National Symposium on Diversity in Legal Profession Nov. 8
Chief legal officers, law firm managing partners, and diversity thought-leaders from across the nation will assemble for the Philadelphia Bar Association's
National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at The Union League of Philadelphia.
The half-day symposium will begin with a luncheon featuring keynote speaker Robert J. Grey Jr., (left) executive director of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Grey is a past president of the American Bar Association.
During the opening plenary, a panel of local and non-local chief legal officers and law firm managing partners will discuss the importance of collaboration to advance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession; benchmarks to measure success; and best practices for the recruitment, retention and advancement of women and diverse attorneys.
Four concurrent breakout sessions will focus on the following topics: the roles white men can play to advance diversity and inclusion in corporate legal departments and law firms; generational diversity and its impact in the workplace; successful pipeline initiatives and mentoring programs; and an employment law update. The symposium runs from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. and a VIP networking reception begins at 5:30 p.m. The VIP networking reception will provide a forum for discussion with remarks from a prominent speaker.
Speakers for the National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession include Thomas E. Cabaniss, managing partner, McGuireWoods LLP, Richmond, Va.; Mark Hershey, senior vice president, general counsel & secretary, Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Lancaster, Pa.; H. Eric Hilton, senior vice president, secretary and general counsel, H. J. Russell & Company and Concessions International, LLC, Atlanta, GA ; Alan J. Hoffman, co-chair and managing partner, Blank Rome LLP, Philadelphia, PA; John L. Latham, partner, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta, GA; Sophia Lee, chief counsel-litigation, Sunoco, Inc., Philadelphia, PA; James G. Liepold, executive director, NALP: The Association for Legal Career Professionals, Washington, D.C.; Curtis L. Mack, partner, McGuireWoods LLP, Atlanta, GA; Robert A. Nicholas, partner and global director of legal personnel, Reed Smith LLP, New York, NY; Karl A. Racine, managing partner, Venable LLP, Washington, D.C.; Robin Sangston, vice president, legal affairs, Cox Communications, Inc., Atlanta, GA; Mark S. Stewart, chair, Ballard Spahr LLP, Philadelphia, PA; Michael K. Tucker, executive vice president and general counsel, Avis Budget Group, Inc., Parsippany, N.J.; Joel C. Trotter, senior counsel, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, PA; LeRoy J. Watkins, Jr., partner, Jackson Lewis LLP, Morristown, N.J.; Charles Phillip Wells, partner, Williams Mullen, Raleigh and Charlotte, NC; Sherry D. Williams, senior vice president, chief ethics and compliance officer, Halliburton, Houston, TX; and Sandra S. Yamate, chief executive officer, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, Chicago, IL.
For additional information on the National Symposium on Diversity in the Legal Profession, contact Naomi K. McLaurin at 215-238-6340 or nmclaurin@philabar.org.