Moving Pittsburgh's Legal Community Forward, Together

As employees and law students of our member organizations, please take a few moments to participate in our “PLDIC Member Check In” survey. It’s fast, confidential, and should only take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Your feedback is essential to us – your answers will help direct the PLDIC on how we can best serve your organization moving forward and ensure that our programs, events, initiatives, and resources are valuable to you! Please submit your answers by February 14. Should you wish to provide additional feedback, please contact our Executive Director, Ena Lebel.

Don't forget about the new PLDIC Job Board, launched by our recruitment committee! Legal job seekers interested in working in Pittsburgh are encouraged to browse and apply for the many great opportunities already listed! While you're looking, be sure to sign up to receive jobs alerts specific to your interests so you'll be the first to know when a new job gets posted.

The Attorney General is Pennsylvania’s top law enforcement official, with a wide range of responsibilities to protect and serve the citizens and agencies of the Commonwealth. The Attorney General is served by a staff of several hundred prosecutors, attorneys, investigators, agents and support staff in offices across the state, divided into four sections: the Criminal Law Division, the Public Protection Division, the Civil Division and the Operations Division.

“The PA Office of Attorney General is proud to join the PLDIC. Pennsylvania is rich with diversity, culture, talent, and professionalism. As a multi-functional agency with offices all over the Commonwealth, it is important that our team reflects the communities that we help and serve. We are pleased to join an organization that promotes that effort and encourages equitable and inclusive initiatives for students and members of the legal community.” – Dorene Wilbur, DEIB Specialist and Miranda Shirk, Human Resource Analyst

Left: Jacques: Right: Jacques with PLDIC Board Vice Chair and fellow ELA 2025 cohort member Tony Thompson, Dollar Bank, at the 2025 ELA Kick-Off Program and Reception on January 24.

Congratulations to the newest PLDIC scholar! Clark Hill member Jacques Moye was selected to receive a $16,000 scholarship to attend The Advanced Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy (ELA), designed for Black leaders from the Greater Pittsburgh region with demonstrated leadership and a desire to achieve professional excellence. The program began this month and runs through the end of July.

Get to know our Volunteer of the Year, Sidnee McDonald of Cozen O'Connor! Sidnee was presented with this award at the 2024 PLDIC Annual Members Meeting.

We are so grateful for the time that Sidnee and all of our other dedicated volunteers devote to the PLDIC!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Join our Young Professionals Advisory Board for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a tour of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center including its newest exhibit, “August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape.” This Black History Month event is designed to bring together lawyers and law students to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the arts and to foster connections within the Pittsburgh legal community. Event highlights:

• Reception: Enjoy a selection of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while mingling with fellow legal professionals and students.
• Museum Tour: Take a guided tour of the museum exhibit, August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape, the first-ever immersive exhibition dedicated to the life and works of August Wilson; and explore the rich history and cultural contributions of African Americans.
• Networking Opportunities: Meet and connect with peers, mentors, and leaders in the legal field. Discover how you can get involved with the Young Professionals Advisory Board and contribute to our mission of promoting diversity and inclusion.

Space is limited; please register in advance. Please contact Bryant Andrews with any questions or any special accommodation requests.

Join the PLDIC for the first event in our 2025 Brave Space/Self-Care series: "What it Means to be A Disabled Lawyer." Everyone is welcome to attend this virtual conversation, with a focus on all Pittsburgh area attorneys and law students living with a disability. Erin McCluan of McCluan Law will lead an open, honest discussion about what it means to be a lawyer with a disability; participants are encouraged to share any experiences.

Also, stay tuned for three more events to be announced in this series, which will alternate between facilitated "Brave Space" conversations about living with a disability in the legal profession and structured "Self-Care" classes focused on tools and skills to successfully navigate difficult situations at work and school. The series' goal is not only to benefit individual lawyers, but also to provide these lawyers and law students with a sense of community and improve retention rates in the Pittsburgh legal profession.

Save the date for two upcoming events (stay tuned for more details next month!):

• Trivia Night: Thursday, March 27 from 6-8 p.m. at K&L Gates
• 2025 Spring Members Meeting: Wednesday, April 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Human Engineering Research Laboratories

More than 50 guests representing 20 PLDIC member organizations enjoyed the Community Building Committee’s annual member holiday party at the Mattress Factory. Guests enjoyed free access to explore the museum’s exhibits, networking with colleagues and students, a photobooth, scavenger hunt, holiday music, appetizers/cocktails, and a grand prize drawing including three baskets valued at over $500.

Pictured (right): Barb Strnad, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote; and Kellie Ware, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, enjoy their Pittsburgh Penguins club seats at the January 11 game as 2/3 winners of prize baskets raffled at the holiday party. Thank you to all of our generous sponsors for donating such fabulous prizes!

The PLDIC understands the vital importance of homegrown legal talent. That is why we continue to prioritize partnering with youth-facing organizations and schools to deliver our Legal Career Pathways Program (LCPP).

On December 13, we participated in UPrep Middle School's Career Day with the The Pittsburgh Promise. Volunteers DeMarr Moulton and Tamara Collier, U.S. Attorney's Office; and Shanicka Kennedy, FedEx, met with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to inspire future lawyers. Groups debated candy canes versus Hershey's hot cocoa kisses.

Would you like to become more involved in our LCPP program? We are always looking for new volunteers to make an impact on Pittsburgh youth! Check out our upcoming events and reach out to Ena if you'd like to participate in one of these sessions.

Pitt names Jerry Dickinson as new law school dean

The PLDIC congratulates Dean Dickinson and welcomes him to our PLDIC Board of Directors! Thank you to former Interim Dean Mary Crossley for her time serving on the PLDIC Board.

Pitt Law Student of Color Virtual Visitation Day

February 5 from 12-2 p.m., Virtual

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s annual Student of Color Virtual Visitation Day invites recently admitted and prospective students who identify as persons of color to join them virtually for a deep dive into the high-quality JD program available at Pitt Law!

Littler Earns Equality 100 Award in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index

The Black Ceiling and Racial Discomfort and What That Means for the Legal Profession

February 20 from 5-6:30 p.m., Virtual

Join the IILP for a virtual book signing and fireside chat with author Kevin Woodson, followed by a roundtable conversation with Woodson and some of the Black lawyers who are succeeding in elite workplaces.

The Future of Civil Rights

February 26 from 1:30-2:30 p.m., Virtual

The Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging will host a conversation between Sherrilyn Ifill, one of the nation’s foremost civil rights leaders and Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law and Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. They will discuss the state of civil rights and democracy in the U.S. today, the challenges posed by the current administration, and the path forward for those who support the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Coming Soon: A more comprehensive resource guide to help navigate recent DEI changes