Moving Pittsburgh's Legal Community Forward, Together

Let’s face it – we’re all busy, and it’s easy to lose track of your great ideas for improving diversity, inclusion, and belonging in Pittsburgh’s legal industry. The PLDIC is here to help! Whether you already have a new project in mind, have an existing project that could use a tune-up, or want to figure out an impactful way to apply your PLDIC experience and knowledge – we’re gathering a community of your PLDIC peers to help you get there with a new team program from our Retention Committee.

"So Now What?" aims to bring together some of the most dedicated and motivated PLDIC participants to establish small groups focused on moving the needle forward on a specific topic. The program kicks of with a meeting on May 1 and will run from May-September.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, led by District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr., is committed to serving and protecting the residents of Allegheny County through the fair and ethical prosecution of criminal offenses. The office works closely with law enforcement, community organizations, and victim advocates to uphold justice, enhance public safety, and ensure equitable treatment under the law.



In addition to traditional prosecution efforts, they participate in specialized treatment courts, including Veterans Court, Mental Health Court, DUI Court and Drug Court, which focus on rehabilitation and addressing the root causes of criminal behavior. The office also has a Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit, dedicated to supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable through specialized resources and prosecution strategies.

“We are proud to join the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity and Inclusion Coalition, reinforcing our commitment to fostering a legal profession that reflects the communities we serve. Equity and inclusion are essential to ensuring justice for all, and we look forward to collaborating with PLDIC partners to advance these important efforts.” – Sarah Weikart, Deputy District Attorney, Allegheny County Office of the District Attorney

Looking for a new job in the Pittsburgh legal community? Check out our Job Board! The Recruitment Committee launched this Board late last year for legal job seekers in the Pittsburgh area. Anyone can access the Board by visiting our homepage, but only PLDIC member organizations can post jobs – which means that you’ll be applying to work at a firm/organization that truly values working together to achieve our goal of a more diverse and inclusive Pittsburgh legal community. Sign up to get job alerts, so you'll know first when new jobs get added.

Don't Forget about our New Resource Guide! Updated March 25, 2025

In this rapidly changing environment, the PLDIC offers this interactive resource guide to our members. The guide includes materials on our Member Dashboard, recent data/statistics, and thought leaders to follow during this time. Our work has always been and will continue to be grounded in data and facts. Should you have any additions to this guide or need help accessing any of the resources, please contact us.

The PLDIC prides itself on being a volunteer-driven organization. There are a variety of ways to get involved in the Coalition’s work and make a direct impact on the Pittsburgh legal community, including leadership opportunities, standing committees, roundtables, law student support, the Legal Career Pathways Program, or sponsorship. Read about these opportunities in detail and new, you can now sign up to be informed when we have a volunteer opportunity that you or your organization may be interested in!

UPCOMING EVENTS

All employees and law students in our member organizations (lawyers and non-lawyers) are invited to join the PLDIC Community Building Committee for its third annual trivia night - join us for a fun, casual evening with food, drink, and prizes for the winning team. PLDIC Board member Aarthi Murti, Giant Eagle, and her husband will once again run trivia with a new set of questions ready to stump you. Please arrive on time so that teams can be formed (you do not need to come with a team; we will help form teams capping at five people). Registrants are encouraged to bring a guest (a partner, friend, or colleague!); indicate if you are bringing a guest by selecting "2" tickets. 

All PLDIC member organization employees and member school law students are invited to gather together, hear from PLDIC leadership, and listen to keynote speaker Prasanna Ranganathan, a documentary producer, human rights lawyer, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging (DEIAB) consultant/advisor, speaker, author, correspondent, writer and arts columnist as he joins us virtually to deliver his talk: I Am Not the Problem: Understanding Disability and Re-Imagining Accessibility and Accommodations in the Workplace and the World. Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the Human Engineering Research Laboratories and learn about some of the amazing advances in assistive technology happening right here in Pittsburgh!

If you have any questions for Prasanna in advance, please submit them.

In-person attendance is strongly encouraged, but if you cannot make the meeting in-person and would like to watch our Keynote virtually, please reach out after registering to receive a Zoom link. 

