June 2021

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: Amy Walkowiak; Emmanuel Adedigba
​Contributing Editors: Robert J. Bieber; John M. Iino; James Keshavarz; Angela Tyson; Joanna Davis
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message

Robert J. Bieber

Food for Thought

John M. Iino
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Reed Smith LLP

My grandmother lived to be 103 years old.  She passed away back in 1998.  Growing up, she said a lot of things that for me went in one ear and out the other.  As I have grown older, I have discovered the wisdom of what she taught a long time ago and the example she led.  Things that we hear or read about now more commonly to stay healthy, she was telling us 40 years ago.  Here are some of the things she said about staying healthy.  I'll go into more detail in future blogs.

1. Breathe.  Our lives are hectic.  Working in the legal industry, stress is inevitable.  Grandma said “Many times during the day, take a few moments to take deep breaths."  She would then demonstrate it to me – by putting her hands on her stomach and breathing deeply, exhaling (and repeating).  We now know that taking time to stop and breathe helps manage stress and focuses our attention.  These days, our minds are constantly racing, we are multitasking being on Zoom calls, reading emails, watching our kids – all at the same time.  Is it any wonder we find ourselves stressed out?  Amidst all of that, take a few moments to put down the phone, step away from the computer, look out the window or step outside and take some deep breaths.  Try the 5-5-5-5-5 method:  breathe in to the count of 5, hold the breath for the count of 5, exhale to the count of 5 then pause for the count of 5.  Repeat 5 times.  It takes only about 30 seconds of your time, but well worth it!
 
2. Exercise.  Even when she was in her nineties, my Grandma could do 20 regular push-ups (not on her knees)!  My Mom used to talk about when she was a young girl, Grandma and Grandpa took the kids for jogs around the neighborhood.  Embarrassing to my Mom, but jogging around the neighborhood in the 1930s?  Like Forest Gump but 50 years earlier!   We all know that we need to exercise.  Even 15-20 minutes a day of some exercise.  What a great way to take a break during your workday or to start your day!

3. Watch your acidity/alkaline levels.  Here's one you don't hear all the time.  Grandma talked about how our bodies are either acid or alkaline and how the food we eat affects that balance.  Our pH levels greatly affect how we feel.  In the book, “SuperLife: 5 Simple Fixes that will Make You Healthy, Fit, and Eternally Awesome," the author Darin Olien notes that we should be overall slightly alkaline.  An overly acidic diet negatively affects our bodies.  It impairs our ability to metabolize what we eat, and our tissues and membranes become more irritated and inflamed when they're acidic.  Are your joints sore or stiff?  Too much dairy, meat and coffee, they all increase the acidity in our bodies.  More fruits, vegetables, nuts bring more alkaline to our bodies.  Have you seen alkaline water in the stores?  Pure distilled water is pH 7.  Look for waters with a pH of 8.5 to 10.  Or as a simple and cheap alternative, simply add ½ teaspoon of Himalayan crystal salt to a gallon of water.  And drink lots of it!
 
4. Hydrate.  Speaking of water, we need to drink more of it.  That's what Grandma always said.  When we're dehydrated, we experience headaches, fatigue and reduced physical performance.  Don't wait until you're thirsty.  Our cells need water to function, even when we don't feel thirsty.  According to a 1999 article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, “Research indicates that fluid consumption in general and water consumption in particular can have an effect on the risk of urinary disease, cancers of the breast, color and urinary tract, childhood and adolescent obesity . . . and overall health in the elderly."  Tufts University studied student athletes and found those who didn't drink enough water were more likely to report feeling depressed, tense, confused, angry and tired than those who exercise but drank sufficient water.  Sound familiar for those of us in the legal profession?  And remember, coffee and alcohol accelerate your dehydration.
 
5. Be grateful.  When I think Grandma, her whole persona exuded gratitude.  Every time we visited her, she had a big smile on her face and she would say over and over again “I'm so grateful" and “thank you, thank you so much".  Smiling and laughing release positive hormones and chemicals like endorphins and dopamine.  And what was so beautiful about my Grandma is that the laughing and gratitude was contagious.  As we seek to create an inclusive culture, let's all express gratitude to one another.  Smile, laugh and be grateful.  These are just few keys to a healthy life Grandma taught us.

