The Bridge
PLDIC News and Resources
September 23, 2020

Moving Pittsburgh's Legal Community Forward, Together
Last Call to Sign Up for Diversity Ally Training
Registration Closes Sept. 30 and Ally-Ready Training Begins in October
Especially in environments with little diversity, allies play a crucial role in creating inclusive workplaces, according to well-known diversity, equity, and inclusion expert Ritu Bhasin. Almost 40 people have already signed up to participate in the PLDIC’s Ally-Ready Training Program and registration will remain open until September 30. The first small group meetings will take place in October.
First Program in the TACOI Series Well-Attended and Well-Received
Follow-Up Resources Now Available; Survey Still Active
About 140 people from over 40 legal organizations attended the first two sessions in the PLDIC’s Towards a Culture of Inclusion (TACOI) series, both held on September 15. The morning program, entitled As an Ally, How Can You Interrupt Bias in the Workplace, was presented by Bhasin speaking to us from Toronto. One attendee described it as “perfect.” In the afternoon, lawyers identifying as Black, Indigenous, or other Person of Color attended a second session, also conducted by Bhasin, entitled The Internalization of Bias, What Happens in the Workplace. One attendee found it “exactly what I needed,” describing it as “clearly not my usual zoom meeting.”

Follow-up resources provided by Bhasin were sent to everyone who signed up for the two sessions and are available on the PLDIC website. An additional resource is provided by Helen Sobolik who, after hearing Bhasin emphasize the importance of being mindful of our biases, offered this link to a guided meditation entitled See Through Unconscious Bias.

To all who attended, thank you! And don’t forget to fill out your survey!
Register Now for the Next Program in the Towards a Culture of Inclusion Series
First Conversation on Race to be Held October 14
The first of three conversations on race that will be held in conjunction with the TACOI series will look at the experience of race outside our workplaces, that is, in our communities. The program, to be held on October 14 from 8:30-10 a.m., will include a presentation on the 2019 Report on Pittsburgh’s Inequality Across Gender and Race by its lead author and the Executive Director of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission; a panel of individuals sharing their personal experiences of race; and opportunities for everyone attending to join in the discussion in several “chats” throughout the webinar.
For those of you who have signed up for our Ally-Ready certification program, this session is considered a CONVERSATION ON RACE.
Two New Leaders Join PLDIC Board
The PLDIC welcomes Frances Woodward (left) and Tishekia Williams (right) to its Board of Directors. Frances is the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Gateway Health and Tishekia is the Director, Regulatory Legal at Duquesne Light Company. They will each serve three-year terms. At the September 15 meeting of the PLDIC, the members also re-elected three directors to their second three-year terms: Peter Russ, Managing Shareholder of the Pittsburgh office of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney; Joseph Milcoff, Vice President of Litigation and Risk at FedEx Ground; and Jennifer S. Park, Shareholder/Director and Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Denton’s Cohen & Grigsby.
Robin DiAngelo Conversation Still Available
You can still access Robin DiAngelo, the author of White Fragility; Why White People Find it So Hard to Talk about Race, in conversation with Dr. Valerie Kinloch, Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, presented by the Pittsburgh Arts & Lecture series.
It’s Hispanic Heritage Month
PLDIC to Mark Month with Hispanic and Latinx Profiles
Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, celebrates the contributions of 60 million Hispanic and Latinx Americans to American culture and society. Throughout this month, the PLDIC will feature profiles of our Hispanic and Latinx lawyers on our website and on social media. Wondering why the month begins on September 15?
Our First Hispanic Heritage Month Profile: Vanessa Griffith

Vanessa is Chair of the ACBA’s Hispanic Lawyers Committee and an attorney and Operations Director at Justice at Work (Pittsburgh Office). "There is a community of Hispanic and Latinx attorneys in Pittsburgh who are always willing to offer support."

Read more
pghlegaldiversity.org
Black-owned Bookstore Catches Oprah’s Eye
Now It’s Featured in The Bridge!
First, Lea Bickerton’s Tiny Bookstore made Oprah’s list of 125 Black-owned bookstores that amplify the best in Black literature.  

Then, Tony Norman piled on with a great article in the Post-Gazette.

Now, the PLDIC wants to get involved and feature this Ross book store which doubles as a law office!   
Diverse-Owned Business Feature: The Tiny Bookstore

The Tiny Bookstore, located in the Pines Plaza shopping strip in the North Hills, is currently open for online orders and curbside pickup. To order, visit tinybookspgh.com

Read more
pghlegaldiversity.org
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