The PLDIC’s Committee Chairs invite our community to drop in for conversation and camaraderie in a casual, pay-as-you-go setting. We will be holding space for these “Community Conversations” the first Thursday of each month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Fogo de Chao and continuing the first Thursday each month (same time, same location). Stop by if you need a space to just be and where we can provide each other support, take some deep breaths, and share our worries and fears in a safe place. Reach out to Ena with any questions.

The PLDIC Community Building Committee will hold the second session in the Disabled Attorney Brave Space/Self-Care series on May 9 from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom. We are excited to welcome Amy Mathieu, an experienced employment law attorney and partner at HKM Employment Attorneys, and Sarina Miller, HR Director at Babst Calland, for an expert-led discussion of your rights under the ADA and FMLA. We will focus on eligibility, job protections, documentation requirements, and how to collaborate with your employer to establish reasonable accommodations. We will also have plenty of time for Q&A. Disabled lawyers, law students, and allies are welcome to attend.

Legal Career Pathways Program

Pittsburgh Career Promise Fair on March 3-4

The PLDIC had the opportunity to participate in The Pittsburgh Promise Career Days on March 3 and 4 at Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University. These events are designed to spark curiosity, ignite passions, and empower our future leaders. We met with students from Pittsburgh Carrick, Pittsburgh Perry, UPrep, and Westinghouse and discussed legal careers and ran a mini-debate exercise. Thank you to our dedicated volunteers: Brontë Arreola and Lindsay Petrosky, Jackson Kelly PLLC; Tamara Collier and DeMarr Moulton, U.S. Attorney's Office; Mychal Evans and Sarah Linder Marx, Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender; Jacques L. Moye, CPA, Esq., Clark Hill Law; and Sarra Terry, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote.

On March 11, the PLDIC had another great session with teens at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania McKeesport location. Thanks to volunteers Lena Bryan-Henderson and Mychal Evans, Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender; and Jacques Moye, Clark Hill Law.

On March 24, we returned to BCG Carnegie to host another session with teens with help from volunteers DeMarr Moulton, U.S. Attorney's Office; and Ryan Naumann, Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote.

We still have a few spring sessions coming up if you're looking for a way to get involved and make an impact in the community: April 1 at BGC McKeesport and April 5 at Casa San Jose.

A group of attorneys met with the next generation of aspiring law students at a networking event hosted by the Pitt Women in Law Group at the University of Pittsburgh. Participants included PLDIC Executive Director Ena Lebel, along with Community Building Committee Co-Chair Melissa Evans, Neighborhood Legal Services; Kimly Vu Gianoutsos, UPMC; Erin Ickes, American Textile Company, Rebeca Himena Miller, Leech Tishman; Mackenzie Moyer, Babst Calland; and Gina Zumpella, Edgar Snyder & Associates. If you are an alum looking for a way to give back and would like to participate in a Power of Networking panel, please contact Ena.

PFA CLE Seminar: Helping Domestic Violence Victims Obtain Protection Orders

May 2 from 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney

Help domestic violence victims obtain Protection from Abuse orders! Join Neighborhood Legal Services, the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC, and the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh for this informative event. This CLE will train attorneys to assist domestic violence victims in obtaining protection from abuse orders in Allegheny County. This seminar has been approved for 3 substantive CLE credits and 1 ethics CLE credit, and includes breakfast.

PLDIC Young Professional Advisory Board (YPAB) member Derrick Maultsby Jr., Frost Brown Todd, was named one of the Pittsburgh Courier's Class of 2025 FAB 40 Under 40 Recipients.

PLDIC YPAB member Sidnee McDonald, Cozen O'Connor, has been named to the Pittsburgh Business Times 2025 30 Under 30 list.

Former PLDIC Community Building Committee Chair and K&L Gates Attorney Michael Komo was honored at the Pittsburgh Penguins game on Thursday, March 13 as a LGBTQ+ Community Leader!

On March 14, the Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender provided PLDIC members with a free CLE on the ethics of how attorneys may interact with ICE agents, observe ICE agent interactions with community members, and advise clients regarding the presence of ICE agents. The presentation is available for members to access on our Member Dashboard.