ACC-St. Louis Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee (D&I Committee) of the Association of Corporate Counsel - St. Louis Chapter (ACC-STL) strongly encourages all ACC-STL members to be involved in our diversity and inclusion efforts. Members are encouraged to join the D&I Committee and become active in the Bridges Group, the Social Justice Coalition, the Street Law Program, and/or the Summer Internship Program.

Recent and Upcoming Events and Opportunities

We are delighted to announce that on January 20, 2022, at the virtual ACC-STL 2022 Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Dinner, Vikas Sunkari was elected as the 2022 Chair of the D&I Committee. We look forward to his chairpersonship and thank the Immediate Past Chair, Tamee Reese, for her years of guidance and leadership. Additional events and opportunities will be scheduled throughout the year.

Vikas Sunkari

Senior Legal Counsel

SSM Health

Tamee Reese

AVP - Senior Legal Counsel

DIRECTV

Highlights for 2021

2021 Continued to Prove Challenging Due to COVID-19.

However, the D&I Committee Hosted Several Successful Events!

ACC-STL D&I Committee

and Bridges Group

Mardi Gras Happy Hour

February lived up to the Mardi Gras slogan Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the good times roll) as the D&I Committee and Bridges Group held a virtual Mardi Gras Food and Cocktail Tasting Party!

Dr. Gumbo, a history tour guide in New Orleans and guest lecturer at Tulane University, led this virtual happy hour which involved a tour of cocktails invented in New Orleans, as well as New Orleans-style dishes. The food, prepared by Graffiti Grub, was delicious! Among the favorites were Shrimp and Creamy Grits, Red Beans and Rice, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, as well as Pecan Pralines.

Guests were also delighted as a bartender from STL Barkeep taught attendees how to make five New Orleans Cocktails: Hurricanes, Brandy Crustas, Sazeracs, Roffignacs, and Absinthe Frappes

ACC-STL D&I Committee

and Bridges Group

Spring Happy Hour

On June 24, 2021, the D&I Committee and Bridges Group hosted a Happy Hour at Cantina Laredo in Clayton. Guests enjoyed summer cocktails and delicious Mexican food, live and in person! Cantina Laredo offered almost a dozen kinds of margaritas, as well as Cantina Mojitos, Prickly Pear Mules, Blood Orange Sangrias, and other Cantina Classics.

While guests enjoyed the free-flowing drinks, they reveled in being outside and seeing other ACC members, many of whom had not seen each other in well-over a year and a half!

ACC-STL D&I Committee and Bridges Group

Underground Railroad Tour

On October 16, 2021, the ACC-STL D&I Committee and Bridges Group hosted a two-hour guided shuttle tour of sites in Alton, Illinois, which are believed to be part of the Underground Railroad, led by historian J.E. Robinson. The Underground Railroad included a network of secret routes, tunnels, and safe houses established in the United States during the early and mid-19th century. Enslaved African Americans used the Underground Railroad to escape bondage into free states (including Illinois) and Canada. The enslaved who risked escape seeking freedom, and the Abolitionists and others sympathetic to the cause who aided them, are collectively referred to as the “Underground Railroad.” As many as 100,000 enslaved people are believed to have escaped via the Underground Railroad.

Attendees visited sites throughout Alton and Godfrey where escaped slaves took refuge as they worked their way to freedom more than 150 years ago. Alton’s location on the Mississippi River played a vital role in helping slaves escape to freedom from the slave state of Missouri and other states in the south to make connections in Illinois and states in the northern United States.

Underground Railroad attendees in front of church.jpg

(ABOVE) - Alton’s Union Baptist Church, founded by John Anderson, is one of the oldest Black churches in Illinois. Established in 1836, free Blacks populated Union Baptist Church. Anderson was Alton abolitionist newspaper editor Elijah P. Lovejoy’s pressman prior to Lovejoy’s death in 1837 at the hands of an anti-abolitionist mob.

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(BELOW) - Historian tour guide, J.E. Robinson, pauses in underground passageway during a tour.

(ABOVE) - Tour attendees included Board Members: Tamee Reese, Denise Whitener, Patricia Duft, and Aaron Mutnick; and committee members: Nancy Bukovic, Mike Curoe, Nancy McCahan, and Krista Peyton, as well as their guests.

