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The Bridge
June/July 2026
| | | Moving Pittsburgh's Legal Community Forward, Together | |
Pittsburgh Legal Career Symposium for Lateral Lawyers
July 17 from 12-1:30 p.m., Virtual
| Please help us spread the word about this event to your nationwide contacts who may be interested in Pittsburgh! | |
PLDIC Family Picnic
August 30 from 12-3 p.m., Mellon Park Shelter
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Please join us for the Community Building Committee’s annual PLDIC Family Picnic on Sunday, August 30 from 12-3 p.m. We will provide the main dishes, water, and soft drinks. Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share (optional). You are also welcome to BYOB! Our picnic will be at the Mellon Park Shelter, which includes a playground and spray park. The Shelter has a parking lot or guests can alternatively park at Bakery Square and walk through Mellon Park to the shelter. Feel free to bring family and friends!
This event is open to members and nonmembers and their guests, including law students. If you haven’t been to a PLDIC event before, the picnic a great, casual opportunity to meet new friends and colleagues in the Pittsburgh legal community (or if you have, come and catch up before the summer officially ends)!
| | Apply by July 15 for the PLDIC's Young Professionals Advisory Board! | |
The Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition (PLDIC) seeks emerging attorney leaders to apply for the Young Professionals Advisory Board (YPAB). Applications must be submitted by July 15, 2026. Qualified applicants should be attorneys who have been practicing for 10 years or less, are employees of a PLDIC member organization, and have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
YPAB Member Responsibilities
YPAB Members will serve a three (3) year term and will attend board meetings every other month. The main responsibilities of the YPAB are to provide advice and suggestions to PLDIC committees and working groups on issues of particular interest to new attorneys to help inform the development of programming and resources.
How to Apply
Applications are open through July 15, 2026. Applicants will need to provide a statement of interest as well as a letter of recommendation. Additionally, the applicant’s PLDIC member employer will need to affirm their support of their candidacy with a short letter or email. Applicants will be informed of their selection by mid-August 2026 and will be expected to attend YPAB meetings starting in September 2026. Please contact Ena Lebel, PLDIC Executive Director, with any questions.
| It's Not Too Late to Join our Summer Book Club! | |
There’s still time to register for The Next Chapter for Equality, a national book club bringing legal professionals together for a meaningful, forward-looking conversation.
Participants will explore How Equality Wins by Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow, a timely and thought-provoking book that challenges conventional thinking and offers a practical framework for advancing fairness and excellence together. Whether you’re reading closely or joining the conversation along the way, the experience is designed to be flexible, accessible, and grounded in real-world application.
Live, facilitated sessions will be guided by an incredible group of leaders, including Danielle (Gilliam) Mundekis (K&L Gates), Rachel Myung (DLA Piper), Sharon Jones (Haynes and Boone, LLP), and Jenny Lee, (Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP), who will help bring these ideas to life through discussion and shared insight.
| PLDIC Susan Yohe Scholars | |
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University have named the 2026-2027 Susan Yohe Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition (PLDIC) scholars. This year’s recipients are Muhammed Tarik Kose (Drexel University ’22), Pitt Law; and Ayan Patel (University of Nevada ’25), Duquesne Kline. The scholarship is in its fifth year of existence.
“Being selected as the 2026-2027 Susan Yohe PLDIC Scholar is what allowed me to commit to Pitt Law and continue my journey to become an attorney,” said Muhammed Tarik. “I am honored that I was not only considered for the scholarship but also selected as the recipient. Thank you to Susan Yohe for all her work on DEI and to the PLDIC for allowing me to join the family.”
“I'm honored to be a recipient of such an impactful scholarship, and I look forward to giving back to the Pittsburgh legal community while making the most of this opportunity,” Ayan said.
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Congratulations to the newest Susan Yohe PLDIC scholars to graduate from law school: Anne Darla Pamphile, L’26, University of Pittsburgh School of Law; and Eva Morgan, J.D., L’26, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University!
"Being a PLDIC Scholar throughout law school has meant more to me than I can fully put into words," said Anne. "Of course, the financial support made a meaningful difference, but what stayed with me most was knowing that there were people genuinely invested in my success and growth throughout this journey. Law school can be incredibly demanding, and there were definitely moments where that support and encouragement mattered more than anyone probably realized. The PLDIC also gave me a sense of community and connection within the legal profession. As someone who came into law school wanting to work hard, grow professionally, and create opportunities not only for myself but for others around me, it was encouraging to be surrounded by people who valued those same things. Being a scholar reminded me that I belonged in these spaces even during moments of doubt or exhaustion. I feel genuinely grateful to have been part of PLDIC throughout all three years of law school. It has been a meaningful part of my experience, and I’ll carry that support with me as I begin my career."
