near future for more intimate networking events where we can just connect.  While we are still in this virtual world, we have to be intentional to create our own connections – both personal and professional. ​
 
  • Do not stop there - continue to adapt.  One thing we have learned in 2020 is that we cannot be complacent.  The changes mentioned above are now part of our new standard practice.  The same goes with our personal lives - those pivots and adjustments we have made, should be part of your new, better normal.  JK Moving was already ahead of the technology curve, as the CEO loves technology.  As Darlene said, even though they had apps for customers back in 2018 to pay online and do virtual surveys, they launched their app for the commercial side due to the pandemic.  Everything works on tablets with one-tap signing, which means we are reducing the paper footprint, increasing sustainability and being more hygienic with fewer touch points.  Even though, as Elizabeth mentioned, milliCare may have had an easier transition because they are in the industry where cleaning was an immediate need, they still have to develop new protocols and safety and stay on top of the ever-changing recommendations.   Mindy pointed out that we have several options post-COVID -  we can return to the office in the same way we left it (which is not likely a viable option), we can return in a hybrid mode, adapt a good telework policy and use collaboration space only, or we can move to 100% remote where we do not own offices.  As their business is advising clients on the corporate real estate world, Cresa has had to continue to adapt to move their business forward.  Take the good that has come with the pivot and let it stick! 

The silver-linings???  We have learned, as Darlene pointed out, that we are fairly successful working from home and can be productive and still have a better work-life balance.  Marvin added that while attorneys in general can have a reputation for being demanding, most have been super easy-going and forgiving in this crisis where IT issues are concerned; and have really adapted well to the transition.  We have pivoted with regard to holiday gifting this year.  Whereas Washington Express initially planned to support local small businesses directly through Shop Made in DC as part of this pivot, Courtney mentioned they have decided to gift their entire budget to local causes that were especially hurt by the pandemic.  Mindy agreed that we should show thoughtfulness in the gifts we give this year, as Cresa is also making charitable donations in lieu of physical gifts.  I mentioned that personally I was doing my best to shop from friends’ small businesses for all my holiday gifts this year.  Whereas I had become complacent with gifting and often just sent a gift card in recent years, generally speaking we are all putting a little more thought and time into what this year looks like and how we can contribute to small businesses and charities in a more impactful way. Matt said that these uncertain times in 2020 have humanized everyone - that is the universal silver-lining!  Darragh pointed out that despite what unexpected things happened this year, we saw the ability of people to move forward.  And years down the road we will look back and reflect on 2020 and see so many more lessons and silver-linings from this time that we may not be able to see right now.  

At the beginning I gave you the definition of a Black Swan event (thank you Darragh for this term).  Obviously, we could say COVID may potentially fall into that category, though recent articles have made a case that it should not be considered as such.  Nassim Nicholas Taleb coined the term in 2007 in his book “The Black Swan.”  As Taleb argued, it was meant to explain why, in a networked world, we need to change business practices and social norms.  The thing is, I believe that is exactly something we are learning in this unprecedented time.  Whether history deems this a true Black Swan or not, I think we can learn a lot from the theory behind this - on the other side of this we are changed personally and professionally just by the very nature of what we went through.  Did you know that a black swan in native symbols signifies an insight about yourself which changes your position from one of victim to victor?  Let this be a graceful reminder to move from seeing this year as one in which we were powerless and at the mercy of external forces, to ending the year by grabbing the reigns of 2020 and reclaiming that personal power and using the adversity we overcame to propel us into 2021 as better versions of ourselves.   It is an amazing time to find out what we can do better in our businesses, but also what we can do better in our personal lives and relationships and in our personal growth and development.  Cheers to all 2020 has taught us and cheers to great things to come in 2021!  
Jackie Johnson

HR Half Day Retreat ALA Capital Chapter – Leading as Legal Administrators Post-Covid

On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, the Capital Chapter hosted a virtual half day HR Retreat entitled “Leading as Legal Administrators Post-COVID.” Approximately 45 legal administrators attended the event, which included a keynote address and three panel presentations exploring thought leadership on emerging topics such as:

Keynote Address: Leadership, Change Management and Earning a Seat at the Table
Recruiting Post-COVID
The Future Footprint of the Law Firm Part 1
The Future Footprint of the Law Firm Part 2

