Last year, we bowled - this year, we golf! It's not too late to join us at our Members Holiday Party, tomorrow, December 7 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Puttery Pittsburgh. The event will be casual dress and a fun opportunity to celebrate, network, and play a round of mini-golf with fellow PLDIC members. Please feel free to stop by for part - or all - of the party! Hope to see you there! Please register in advance.

Make sure that you're following our social media accounts for the fastest way to hear about new events coming up in 2024! You can also check our website calendar for the latest updates.

Over 60 people (including representation from nearly half of member organizations) gathered for the PLDIC’s 2023 Annual Members Meeting on November 15 at K&L Gates Center. Members heard from Executive Director Ena Lebel about the PLDIC’s 2023 accomplishments and 2024 goals and objectives, from Board Chair Eric Cottle on the state of the Coalition, and updates from Young Professional Advisory Board Chair Bryant Andrews and our three committees. The second annual “PLDIC Volunteer of the Year” award was also presented to Rebeca Himena Miller of Leech Tishman. New this year, several member organizations provided testimonials about the impact that PLDIC membership has had on their organizations. Board elections were also held at the meeting.

The Coalition presented the 2023 Volunteer of the Year Award at the Annual Members Meeting. The Award was created to honor a member employee who went above and beyond in their volunteer efforts. Congratulations to Rebeca Himena Miller, associate at Leech Tishman.

“Rebeca is someone who I can call upon for any event, any panel presentation, any mentoring opportunity, any form of support – and she always say yes! Rebeca is a true ambassador of PLDIC and of our mission and a dedicated volunteer,” said PLDIC Executive Director Ena Lebel.

"Anyone can reserve up to an hour during the week to attend a PLDIC event (whether virtual or in-person). The point is involving yourself in real time conversations about the issues facing our community," said Rebeca.

Interested in joining a PLDIC Committee in the new year? Learn more about our committees, and reach out to a committee chair below to learn more and be added to upcoming meetings.

Kelsey Currie, MSA (new chair)

Nick Bell, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney (new co-chair)

Chris Verdini, K&L Gates (new co-chair)

Thank you to Rosa Copeland Miller, FedEx Ground, and Jessica Gangjee, K&L Gates, co-chairs who are stepping down at the end of 2023.

Krista Staley, Crown Castle

Please note: the December Brave Space/Self-Care series. Yoga with Jacquelin Walker, has been rescheduled for January. Look for more information soon.

Our November session of the Community Building Committee's Brave Space/Self-Care series featured a lively discussion about recent in-office mandates by many employers, and research showing that these mandates may have a disparate impact on people of color, people with disabilities, and working parents, among others. Check out some resources on this topic from recent PLDIC presenter Lily Zheng.

On October 25 and again on November 29, the PLDIC hosted interactive sessions at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania as part of our new Legal Career Pathways Program. These sessions provide an opportunity for teens to learn from our diverse legal community about pathways to the legal profession. Thank you to Bryant Andrews, Kimberly Bennett, Devon Ferris, Lena Bryan Henderson, Erin Ickes, Judge Nicola Henry-Taylor, and Kellie Ware for participating in these recent sessions.

In this article, a survey said that legal departments want diversity in their outside attorneys but are inconsistent in setting expectations. It also indicated that in-house lawyers want law firms to provide diverse associates more opportunities to interact with clients in low-pressure settings. The PLDIC's Corporate Roundtable Program is working to resolve these issues by holding collaborative discussions about best practices, tools, and programs to source diverse outside counsel and to enhance the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of our law firm members.

Congratulations to the three PLDIC members organizations that recently achieved 2023 Mansfield Certification: MSA, PNC, and U.S. Steel. Designed by Diversity Lab, this "structured certification process helps ensure that everyone has a fair and equal opportunity to advance into leadership in legal departments and on their outside counsel teams."

The PLDIC hosted another panel about the importance of mentoring and networking on November 7 at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University. Thanks to everyone who attended (including Susan Yohe PLDIC scholar Eva Morgan), and to our panelists: Derrick Maultsby, Erin Ickes, and Corey Stanford!

Kenji Yoshino presented to the PLDIC in 2021 as part of our "Towards a Culture of Inclusion" program about the phenomenon known as "covering" - downplaying known disfavored identities to fit into mainstream corporate cultures. Take a look at this new report further exploring the ways and extent to which US workers “cover." You can also read more about covering in our resources from Kenji's event with the Coalition: