In collaboration with:

To learn more about the Pitch Session Network, click here.

Panel Presented by: Paul Hastings

Culture is increasingly being seen as the key differentiator for modern business. Management and organizational theorists frequently point to culture as the most pressing aspect for CEOs. Culture does eat strategy for breakfast!

Having diversity and inclusion embedded as part of the cultural fabric of an organization is also a real key to success in making meaningful strides in greater equality and inclusivity. Without cultural engagement, such activities are merely ‘window dressing’. A diverse and inclusive organization is also increasingly a key determining factor of commercial success and innovation. How do companies successfully change their cultures to be more inclusive?

This panel presented by Paul Hastings LLP aims to explore different aspects of culture change, including leadership buy in, practical steps to create initiatives, dealing with the emotional aspects of change and how to manage those. By discussing the multifaceted aspects of cultural change we aim to create a holistic picture of the different steps to change and explore how one size may not fit all organizations.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Dr. Catherine McGregor – Editor-in-Chief, Diversity & the Bar, MCCA

Panelists:

• Sheila Denton – Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Boehringer Ingelheim USA, Inc.
• Elizabeth Feeney – Assistant General Counsel, GlaxoSmithKline plc
• Pedro Pavon – Senior Managing Counsel, Oracle Corporation
• Jesse M. Price – Leader in Organizational Culture Services, Spencer Stuart

Join leaders for a discussion on the ability of modern-day athletes and employees to organize and protest. From taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem, to wearing apparel in support of Black Lives Matter, to going on strike from competition, to challenging the status quo, our panelists will explore how conflicts between players’ rights and restrictions upon freedom of speech, corporate sponsor pressures and their organizations’ rights to manage sporting conduct and events are analogous to and no different from a corporation’s ability to create a culture of inclusion to ensure employees’ voices are heard. These industry experts will also assess strategies, as well as communications planning, for responding to potential or actual athlete or employee protests to develop a more positive and inclusive culture.

Moderator:
Blossom Kan – Assistant General Counsel, MetLife

Panelists:

• Jay Grant – Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Fusion Media Group
• Reginald Rasch – General Counsel – Head of Legal, Rakuten USA, Inc.

In collaboration with:

To learn more about the Pitch Session Network, click here.

In 2017, MCCA launched the Diversity Career Expo at our annual Creating Pathways to Diversity Conference where prospective corporate employers connected with diverse talent from all over the country while promoting their legal department as an employer of choice. It was a fantastic opportunity for prospective candidates to learn about the different corporations, conduct informational interviews and learn why our member organizations may be an Employer of Choice and the key to their career development.

Please join us again as we host the Diversity Career Expo at the 2018 Creating Pathways to Diversity Conference in New York. Please keep in mind that any meeting does not in any way imply or guarantee an interview or a position. But, it is a forum for both parties to connect and learn more about each other.

We will also be posting current job openings at Pathways on the exhibit floor, on our conference mobile app, and all participating employers will receive digital copies of the submitted resumes before the Diversity Career Expo.

Once you have registered (or if you have already registered) please submit your resume as a PDF file (last name, first name) to programs@mcca.com indicating your interest in participating in the MCCA Diversity Career Expo. The deadline for resume submissions is September 24, 2018, no later than 8pm ET. This is a strict deadline. If you do not submit your resume by the due date in the correct format noted above, your resume will not be submitted digitally to participating employers.

If you are an interested prospective corporate employer, who may or may not have a current open requisition but, would like to connect with diverse talent for current open opportunities or long term planning please contact Sophia Piliouras at spiliouras@mcca.com for more details.

LINKEDIN: PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT AND 1:1 PROFILE CONSULTATION

A headshot and professional makeup artist will be onsite at the conference to take headshots, free of charge, for all Pathways attendees.

LinkedIn will also be offering individualized profile consulting sessions, where a member of the LinkedIn team will sit down with an attendee, review their profile and offer suggestions on ways to better utilize the site and enhance personal branding.