During the Keynote, David Sarnoff, Esq. from Loeb Leadership, Inc., Heinan Landa, of Optimal Networks, Inc., and David Campbell of Optimal Networks, Inc. praised HR leaders as strategic thought leaders who have been instrumental in the transformation of law firms in the U.S. as a result of COVID-19.  Heinan Landa confirmed that we have moved beyond the question, “Can we work from home effectively?” to “How can we keep our employees engaged in a virtual environment?” David mentioned that the “instant pain” of COVID shutdowns has forced firms to change, and that while we have proven to be effective in a virtual environment, there are still some significant longer-term pain points that include burnout and the need to set boundaries.  David Campbell added that the move to a work from home environment has given us the opportunity to reflect on our firm culture and that now we must determine how to leverage the use of technology to get the work done. He stated that we must “be intentional,” and that having access to technology is only the first step.  The next step is deciding “who we want to be” and then utilizing technology to create boundaries by which we are going to live and work.  He also stressed that if diversity of thought is apparent to talented individuals outside looking for employment, our firms will have the opportunity to build a reputation in the race for talent.

During “Recruiting Post-COVID,” Katie Parrish of Robert Half Legal and Jayleen Quevedo of Legal Placements discussed how to attract and retain top talent by offering benefits and perks that are attractive to job seekers.  Katie stated that remote work options are at the top of candidate lists when they are deciding between multiple job offers.  Katie discussed the sectors driving legal hiring and stated that litigation has increased 2000%, and that at this time employers are seeking candidates with specialized skills as well as soft skills including adaptability, empathy, virtual collaboration and professional maturity.  Jayleen discussed the changing role of the “legal secretary” and that most employers are looking for candidates with at least 2 years of experience or with many years of experience and that candidates are looking for stability, safe workplaces (COVID-19 firm policies), inclusion and remote onboarding and training.  Finally, it was stated that while we do not know what the future holds, it is imperative that employers are flexible in recruiting candidates for positions Post-COVID.  

During The Future Footprint of the Law Firm – Part 1, Jim Allegro of FOX Architects, Andrew Renart of CRESA, and Rob Kurucza of HITT Consulting spoke about the evolution of law office design, the current market in the District of Columbia, and how law firms are handling their construction needs.  Jim Allegro touched on moving from voluminous law libraries and large attorney offices and no natural light to smaller libraries or outsourced library services, more natural light, and smaller attorney offices.  He stated that health and wellness are playing a larger role in office design now.  Andrew Renart spoke about the fact that it is a tenant market and there are more tenant improvement allowances, free rent, and some rental rates have decreased.  He also stated that there has been movement during the pandemic as firms realize they have different needs now.  Rob Kurucza stated that firms are still moving forward with real estate plans and projects, but that materials have slowed because some factories (in Italy and in Pennsylvania) have either slowed down or closed at some point since the onset of COVID-19.  Overall, the panel agreed that flexibility is here to stay and that some form of remote work will continue as a result of the pandemic.  Thus, we should be thinking about how best to utilize our current office space.

During The Future Footprint of the Law Firm – Part 2, Michael Migdol of ISolved HCM, Raphael Arjona of the MCS Group, and Carol Ann Hartnagleand Jennifer Graham of Total Document Solutions spoke about employee engagement at a time where we are moving to digital environments.  Michael spoke about employee engagement pre- and post-COVID, and that engagement, not satisfaction, matters.  He spoke of employee engagement software that can assist in engaging our employees.  Raphael spoke about the advantages of using an outsourced managed support provider and the need to put a sustainable plan in place to optimize services.  Jennifer and Carol Ann Hartnagle agreed, and spoke about service providers as essential personnel and stressed that it is important to embrace digital evolution, rethink our space issues and that we should use this time before our workforce is back to strategize on moving initiatives forward.

For those who were unable to attend the retreat, or attendees who would like copies of the presentations, materials can be found on the Capital Chapter website under Resources.   We would like to extend a special thank you to the Business Partners who contributed to making this event a success!

Building Sustainably through the Living Building Challenge

David Sherdil
Law Firms Assistant Project Manager, HITT Contracting 

In recent years, there has been a great movement towards sustainable design and construction. There’s a sense of pride and respect in creating, investing, and building spaces that are environmentally efficient, especially when our environment has such a strong impact on human and environmental health. We still suffer the consequences of building with dangerous materials (i.e. asbestos, lead, formaldehyde, etc.) and our energy usage continue to strain our natural resources. Buildings in many industrialized countries account for over 40% of carbon emissions (Gillott, 2010). How can we change this?