​Leadership Through Motivation

James Keshavarz
Chief Wellness Officer, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
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Introduction
I have been in various leadership roles, including military, athletics, education, and big law. Over the years, I have learned and relearned certain leadership and motivational techniques acquired in these positions and came to appreciate that motivation plays a key role. In the military, leadership was appointed and earned over time. As an educator, I used my personal struggles and stories of resilience as a motivational tool for my students. Now working in big law, I have been faced with the greatest challenge of all, the burnt-out attorney. In the following article, we will explore three leadership theories that are very useful in big law, which are: Vroom's theory of effort leads to performance, the human drive theory, and meaningful work theory. I will also give examples of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP. has managed to utilize these theories in practice.  

Leadership theories for big law.
A strong leader will encourage others by recognizing certain basic emotional needs (Lee & Raschke, 2016).  This is important because emotional well-being is a critical component in our wellness program at Gibson Dunn. Employees are motivated by the drive to acquire, bond, comprehend, and defend.  This is known as the "human drive" theory (Lee & Raschke, 2016). This theory of leadership speaks to me the most as a Chief Wellness Officer because emotional distress plays a high role in job dissatisfaction in big law (Skead et al., 2018). Another theory that resonates in attorney well-being is the concept that if one perceives their work as meaningful, they will have a healthy relationship with their work (Van Wingerden & Van der Stoep, 2018). This is important because there are many practices in law, including corporate, litigation, criminal, real estate, and many more. This is a theory that has been used as a leader in big law by placing employees in positions and departments that best fit their desires. Another leadership theory that closely relates to big law is Vroom's theory, which states that employee effort will lead to performance, which in turn will lead to reward (Lee & Raschke, 2016).  This coincides with the business model of billable hours in big law, which is a system that determines an associate's year-end bonus based on hours billed to clients. It is important to note that this system has caused great emotional distress for many attorneys in big law and is a common reason why associates will leave a big firm to become a salaried lawyer in a corporate setting (Parker & Ruschena, 2011). However, the attorneys that thrive in big law often exceed their billable hours due to a very competitive nature and passion for the work that they do. All of these theories are strong indicators of how a leader's focus on emotional well-being can prove to be a strong motivational force.

Applying leadership theories into practice.
The four components of the "human drive" theory is a great building block for assuring attorney well-being, so let's apply this theory to big law. The first component is the "drive to acquire," which indicates employees will often compare their salary/benefits packages to others in the same position (Nohria et al., 2008). This is important because each law firm attempts to recruit top law school graduates, and today's attorneys are not only looking at base salary but also wellness benefits (Reed et al. 2016). At our firm, we have rolled out a multifaceted wellness program that satisfies all components of well-being (physical, mental, emotional). Our benefits package at Gibson Dunn includes; concierge medical services, unlimited wellness coaching, virtual counseling, and much more. This is an example of how I was able to use the leadership theory of "human drive" without the knowledge of its existence when rolling out the wellness initiative in our firm.

The second component is the drive to bond, which indicates that an employee will have positive emotional well-being if they are proud to be a part of the organization (Nohria et al., 2008). This is why it is very important for a big law firm to be involved in pro bono cases that improve and uplift the community (Twomey & Corker, 2008). This is why Gibson Dunn invests $100 million in pro bono cases every year, including the DACA program and first amendment rights cases. As a result, there is a great sense of pride for not only the attorneys that were part of our pro bono efforts but also for the legal staff. These pro bono cases also satisfy the third drive, which is the drive to comprehend. The drive to comprehend indicates that employees are motivated when the work that they do is meaningful and contributes to society (Nohria et al., 2008). This shows a parallel with human drive theory and Van Wingerden & Van der Stoep's argument that meaningful work leads to a healthy relationship with one's occupation (2018). This is why it is important to highlight the good that we do at Gibson Dunn with our pro bono efforts through our communications department.

The final drive is to defend, which highlights the importance of equity and fostering a community of non-judgment (Nohria et al., 2018). If the drive to defend is satisfied, employees will feel safe and comfortable, whereas if this drive is not met- there will be emotional distress (Lee & Raschke, 2016). At Gibson Dunn, our leadership has gained the trust of the professional staff through transparency, especially during the 2020 pandemic. For example, our Executive Director would broadcast a report to every staff member on Mondays indicating the firm's performance. This display of true leadership ensured our staff that the firm was stable and even motivated our team to have a record year of earnings in 2020. Another result of this coincides with Vroom's theory that effort led to performance (Lee & Raschke, 2016) when every staff member received a special bonus in January 2021 due to their efforts in our record year.