Monday, October 1:
2:00 – 6:00pm Headshots and 1:1 Consultations

Tuesday, October 2:
8:00am – 5:00pm Headshots
9:00am – 3:30pm 1:1 Consultations

AMAZON DIVERSITY CAREER EXPO INTERVIEWS

Amazon has partnered with MCCA and will be conducting confidential interviews with qualified candidates at MCCA’s 2018 Diversity Career Expo.

*Applicants must register and attend Creating Pathways to Diversity Conference in order to be considered.
**We strongly encourage you to apply prior to September 10th to be considered for an interview at the event.

If you are interested in exploring career opportunities with Amazon Legal, please complete this form.

To accrue the dividends that diversity and inclusion (D&I) has the potential to produce, bold and inclusive leadership is required both on an individual and a systemic, organization-wide level. Diversity by itself is not enough: in today’s world leadership must recognize and understand their own biases and lead in an inclusive manner to leverage the full potential of their diverse talent. An organization with a reputation for inclusiveness becomes a magnet, attracting top diverse talent; in turn, that talent can better tap markets’ potential, whether in emerging economies or among a broader set of consumers at home.

A diverse talent mix also can spark greater creativity and propel innovation that can help organizations distance themselves from their competition. But inclusion is a challenge in itself. Even leaders who fully embrace the business case for diversity—understanding that homogeneous teams, although easier to manage, are more likely to result in “group think”—often feel unprepared to be inclusive.

The panel will discuss what it takes to be an inclusive leader, the challenges of “group think” and share findings from the MCCA/Russell Reynolds Associates Inclusion Index survey. This proprietary survey, developed with Russell Reynolds Associates, was created to help organizations assess company leadership, practices, and culture to create a baseline metric of inclusion and measure progress over time. This data will provide opportunities for us to work with leaders to share best practices and challenges in developing an inclusive workplace, so we all can #AdvanceTogether.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Cynthia Dow – Managing Director, Global Legal Practice Leader, Russell Reynolds Associates

Panelists:

• Stuart Alderoty – Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, CIT Group Inc.
• José Gonzalez – Chief Legal Officer, QBE North America
• Tina Shah Paikeday – Executive Director, Global D&I Consulting Services, Russell Reynolds Associates

Many believe they are great at building relationships but when it comes time to actually make an “Ask” — whatever that Ask may be — they often fall short. Not being able to ask for that opportunity to represent a client, go on a pitch or be considered for a promotion, leadership role or increased compensation, can significantly impede your success. At this session, you will learn how to master the art of the Ask. You will learn tips on how to make an Ask in ways that are comfortable, yet effective. You will leave this session armed with action steps and inspiration to be generous and provide value while learning to Ask for what will propel yours and other careers forward.

Moderator:
Deborah Epstein Henry – Co-Founder, Bliss Lawyers; Founder, DEH Consulting, Speaking, Writing

Panelists:

• Anne Lee Benedict – Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, Summit Materials, Inc.
• N. Cornell Boggs, III – Board Director, Thrivent Financial

Globalization is one of the most significant driving forces for business in the 21st century. What does this mean for diversity initiatives, which may be driven by the understanding and cultural norms of wherever a company’s head office is located?

In this panel and the accompanying workshop Globalization and its Impact on Cultural Diversity we will discuss issues and challenges global companies face when trying to produce a cohesive strategy that also takes into account specific cultural sensitivities.

Topics we will cover include:

• What does diversity mean in a global context?
• How do companies navigate the challenges between doing the right thing and the rule of law in specific jurisdictions?
• What are the day to day challenges faced in regards to cultural sensitivity with employees in global offices?

