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The Bridge
PLDIC News and Resources
August 5, 2020

Moving Pittsburgh's Legal Community Forward, Together
Towards a Culture of Inclusion
Launches September 15 with Ritu Bhasin
Ritu Bhasin, a global leader in diversity, equity and inclusion programming, will launch the PLDIC’s ten-month series of programs entitled Towards a Culture of Inclusion with two dynamic virtual programs on September 15:

Session #1:
  • As A Leader, How You Can Create A More Inclusive — and Productive — Workplace - 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Ritu will explain how racial bias lives in the bodies and minds of all of us and offer specific behaviors our leaders can employ to be more racially inclusive in how they live, work and lead.

Session #2:
  • The Internalization of Racial Bias; What Happens in the Workplace - 1-3 p.m.
Ritu will explore the neuroscience of how racial bias and trauma are linked and outline practical strategies to allow our diverse lawyers to thrive both personally and professionally.
 
Bhasin has both an LLB and an MBA and spent ten years in one of Canada’s preeminent law firms as both a litigator and a director of legal talent, before founding bhasin consulting inc. 
Reminder for Member Leadership:
Over the next few weeks, Coalition Executive Director Susan Yohe will be reaching out to our members’ managing partners and general counsel to get their input before we put the final touches on Towards a Culture of Inclusion. Be on the lookout for an email from Susan to set up a call if you are the leader of one of our member firms or law departments.
PLDIC Welcomes New Member Porter Wright
The Firm is the 34th Member to Join the Coalition

Porter Wright opened its Pittsburgh office in 2017 and is led by Timothy D. Gallagher, partner-in-charge. Porter Wright “strives each day to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture at Porter Wright and in the business community as a whole."

Read more
pghlegaldiversity.org
Coalition to Highlight Diverse-Owned Businesses
One of the ways to support Pittsburgh’s diverse entrepreneurs is to patronize their businesses. The Coalition will highlight a number of such businesses in our newsletter, on our website, and on our social media pages over the coming weeks. If you have one you would like to recommend, please let us know by emailing us or filling out the survey below. 
Diverse-Owned Business Recommendations
Below is our first business, recommended by K&L Gates attorney and co-chair of our Community Building Committee, Michael Komo, who said:

“When you go to Studio Raw Elite, you are not just getting great hair; you are getting stylists who care. The quality of the haircut brought me there, but the community environment kept me there.”
Studio Raw Elite, Co-Owned by Dan Burda
"Standing in unison, we can help make it a better world."

Studio Raw Elite was created to make people feel welcome, accepted, and beautiful, while taking them away from the daily stresses and struggles of life. Learn more about this diverse-owned business and how you can support it.

Read more
pghlegaldiversity.org
"Woke-Washing" Your Company Won't Cut It

This article in the Harvard Business Review suggests the involvement of leadership is one of the keys to positive change. It also suggests patronizing diverse businesses.

Read more
hbr.org
Before We Can Change, We Have to Look Reality in the Eye
America's Cities Are Staggeringly Unequal

In every major American metropolitan area, huge gaps still separate white people and people of color. “No place is actually doing well. Even the best performers have racial inequities that are unconscionable,” said PolicyLink's Sarah Treuhaft.

Read more
www.theatlantic.com
One Study Finds Pittsburgh Last in Measures Reflecting Black Advancement
What Will it Take for the Country to Heal? Bryan Stevenson Answers This Question in Podcast Interview
Bryan Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and a MacArthur genius. He is the author of Just Mercy — which was recently turned into a feature film in which Stevenson was played by Michael B. Jordan. In a recent interview with Ezra Klein, Stevenson discusses what it would take for the country to heal. His answer: look reality in the eye, learn the history, and engage with the worst as well as the best of our country.
Speaking of Race…

Resources for Those Seeking a Jump on
Upcoming Conversations on Race
In a way, Towards a Culture of Inclusion could be thought of as one long, extended conversation on race. More specifically, it will host several conversations on race throughout the series. But there’s no reason to wait to think about and talk about one of the most important issues confronting our society today.  An outstanding place to start:
Since opening its doors in September 2016, the Museum (the 19th of the Smithsonian Institution) has found “the number one question people ask us is how to talk about race.”

You may also want to check out member Reed Smith's podcast, Inclusivity Included: Powerful personal stories.
Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival is Live!
The Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival is now live, streaming 57 films from 17 counties until August 30! The Festival provides filmmakers, actors, and storytellers of diverse backgrounds with a place to showcase their voices, creating a true multicultural experience as presented by the world’s independent film community. Discount code for members to stream films throughout the festival: pghlegaldiversity
Annual Lavender Law Conference
The 2020 Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair will be held virtually this year.
Mitigating the Impact of Implicit Bias on Legal Practice
Duquesne University's Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law will present Mitigating the Impact of Implicit Bias on Legal Practice on Tuesday, August 18 from 9-11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Coalition ED Susan Yohe will be among the panelists featured to discuss the psychology and legal influence of implicit bias while offering practical, field-tested strategies for mitigating its impact on our criminal and civil systems of justice. This program is approved by the Pennsylvania CLE Board for two hours of ethics CLE credit.
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