Conclusion
Leadership training is very common in the military and corporate setting. It is very important for a leader to develop motivational skills in order to protect emotional well-being in the corporate setting. Joan Marques indicates that individuals who are placed in leadership roles develop and refine qualities of values, ethics, integrity, honesty, and truth, forgiveness, courage, love, and deep listening (2010). This shows that leadership is something that we can develop over time with proper training and a genuine desire to be in that role. One way to set up leaders in big law for success is to teach three leadership theories; Vroom's theory of effort leads to performance, the human drive theory, and meaningful work theory. 

References
Lee, M., & Raschke, R. (2016). Understanding employee motivation and organizational performance: Arguments for a set-theoretic approach.
    Journal Of Innovation & Knowledge, 1(3), 162-169. doi: 10.1016/j.jik.2016.01.004
Marques, J. (2010). Awakened leaders: born or made?. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 31(4), 307-323.
    doi: 10.1108/01437731011043339
Nohria, N., Groysberg, B., & Lee, L. (2008). Employee motivation: A powerful new model.  Harvard Business Review, 86(7/8), 78-83.
Parker, C., & Ruschena, D. (2011). The Pressures of Billable Hours: Lessons from a Survey of  Billing Practices Inside Law Firms. SSRN  
    Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1790082
Reed, K., Bornstein, B., Jeon, A., & Wylie, L. (2016). Problem signs in law school: Fostering attorney well-being early in professional training.
    International Journal Of Law And Psychiatry, 47, 148-156. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2016.02.019

​Recap of Fireside Chat: AAPI - Asian Hate

Angela Tyson
DC Office Administrator, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP

John Yang, President and Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), presented an insightful look into the very recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.  He provided an in-depth peek into his life as Asian American immigrant and how the hate crimes have affected him personally and his family.  He was extremely transparent in sharing his story of being an undocumented immigrant and the stigma that goes along with it.  John also shared his thoughts on the myth of the model minority and perpetual foreigner stereotypes that have followed him, working in corporate America as a Partner at a law firm, General Counsel for a manufacturing plant in China and a civil rights activist.  
 
Ally– what is it and are you one?  John shared how being an ally can be as simple as having a discussion such as the Fireside Chat or being bolder, by standing up for a friend who is being challenged regarding where they are “really” from. No act is too small. 
 
In response to the rise in Anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment, Hollaback has partnered with Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) to adapt free bystander intervention training, as well as offering a de-escalation training adapted to support the AAPI community. To meet this moment and offer trainings to communities nationwide, we are now also partnered with Asian American Advancing Justice| Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago. Hollaback! Free Bystander Intervention Training (ihollaback.org)
 
The Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation has been documenting hate crimes and hate incidents since 2017 at www.StandAgainstHatred.org, which is available in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
 
If you were unable to attend the event on June 10th, the recorded video can be found here: https://vimeo.com/561516926.  

The Changing Structure in the Workplace Post Covid ​

Joanna Davis
Managing Director, Legal Placements, Inc.

The start of the year 2021 is fortunately better than 2020.  Individuals are now getting vaccinated, the number of Covid cases are decreasing daily, and health guidelines have relaxed.  We are now entering a promising phase.  Employers continue to monitor this fluid situation so they can best determine when they may safely reopen their offices and what a re-opening may look like in the post-Covid world. 

Depending on total staff and office space, some firms have begun a soft re-opening with a hybrid model of in-office and remote work. Some firms are attempting to decrease their overhead by allowing 100% remote work.  This mixed workspace landscape is very attractive to employees and potential candidates.  It is on the forefront of what employees are seeking and can weigh substantial in the decision to remain with an employer with a remote work policy or elect to leave a position for a more flexible work model.  A partially remote work policy translates to flexibility and the work-life balance employees are seeking in a post-pandemic world.  In a recent Harris Poll survey, 40% of Americans prefer to work from home full-time compared with 35% who want a home-office hybrid and 25% who want to return to the office full time(1).  Some may view this information as a blueprint for what an employer may need to establish to remain competitive in the workplace to attract top talent.  

Even before the pandemic the concept of some form of a remote work option was moving to the forefront in many industries.  While an agile work environment was often an anomaly in the legal industry, the past year has certainly changed the landscape.  As employees have successfully supported their respective timekeepers or departments, the request to continue with the model is high on the list preferences for candidates.  A hybrid structure could be mutually beneficial for both the employers and employees – it would offer the flexibility the employees are seeking and enhance company culture and foster engagement which is often a priority for employers.   

In the staffing industry, recruiters learn not only about a candidate’s work history, job responsibilities, and core competencies, conversations with talent also provide insights into what may be important outside the scope of the position and compensation.  Consistently, a common denominator among candidates at various position levels revolves around some form of remote work option.  