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Dr. Catherine McGregor – Editor-in-Chief, Diversity & the Bar, MCCA

Panelists:

• Nassib Abou-Khalil – Vice President – Global Head of Compliance – Customer Operations, Nokia Corporation
• Alex Dimitrief – Senior Vice President, GE; President & CEO, GE Global Growth Organization, General Electric Company
• Bonnie Pierson-Murphy – Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, IBM Corporation
• Vanessa Scott – Partner, Eversheds Sutherland DC

Individuals with disabilities, who comprise the largest diversity population, are also the largest untapped source of talent in our country today. More than 70 percent of people with disabilities in the United States are unemployed. For a community that represents 20 percent of the entire American population, people with disabilities are far underrepresented in the workplace—a reflection of one of the biggest problems we face in today’s society.

The number of lawyers with disabilities in the legal profession is hard to determine. Underreporting remains an obstacle to capturing reliable data for attorneys with disabilities. The Vault/MCCA survey data indicates that attorneys with disabilities represent less than 1 percent of lawyers at law firms, but a sizeable minority (approximately 30 percent of surveyed firms) still do not disclose disability information.

This panel will share their own experiences, internal and external resources, best practices and how to create an inclusive work place that will facilitate the hiring, retention and promotion of attorneys with disabilities.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Debbie Tang – Partner, Bridge Partners LLC

Panelists:

• Kareem Dale – Director & Senior Counsel, Discover Financial Services
• Samuel Krause – Counsel, Crowell & Moring LLP
• Vicki Walcott-Edim – Senior Managing Counsel, Global Employment Law, Mastercard
• Andy Yoo – Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Pearson Education, Inc.

For decades, the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession (“the Commission”) and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (“MCCA”) have worked tirelessly to combat gender and racial bias in the legal profession. Nonetheless, statistics on women’s advancement have not changed appreciably over the years. In 2016, the Commission and MCCA partnered with the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law to conduct research to understand further law firm and in-house lawyers’ experiences of bias in the workplace. This new research confirms that many of the traditional diversity tools we have relied upon over the years have been ineffective, and the findings have served as the foundation in developing the next generation of diversity tools.

The Commission, MCCA and the Center for WorkLife panelists will discuss the newly released report: You Can’t Change What You Can’t See: Interrupting Racial & Gender Bias in the Legal Profession and its proposed solutions.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Jean Lee – President & CEO, MCCA

Panelists:

• Elaine James – President, Elaine Johnson James, P.A.
• Michele Coleman Mayes – Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, The New York Public Library
• Thomas L. Sager – Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP
• Joan C. Williams – Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Center for WorkLife Law, University of California, Hastings College of the Law

Study after study has long shown that women lawyers are not paid at the same level as their male counterparts. The attrition of women from the legal profession remains disproportionately high, and a contributing factor is the gender pay gap. The pay disparity increases with seniority, as firms’ subjective decisions regarding whom to reward for the origination of business, and how much, often leave women lawyers shortchanged.

This panel will first provide an overview of new laws, pending legislation, and administrative agency actions that are making it easier for employees and government agencies to bring pay discrimination claims. We will also review trends and developments in gender discrimination and pay equity class actions impacting the legal profession directly. Finally, the panel will discuss recommended practices that can make the compensation process fairer and more transparent and create a level playing field for female and male attorneys.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Laura Maechtlen – Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Panelists:

• Naima Garvin – Counsel, Human Resources Law Group, IBM Corporation
• Anthony Sharett – Interim Bank President & SVP Legal Marketing and Emerging Businesses, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
• Annette Tyman – Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

In order to attend workshop you must attend The Globalization Challenge: How Does Diversity And Inclusion Look Around The World? panel on Oct. 2 at 10:30am. Spaces are limited.

Globalization is one of the most significant driving forces for business in the 21st century. What does this mean for diversity initiatives, which may be driven by the understanding and cultural norms of wherever a company’s head office is located?

In this workshop we will take scenarios which embody challenges that companies face in real life and use design thinking theories to brainstorm ways to come up with practical solutions.