"Being a recipient of this scholarship has been such a critical aspect to my legal career and personal growth," said Eva. "Not only did it financially assist my law school journey, but it allowed me to connect with a welcoming and helpful community. I have had the joy and pleasure of meeting many members of the PLDIC through networking events and programs. Entering the legal profession as a first-generation law student was intimidating, and I often felt uncertain about how to navigate the path ahead, but the PLDIC was there to help lead the way. During my time here, I have made many personal and professional relationships to which I owe a huge thanks to the PLDIC. If I had not been selected to receive this scholarship, the financial stress of attending law school would have been another battle to face. By alleviating the financial burden, I was able to devote more of my time and energy to my studies and to serving on the Executive Board of Duquesne’s National Plaintiff’s Law Association. I will forever be grateful to the PLDIC for the support, mentorship, and opportunities that have made my law school experience and transition into the legal profession so rewarding. I want to give the biggest thank you to Susan, a woman whose devotion to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion is reflected in her resilience, dedication, and compassion. As I begin my legal profession in New York, I will continue to further Susan’s goals of advocating and furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in our profession. Thank you to this scholarship for facilitating my legal education and to every PLDIC member for your generosity and believing in my potential."
| TALI Scholars Graduate; Applications Open | |
Congratulations to the 2026 graduates of The Advanced Leadership Institute's National Executive Leadership Academy and the Emerging Leaders Program (now known as the Excellence in Leadership Program), especially the PLDIC TALI scholars Imogene L. Cathey, Esq., Seton Hill University (NELA); and Sidnee McDonald, MPA, Esq., Cozen O'Connor (Excellence in Leadership Program)!
Applications for the 2027 National Executive Leadership Academy and Excellence in Leadership Program are now open through October 15.
In collaboration with TALI, the PLDIC has two annual scholarship opportunities for PLDIC member employees.
| | Looking for a new job in the Pittsburgh legal community? Sign up for job alerts so you get notified when the type of job that you're looking for in the Pittsburgh legal community becomes available. Interested in submitting new jobs to the PLDIC Job Board on behalf of your organization? PLDIC member organizations can submit a request to become a job board manager. | |
Law Student Kickoff to Summer Event
June 3 at Aslin Beer Company
| | More than 60 individuals representing 10 law schools attended the PLDIC’s Law Student Kickoff to Summer event on Wednesday, June 3 at Aslin Beer Company. Law students were able to make valuable connections with others working in the Pittsburgh legal community this summer, hear from PLDIC leaders, sign up for a mentor, and participate in fun games to win prizes. Thanks to speakers Natasha Patel, Strassburger, McKenna, Gutnick, & Gefsky, who spoke about our Law Student Working Group; Sidnee McDonald, Cozen O’Connor, and Devon Ferris, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, who gave an overview of our Young Professional Advisory Board; Tiffeny Ayoola, Hardin Thompson PC, who spoke about moving to Pittsburgh for law school and her decision to stay; and last but not least Judge Nicola Henry-Taylor, who encouraged students to get involved with the PLDIC and the ACBA. Additionally, thank you to PLDIC members Vincent Johnson, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Monica Loudon, Dentons, and Timur Dikec, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, for attending and helping to make the event a success. |
How to be Invaluable to Your Clients as a Junior Associate: the Unwritten Rules to Succeed
June 24 at Meyer Unkovic & Scott
| | "How to be Invaluable to Your Clients as a Junior Associate: the Unwritten Rules to Succeed” drew in 50 attendees representing 18 PLDIC member organizations together to listen to a knowledgeable panel that gave their advice about the client’s perspective on what junior associates in law firms can do to make themselves invaluable both to their firms and their clients. Panelists included Bridgette Dziedzic, Sr. Manager of Legal Services, Duquesne Light Company; Shanicka Kennedy, Lead Counsel, Litigation, FedEx; Rick McMahon, Managing Director, Associate General Counsel, BNY; Cristian Minor, Senior Associate Counsel, UPMC; David Ross, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Enterprise Compliance, Giant Eagle, Inc.; Catrina Smith, Associate Counsel, Alcoa; Tony Thompson, Counsel, Dollar Bank/PLDIC Board Vice Chair – moderators Devon Ferris, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP and Brandy Ringer, Blank Rome – and closing remarks from Cella Iovino, Babst Calland. Thank you to our host and program sponsor, Meyer Unkovic & Scott. | | Legal Career Pathways Program Events | | |
The PLDIC hosted Casa San José's teen after school program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. The teens received a tour of the law school from Pitt Law students; a tour of the clinic offices from legal clinic staff; and visited the moot courtroom to participate in a mock case! Thanks to Rebeca Himena Miller-Sekinger, Leech Tishman, and Cristian M. Minor, Esq., UPMC, for providing attorney perspectives; to Kellie Ware, Esq. for hosting us at Pitt Law (and to Nancy Alemañy Alvarez for giving the office tour); and to the law students who volunteered their time to make the program a success: Mayar Elbasheir, Antonio Griggs, Rosana Elena Guernica, and Graciela Rodarte.
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The PLDIC also visited Casa San José’s summer camp as part of our Legal Career Pathways Program (LCPP). The camp included 35 elementary aged students including bilingual, Spanish only, and English only speakers. PLDIC volunteers Rebeca Himena Miller-Sekinger, Leech Tishman; Cristian M. Minor, Esq., UPMC; and Ryan Naumann, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, led a variety of activities for the campers, including: splitting the kids into four teams to make arguments about why their candy was the best (they even used the microphone); and a coloring activity based off of the "Black Lawyers of the Burgh" book. Some of the kids presented their work to the group!
| | OTHER EVENTS, NEWS & RESOURCES | | |
Monday, July 20 at 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 13 at 4:00 p.m.
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