Social Justice Coalition (formerly known as) the

Diversity and Inclusion Task Force

In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd and the commitment from both the ACC National and the ACC Foundation to move beyond words and take action in the face of social injustice and racial inequality, Brian Parsons, ACC-STL Chapter President, solicited volunteers to take on a more active role in promoting racial understanding and diversity as leaders within our respective organizations. Brian also reached out to the Mid-America Chapter to discuss partnering on this initiative. Members of ACC-STL answered the call and the Mid-America Chapter agreed to the partnership, thus forming the joint D&I Task Force.

The D&I Task Force quickly organized and scheduled programs based on the three program formats developed by the ACC Foundation (Courageous Conversations, Disrupting the Silence, and Stand for Change).

In June, the D&I Task Force hosted its first program, Courageous Conversations, entitled: 8 Minutes that Changed the World: How I Can’t Breathe is Encouraging Conversations in the Workplace. ACC-STL hosted its first virtual partnership event with the Mid-America Chapter, with more than 100 members in attendance. The Task Force was fortunate to have Veta Richardson, President and CEO of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), join our first ever D&I Task Force event. The Task Force invited participants to join in an open forum discussion on current events with their fellow ACC members in an effort to determine our role in defining next steps. The Task Force asked members to be prepared to share their thoughts and learn what other companies are doing or help develop ideas for individual contributions.

In July, the D&I Task Force hosted its second program, Disrupting the Silence, moderated by Amy Hunter, Global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Lotus Roots Consulting. The Task Force invited members to join an interactive session that explored how we have been socialized to be silent. This session allowed members to reflect on messages about conflict and change that may impact how we view and respond to the world around us. It provided ACC members an opportunity to be with other people that would like to move toward positive changes in our region and our workplaces.

Although not part of the D&I Task Force, the ACC-STL Pro Bono Committee hosted the third program, Stand for Change. This program presented members with Pro Bono and Voter Rights’ protection volunteer opportunities.

Additionally, in August 2020, October 2020, and January 2021, the D&I Task Force hosted Book Club discussions on White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. The discussions challenged members to be introspective while also sharing their insights and experiences as part of a productive dialogue. ACC-STL and the Mid-America Chapter alternated on the selection of the moderator, as well as who would host the event.

In 2021, the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force changed its name to the Social Justice Coalition! We’re excited about the name change as we believe that it more accurately reflects our mission and commitment to social justice issues. We have two exciting CLE programs in development. First is the Freedom Suits Memorial Project presentation by the Honorable David Mason. Judge Mason will cover the stories of African-American slaves who sued for their freedom in St. Louis courts prior to the groundbreaking Dredd Scott case. Second is a presentation by the Human Rights Commission which will focus on issues of equality in today’s environment. Finally, the Social Justice Coalition will also have two cooking events centered around different ethnic dishes. Look for all of this and more in the upcoming year.

ACC-St. Louis Volunteers

with St. Louis Public Schools and the Street Law Program

Throughout March 2021, members of the ACC-STL devoted their time and talents by pairing with KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) St. Louis High School to virtually host the Street Law program. This program advances justice through classroom and community education programs that empower society's most vulnerable people with the legal knowledge and civic skills needed to succeed as adults, combat inequality, and participate effectively in their communities.

Through their participation, students learned how to analyze evidence in a case and strategized how to use it to form an argument. Typically, after the series of classroom education and discussions, ACC-STL holds a full-day workshop. The workshop allows the students to synthesize lessons learned from the classroom visits; specifically, the students can use their new skills to negotiate, take mock depositions, and prepare for a mock trial on a wide variety of topics: Contracts, Employment, and Intellectual Property. Also, during the full-day workshop, students have the opportunity to have lunch with ACC-STL members and other members from the St. Louis legal community.

Unfortunately, we were again limited with regard to in-person participation due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.

"Even though the program was virtual, the volunteers were able to provide students with a meaningful opportunity to learn about being an in-house attorney and different aspects of the law that our members see on a daily basis,” said Geoffrey Grammar, Corporate Counsel at Ameren. “We are hopeful that we will be able to hold this program in person this Spring."

While the workshop may have been cancelled, volunteers were able to virtually participate in classroom sessions and connect with students from KIPP schools, all of whom thoroughly enjoyed the Street Law Program.