We will also hear perspective from companies who have been grappling with these issues themselves.

Faculty:

• Dr. Catherine McGregor – Editor-in-Chief, Diversity & the Bar, MCCA
• Alexis Mendoza – Vice President, General Counsel – Nokia Software & IP/Optical Networks, Nokia Corporation

Is your legal department looking to move the needle on diversity? How can legal departments collaborate with outside counsel to ensure diverse talent is supported and provided equitable opportunities to succeed?

This panel will answer those questions and more. Clients are in the best position to influence firm diversity by requiring minority attorneys have a seat at the table, both in the courtroom and during important corporate transactions. Despite recent baring of more teeth in diversity programs, many firms and corporate legal departments run a high risk of falling prey to tokenism if those programs do not focus on developing and retaining a more robust cadre of talented, diverse lawyers. Younger attorneys only benefit from diversity programs if those programs provide them with meaningful opportunities to lead, encourage them to stay, develop their own practices through meaningful billable opportunities, and advance within their firms and the profession.

More and more leading companies have adopted diverse outside counsel hiring policies that require the company in its hiring of outside law firms to encourage those law firms to become more diverse in their ownership, hiring, promoting and/or staffing.

This panel will share their best practices and the challenges they have identified as in-house lawyers charged with implementing similar policies at their respective companies.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Megan O’Neill – Partner, Willenken Wilson Loh & Delgado LLP

Panelists:

• Barry Parsons, III – Associate General Counsel, Freddie Mac
• Ajay Patel – Associate General Counsel, Amazon Studios
• Cathy Schwamberger – Associate General Counsel, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
• Doug Smith – Director, Assistant General Counsel, Capital One

Ever wonder: “What is my LinkedIn profile conveying about me to the world?”
Or: “Why is it so easy to critique someone else’s LinkedIn profile, yet so hard to write my own profile?”

A LinkedIn profile is much more than just an “online resume.” Often, it’s the only chance you’ll have to win over a prospective client, employer, or recruiter. This program is designed specifically for diverse legal professionals. Our experts will provide you tips and simple steps to take your profile from afterthought to unforgettable.

The panel will also discuss the lessons employers, law firms, and legal departments have learned from the use of social media, specifically LinkedIn, when it comes to confidentiality and conflicts of interest. The panel will explore best practices and procedures to ensure legal compliance when posting, sharing and connecting on their platform.

Moderator:
Jaimi Kerr – Director, Employment Law, LinkedIn Corporation

Panelist:
Sarah Wight – Director, Legal – Litigation, Competition and Enforcement, LinkedIn Corporation

The #MeToo movement has sparked a national dialogue and stirred a multitude of emotions. The panel will discuss the lessons employers, law firms, and legal departments have learned in the year since the allegations regarding Harvey Weinstein gave rise to the #MeToo movement. We will also explore best practices for policies and procedures to ensure not only legal compliance, but to support a culture of inclusion through employee recruiting, mentoring, and training.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Theresa Sprain – Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP

Panelists:

• Jack Chen – Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation
• Kevin Clunis – Group Vice President, Legal & Compliance, Ross Stores, Inc.
• Sandro Garofalo – Director, Employee & Labor Relations Counsel, Target Corporation
• Samantha Grant – Partner, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States, the Mansfield Rule measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered women, LGBTQ+ and attorneys of color — at least 30 percent of the candidate pool — for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and lateral positions. The Mansfield Rule was inspired by the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which was created by the late Dan Rooney in 2003. The Rooney Rule requires every NFL team to interview at least one minority candidate for head coach vacancies.

This panel will explore how the Mansfield Rule has impacted the legal profession by changing the business as usual approach to leadership and promotion decision, boosted law firm diversity efforts and is closing the gaps between women and minorities in leadership roles in Big Law.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Trina Fairley Barlow – Partner, Crowell & Moring LLP

Panelists:

• David Douglass – Office Managing Partner, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
• Marie Ma – Senior Counsel, The Gap, Inc.
• Julie Trester – Member, Cozen O’Connor P.C.