In the fall of 2020, Jayleen Quevedo, Staffing Coordinator from Legal Placements, Inc., did a virtual presentation session on “Recruiting Post Covid” for the Capital Chapter HR Community.  While the various topics revolving around recruiting and hiring trends were shared, one of the areas highlighted was the shift in candidate priorities, noting stability, remote work, and firm inclusion as items high on their list.  As the return-to-work journey begins in a post-Covid world, these three items remain at forefront for many in the workforce.  The shift in the work paradigm continues to evolve and integrating a remote work model of some form seems to be essential, although the specifics on how this may be carried out is not a “one-size fits all” model.

Looking back over the last 14 months many referred to Covid and the change in our personal and professional lives as the “new normal.”  The workplace is now facing yet another “new normal” with the dynamics of the work environment evolving to possibly include a work from home model.   Much like Covid, this remote work concept for both employers and employees is fluid and the model may further develop as we all continue to navigate through the waters and adjust expectations as the course of action is charted. 


1 USA Today May 19, 2021 The DNA of work has changed:  Many Americans want to keep working from home after the Covid-19 crisis passes

The History of Pride Month and the First Pride Parades

Angela Tyson
DC Office Administrator, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP
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Pride Month occurs to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. As a result, many pride events are held during this month to recognize the impact LGBTQIA+ people have had in the world.

The Stonewall Riots weren’t the first time that LGBTQ+ people stood up against police harassment — before Stonewall, there was a riot in Los Angeles at Cooper Do-Nuts, and in San Francisco at Compton’s Cafeteria. But Stonewall is the best known and led to the creation of what we know as Pride today.

It started with a police raid on a hot summer night in Greenwich Village. Cops stormed the Stonewall Inn, arresting patrons and forcing them into waiting for police vehicles. But a nearby crowd grew restless and angry, and eventually someone — there’s debate over who — started whipping onlookers into fighting back. They pelted the police, forcing homophobic cops to retreat, and aggressive street confrontations continued over the next few nights.

Following the Stonewall Riots, organizers wanted to build on that spirit of resistance. The following year, they organized a march to Central Park and adopted the theme of “Gay Pride” as a counterpoint to the prevailing attitude of shame. That march down Christopher Street soon expanded to other cities, with many more joining in year over year through the 1970s until Pride became the massive celebration that we know today.

Today many firms have embraced Pride month and used it as a means to celebrate the rich diversity that exists within our firms.
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Happy Pride Month to all!
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FACT!:
​Progress Rainbow
Designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018, it adds five new colors to emphasize progress around inclusion. The flag includes black and brown stripes to represent people of color, and baby blue, pink and white, which are used in the Transgender Pride Flag.

June 2021 Diversity Observances

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, established to recognize the impact that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on the world. LGBT groups celebrate this special time with pride parades, picnics, parties, memorials for those lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS, and other group gatherings. The last Sunday in June is Gay Pride Day.

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, established in June 2014, gives people across the United States an opportunity to annually explore their own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity that forms the unique story of America. It celebrates immigrants across the United States and their contributions to their local communities and economy.

Click here to view the full list of June 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.

Contact:  Amy Walkowiak (Chair), awalkowiak@perkinscoie.com; Emmanuel Adedigba (Co-Chair), EAdedigba@zuckerman.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: Denise Verdesoto (Chair), deniseverdesoto@eversheds-sutherland.com; Angela Tyson (Co-Chair), atyson@axinn.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: Herb Abercrombie Jr. (Chair), HAbercrombie@jenner.com; Valerie Williamson (Co-Chair), vwilliamson@foleyhoag.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: Starr Pratt (Chair), spratt@ftlf.com; Lodora Barnes (Chair), lbarnes@sheppardmullin.com
Listserv: branch@lists.alacapchap.org and smallfirm@lists.alacapchap.org
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Legal Operations
The members of the Legal Operations 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:  Janelle E. Rynes (Chair), janelle.rynes@arentfox.com; Giovanni DiLuca (Co-Chair), gdiluca@zuckerman.com;
Listserv: legalops@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: Brenda Simoes (Chair), bsimoes@reedsmith.com;  Julie Hooper (Co-Chair), jhooper@gibsondunn.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: Ana Sobalvarro (Chair), asobalvarro@bomcip.com;  Catalina Mejia (Co-Chair), cmejia@wiley.law
Listserv: nextgen@lists.alacapchap.org