Although new regulations are encouraging sustainable growth, leaders in sustainability are showcasing their environmental awareness and making change by attaining certifications like LEED and Energy Star, but there are a few lesser known certifications that continue to push the envelope even further. WELL, Zero Energy Building, BREEAM and Living Building Challenge (LBC) are among the most challenging and respected sustainable endorsements. HITT’s recently constructed Co|Lab, which is a space that aims to serve as a hub for research and testing of emerging materials, approaches, and technology that will rapidly transform the construction and real estate industries, attained LBC certification in 2019. Consider the following certification and best practices for your next project.

The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is a rigorous certification governed by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), an organization setting stretch goals that exceed all existing third-party certifications. To earn ILFI’s Petal certification, a building must meet the requirements for three of the seven petals—one of which must be Materials, Energy, or Water. The Materials petal is said to be the most challenging; it requires intensive due diligence to ensure no Red List materials are utilized on the project. HITT promotes transparency during construction and as a general contractor, using healthy materials not only benefits the building occupants, but is also safer for the subcontractors that install them.

Living Building projects represent our responsibility to build for the highest level of regeneration. At Co|Lab, we are sharing our lessons learned throughout the process of seeking certification.

“The time investment required is nearly a full-time job, so it is crucial to allocate adequate resources for overseeing the certification.”(1)
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Below are a few best practices we learned during construction as we seek our Materials petal:
  • Proceed with Eyes Wide Open: If this is your first endeavor in managing a project seeking Petal certification, it is overwhelming to decide where to begin and how to create a plan. Although ILFI offers resources on their website, there is a learning curve for all project participants. The time investment required is nearly a full-time job, so it is crucial to allocate adequate resources for overseeing the certification.
  • Demonstrate Transparency: Research as many products as possible for compliance early in the process. Collaborate with the entire project team to identify all the materials you think you’ll need to use. This is a laborious but critical process; project teams must perform due diligence to document communication investigating each material’s ingredients. The research must include a full ingredient list for every single material. Save all written correspondence (e.g., emails, letters, and narratives) and documentation showing how many manufacturers, suppliers, vendors, subcontractors, etc. you contacted and who at each company you talked to. It’s difficult to track down this information; this documentation proves you gave your best effort to find complete ingredient lists and verify the ingredients’ compliance.
  • Trust Yet Verify: Even when a manufacturer claims a product is Red List free, push for backup if you suspect they may be not be informed or clear on the requirements. For example, hollow metal doors have non-compliant fire retardants in them, but the manufacturer may forget to add those chemicals to the ingredient list.
  • Proprietary Ingredients: Some manufacturers will be unwilling to share complete ingredient lists because they may include proprietary components. ILFI allows proprietary ingredients to be unlisted if the manufacturer confirms they are Red List free. In this case, you don’t have to provide due diligence, however, you must ensure that your ingredient lists still add up to 100 percent of the materials when the proprietary ingredients are included.
  • General Red List Exceptions: If there’s a Red List chemical in one of your desired products, you must demonstrate a good-faith effort to investigate two alternative products. If you can confirm they also cannot provide a compliant product, ILFI may grant an exception (e.g., they also have a Red List chemical in them, have an extremely long lead time, or require an order of double the amount of the product you need). Because the market for compliant products is still growing, project teams will likely not be able to be 100 percent Red List free, but conducting this type of research that demands transparency from manufacturers will lead to market growth in the future.
  • Miscellaneous Materials Exceptions: ILFI allows for certain pieces of “miscellaneous hardware” to be excluded from the materials requirements. Search the ILFI dialogue and confirm what constitutes this exception; make sure you utilize the exceptions list when reviewing specified and non-specified materials. For Co|Lab, we found that toilet paper holders, cabinet pulls, screws and nails, etc. tended to qualify for this exception, saving us time.
  • Manufacturer Locations: Be sure to account for where the product is manufactured when specifying materials. You don’t want to get to completion and realize you haven’t met the location sourcing requirement:
    • At least 20 percent of materials must come from within 500 km of the construction site
    • An additional 30 percent of the materials must come from within 1,000km or closer
    • An additional  25 percent must come from within 5,000 km
  • Remember Your Coatings: Don’t forget to ask about coatings. Many products have a coating or glaze, and the VOC content and ingredients must be tracked to this level of detail. This includes both indoor and outdoor products. Double check each product that is not the natural color of the material that has a coating on it (e.g., orange fire protection coating or another color to help a material blend into the surroundings). An item commonly overlooked are pipe elbows.
  • Salvaged Materials: A salvaged material must be a product that was previously used, not just ordered. For example, the material counts as salvaged if it was previously installed in a building, but not if it’s extra material that was never used. The definition of salvaged materials expands beyond materials installed in the building. For example, a project can also reuse landscaping materials.
  • Be a Team: Encourage a positive, team-oriented attitude with your subcontractors and don’t push the burden on them. Make sure the subcontractors truly understand the requirements and the difficulty of the process, as most subcontractors are unaware of Red List chemicals or the LBC certification. Be patient and willing to partner and team. A great example of this is the Certified 3.x Projects Materials Table. Create a Red List free template letter for subcontractors to ask manufacturers to sign, including the Red List CAS# list.
  • Third Party Product Certifications: ILFI can fast-track approvals for certain product certifications. ILFI’s Declare certification has three distinct labels: Declared, Living Building Challenge Compliant, or Declared Red List Free. If a Declared Red List Free product is selected, it is automatically approved for use without any due diligence requirements. Living Building Challenge Compliant products are also accepted without due diligence. Try to incorporate these materials whenever possible as they have already been vetted on the Declare Database or in the Certified 3.x Projects Materials Table. (It’s important to note that the materials table has some errors. A few products have not been vetted for compliance, but the database is still a good resource for manufacturers.) A Declared product requires due diligence to find an alternative product, as these include a Red List chemical, although they have disclosed 100% of the ingredient list. Logic says that Cradle to Cradle, another product certification path, would also align with the Materials petal; however, this product certification earns no credit and full due diligence is still required for all of these products.
As of this posting, Co|Lab is still undergoing material due diligence and working towards earning this stringent petal certification.
  1. M. Gillott, C. Spataru, in Materials for Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort in Buildings, 2010