In collaboration with:

To learn more about the Pitch Session Network, click here.

Through instruction and experiential learning participants will work together to learn skills and behaviors for building successful business relationships. Outside Counsel will have the opportunity to work in teams to develop a formal pitch from a mock RFP for legal services, which will be presented to real in-house counsel and the Blueprint coaches. In-House Counsel will learn more about best practices in assessing and retaining Outside Counsel.

This workshop is open to members-only and has max capacity of 30 participants. Non-members will be placed on a waiting list as will any other participants once we reach max capacity. Additional information and workshop materials will be provided to participants prior to the conference.

Faculty:

• William Delgado – Partner, Willenken Wilson Loh & Delgado LLP
• Ana Iacovetta – Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, VMware, Inc.
• Sophia Piliouras – President, MCCA Advisory Practice, MCCA
• Anthony Sharett – Interim Bank President & SVP Legal Marketing and Emerging Businesses, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

Kimberlee Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality posits that to be truly successful inclusion needs to consider the multiple strands of identities that are disadvantaged.

It’s very tempting for institutions and organizations to look at diversity and inclusion in terms of the different diverse groups. But intersectionality theorists argue that this approach is doomed to failure as it does not address the core causes of oppression, rather just the results.

In this panel we will discuss how intersectionality can be used in the workplace to practically assist in achieving greater inclusivity.

Topics covered will include:

• Ways to have a constructive discussion on advantage and privilege
• Examples of initiatives which address the systemic issues which affect multiple identity groups
• Initiatives which bring multiple identity groups together
• Where there is still a need for focus on the uniqueness of particular experiences and how this can work in tandem with an understanding of intersectionality.

*This CLE has been approved or has been submitted for approval for the special D&I, Elimination of Bias credit in IL, NY, CA and MN.

Moderator:
Dr. Catherine McGregor – Editor-in-Chief, Diversity & the Bar, MCCA

Panelists:

• Janice Brown – Founding Partner, Brown Law Group
• Cristina A. Carvalho – Firmwide Managing Partner, Arent Fox LLP
• Michelle Rhee – Assistant General Counsel, Wells Fargo

Panel presented by: National Association for Diversity in Compliance (NADC)

Cambridge Analytica and other recent data privacy scandals have greatly heightened public concern about potentially inappropriate use of sensitive personal data. At the same time, the European Union has completely revised its already demanding data privacy and security legislation to include new individual rights and the imposition of unprecedented obligations upon entities doing business in the EU. Now California has advanced U.S. law in the European direction with data subject rights of access, rights to block disclosure of personal data and rights to demand erasure of such data, as well as unprecedented private rights of action for data breaches. Our distinguished speakers will explore the implications of these developments for American business and offer a guide to helping organizations cope with these unprecedented changes.

Moderator:
Laura Asbury – Sr. Director, Privacy and Records Compliance, Walmart Inc.

Panelists:

• Harriet Pearson – Partner, Hogan Lovells US LLP
• Agnes Scanlan – Senior Advisor, Treliant Risk Advisors
• Harry Valetk – Of Counsel, Baker & McKenzie LLP

Panel presented by: National Association for Diversity in Compliance (NADC)

CCOs will share their insights on what are the critical skills necessary for this role, and how to develop them to effectively build a compliance department to manage risks. Within this context, CCOs will discuss the importance of developing a diverse and inclusive team and the impact of such team to manage risks.

Moderator:
Junna Ro – Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Corporate Compliance & Employment, CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer

Panelists:

• Michael Blackshear – Senior Vice President, North America Chief Compliance Officer, Chubb
• Barbara McInerney – Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, New York Life Insurance Company
• Robin Sangston – Vice President, Chief Compliance & Privacy Officer, Cox Communications, Inc.