The 2021 Summer Diversity Internship Program

The D&I Committee hosted its 9th Summer Diversity Internship Program through which the D&I Committee accepts applications from students of Washington University School of Law, Saint Louis University School of Law, University of Missouri School of Law, and Southern Illinois University School of Law, and pairs the interns with corporations in the greater Saint Louis community for a summer internship. In 2021, the D&I Committee was able to place 11 law students for internships at: Ameren (2 interns), AT&T, Bunzl, Charter, Emerson, ICL Group, MiTek, Rabo Diversified Services, Washington University, and Wells Fargo.

Additionally, the D&I Committee pairs each intern with an ACC-STL member at a different corporation than the one at which the intern is working, who mentors the intern throughout the summer (and sometimes beyond). All interns participated in various educational, training, and social activities throughout the summer. While all gained legal knowledge, valuable networking skills, and connections as a result of their participation in the internship program, some of the 2021 summer interns have been able to obtain employment opportunities for the following summer as a result of their participation in the program.

ACC-STL’s 2021 Summer Interns:

Maria Villegas Bravo is a 2L at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (WashU). She graduated with honors from the University of Texas, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology. While at the University of Texas, Maria participated in the Archer Fellowship Program where undergraduate students live, learn, and work in Washington, D.C. for a semester to learn about public policy and get hands-on experience in the Nation’s Capital. Maria is currently a staff editor on the WashU Global Studies Law Review and is writing her note on the use of facial recognition technology in the EU. This summer, Maria was an intern for AT&T, where she was able to work with attorneys in various practice areas. Some of her projects included drafting a memo on the Missouri Human Rights Act, learning about the Telephone Consumer Protection Act compliance, updating an internal policy, and assisting with the DIRECTV close through contract review.

Jada Flynn is a 2L at Saint Louis University School of Law. Jada attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH where she majored in Psychology and had dual minors in Spanish and Gender & Diversity Studies. While at Xavier, she conducted individual research and presented it at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference. Jada was also a research assistant for the Psychology Department. Jada is currently on the trial advocacy team at Saint Louis University through the Black Law Student Association. This summer, Jada was an intern for Rabo Diversified Services where she worked on a variety of projects with a primary focus on privacy law.

Joshua Johnson is a 2L at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. Joshua attended Lindenwood University, where he graduated with a degree in History and a minor in Criminal Justice. While at Lindenwood, he was captain of the Mock Trial Team and a student representative of the Criminal Justice Student Association. Joshua also worked as a research assistant researching with the United States Probation and Parole Office in the Eastern District of Missouri. This school year, he participated in Moot Court and is currently working on research regarding E-Discovery. This past summer, Joshua was an intern for Wells Fargo, where he worked with attorneys in various roles within the legal department.

Erich J. Kaletka is a 2L at Washington University School of Law. Before law school, Erich attended Kenyon College and graduated with a degree in History. He also spent two years working as a legal assistant in the litigation department at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York City. At WashU, Erich is Co-President of OUTLaw and serves on the board of the Tech & Privacy Law Society. Last summer, he interned at Ameren where he had a fantastic experience learning about the variety of roles corporate counsel can play at a regulated utility.

Justin McPherson is a 2L at Saint Louis University School of Law. He is a native of St. Louis and graduated from Lafayette High School. Justin attended the University of Central Missouri, where he majored in Criminal Justice. Justin served as a peace officer for UCM’s Department of Public Safety for two years after graduating from Basic Academy. In addition, Justin was a regular volunteer at his college campus’s food pantry, and he managed audio and sound for the Baptist Student Union worship team. At SLU Law, Justin is a teaching fellow for the first-year students, and he is a Big Brother mentor for the Black Law Student Association. This past summer, Justin worked for Bunzl USA’s legal department, where he learned about Mergers & Acquisitions and data privacy. Justin worked on a variety of projects, including an internal employment audit, revising a tenant estoppel certificate, and drafting memoranda related to pending litigation against companies being auctioned for sale.

Mack Miner is a 2L at Saint Louis University School of Law. He attended Illinois State University where he earned a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies. After graduation, Mack moved to New Orleans to work with the AmeriCorps' City Year, serving over 1,700 hours of community service for the City of New Orleans. While at SLU Law, Mack has served as Secretary of the Tax Law Club and earned a staff member position on the school's Law Journal. This past summer Mack had the opportunity to intern with ICL Group. At ICL, Mack gained valuable in-house experience working alongside the corporate, litigation, and compliance teams.