Diversity Spotlight: Beth Fowler

The Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee is featuring members and business partners in our Diversity Spotlight video segments. For the month of December, we proudly feature Beth Fowler from Robbins Russell. Please take a moment to view the video; you will undoubtedly benefit from her compassion and commitment.
   
We are looking for members and business partners to share their stories in future newsletters. Please contact Denise Verdesoto at deniseverdesoto@eversheds-sutherland.com if you would like to share your story with our members.

December 2020 Diversity Observances

Click here to view the full list of December observances.

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 Community 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 (Chair), Cindy.Conover@Shearman.com; Beth Fowler (Co-Chair), bfowler@robbinsrussell.com
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
The mission of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee is to advance the concepts of inclusiveness and acceptance in every organization by providing all Chapter members with information so that they can merge these concepts with their firm's policies, procedures, culture, and relationships to be more equitable and inclusive.  We not only strive to raise awareness, but also to increase our sensitivity in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion 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’ workforces and respond to our clients’ requirements for diversity. The DEI Committee meets on the first Wednesday of each month and we welcome all members to join us for discussion on how to further our mission in our firms and in our Chapter.  
 
Contact: Beth Fowler (Chair), bfowler@robbinsrussell.com; Denise Verdesoto (Co-Chair), deniseverdesoto@eversheds-sutherland.com
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: Valerie Williamson (Chair), valerie.williamson@bassberry.com; Herb Abercrombie Jr. (Co-Chair), HAbercrombie@jenner.com



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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. If you would like more information and/or are interested in becoming an Ambassador, please contact the Chair or Co-Chair.

Contact: LaVerne Anenia (Chair), LaVerne.Anenia@dbr.com; Kim Santaiti-Potter (Co-Chair), kim.potter@alston.com


Educational Communities

Small Firm and Branch Office Administrators
The Small Firm and Branch Office Administrators Community focuses on a broad range of topics of interest to local administrators who must coordinate with other offices of their firms, as well as 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 Community's monthly luncheon meetings, held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 12:30 pm, 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: Joanna Hurt (Chair), jhurt@mccarter.com; Tabatha Harris (Chair), tsh@dwgp.com
Listserv: branch@lists.alacapchap.org and smallfirm@lists.alacapchap.org
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Office Operations Management and IT
The members of the Office Operations Management and IT Community represent a cross section of legal expertise from functional administrators to branch office managers. The Community meets on the second Thursday of each month at noon. 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: Giovanni DiLuca (Chair), gdiluca@zuckerman.com; Janelle E. Rynes (Co-Chair), janelle.rynes@arentfox.com
Listserv: ooms@lists.alacapchap.org
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: Cindy Schuler (Co-Chair), cindy.schuler@hugheshubbard.com; Monique Terrell (Co-Chair), mterrell@foxrothschild.com

Listserv: hr@lists.alacapchap.org

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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. 
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Contact: Amy Walkowiak (Chair), awalkowiak@dcwhitecollar.com; Ana Sobalvarro (Co-Chair), asobalvarro@bomcip.com 
Listserv: nextgen@lists.alacapchap.org