Abhi Nair is a 2L at Saint Louis University School of Law with an interest in corporate health law and pursing a health law concentration. Abhi attended the University of Texas at Dallas where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a minor in Criminology. While at UTD he was a founding father and recruitment chair for the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. Although he left Dallas for St. Louis to continue his education, he is still an ardent Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks fan. Abhi currently serves as the Student Bar Association Representative for SLU Law’s Asian American Law Student Association, as well as the Diversity Chair for the Student Bar Association. This summer, Abhi was the first Legal and Compliance Intern for MiTek, where he rotated within Mitek’s legal department and worked with attorneys from various practice areas including data privacy and M&As.

Alexa Belancourt-St. Julien is a 2L at University of Missouri School of Law. Alexa attended the University of Missouri where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science. While at Mizzou, Alexa worked as a research assistant for the Emergency Department of the University Hospital. She also worked as a residential advisor, campus tour guide, and treasurer of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Alexa currently serves as the treasurer of Mizzou Law’s American Constitutional Society and clerks for a local multi-practice law firm in Columbia. This summer, Alexa was an intern for Ameren, where she was able to rotate within Ameren’s legal department and learn about energy and environmental law.

Zara Saiyed is a 2L at the University of Missouri School of Law. Zara attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. During her undergraduate career, she was a part of the Lawson Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta and maintained a part-time job at the University’s library. In 2019, she also worked in-person as a legal assistant at a plaintiffs’ firm in her hometown of Chicago and continues to work remotely when possible. This past summer, Zara interned at Charter Communications, where she contributed legal research and analyses to Charter’s multi-billion dollar rural broadband expansion initiative among other projects. Currently, Zara serves as the Academic Chair of the Asian American Law Students Association and is a member of both the Lawson Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta and the Women’s Law Association.

Matthew Warren is a 2L at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He graduated cum laude from Butler University in Indianapolis where he double majored in Biology and Spanish. While at Butler, Matt was his Class President, Head Orientation Coordinator, Co-President of Homecoming, Vice President of the Inter-fraternity Council, and Vice President of Butler University Dance Marathon. While in college, he also worked as a campus tour guide and as a server. Currently, Matt is the President of the Association for Intellectual Property Law, Associate Member of the Missouri Law Review, Student Bar Association Class Officer, and a Mizzou Law Student Ambassador. This past summer, Matt interned at Washington University in St. Louis where he worked with various attorneys on different projects across the University’s Office of General Counsel. Matt particularly enjoyed working with the Washington University Physicians, Innovative Research Intellectual Property projects, and discovering the plethora of legal problems and solutions that come with Higher Institution Learning.

Sarah Zanola is a 2L at Washington University School of Law. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Finance and a B.S. in Political Science. While at The Ohio State University, Sarah was the treasurer of a student run non-profit, Camp Kesem, a Resident Advisor, and a Constituent Aide at the Ohio House of Representatives. Sarah currently serves as the treasurer for the Latinx American Law Student Association and will be clerking in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois next semester. This summer, Sarah was an intern for Emerson, where she was able to rotate within the legal department and work with attorneys from various practice areas.

2021 Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Achievements

While Covid-19 continued to put a damper on the D&I Committee’s events in 2021, the D&I Committee was able to advance the objective of increasing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and achieved the following goals: (1) assisted in cultivating inclusive in-house legal environments through placement of 11 summer interns at Member Companies; (2) recognized, supported and enhanced diversity efforts of ACC-STL Member Companies where appropriate and feasible; and (3) engaged ACC-STL membership in D&I Committee diversity and inclusion efforts.

The D&I Committee extends its appreciation to Chair Tamee Reese, and committee members Geoff Grammer, Mimi MacDonald, Nancy McCahan, Lisa Savoy, Vikas Sunkari, Denise Whitener, the ACC-STL Chapter Administrator, Sue Wagner, and the Diversity and Inclusion Sponsor—Thompson Coburn, as well as members of the ACC-STL community, without whom these events would not have been possible.

The D&I Committee encourages all ACC-STL members to actively participate in the numerous activities that it will host in 2022 to help foster a diverse and inclusive legal community. To express interest in joining the committee, please contact Vikas Sunkari or Sue Wagner.