The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity is an organization of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners—the leadership of the profession—who have pledged themselves, through our Leaders at the Front initiative and other means, to creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession. Our action programs are designed to attract, inspire, and nurture the talent in society and within our organizations, thereby helping a new and more diverse generation of attorneys ascend to positions of leadership. By producing tangible results in our institutions, we work to promote inclusiveness in our organizations, our circles of influence, and our society, with the ultimate goal of building a more equitable and diverse legal profession.
Since our founding, LCLD has focused on action—building real-world programs that prepare the next generation of diverse talent for leadership and creating pathways for their eventual success. Follow along as we review some of the major milestones along our journey.
A Call to Action Published
Rick Palmore, then general counsel of Sara Lee, issues A Call to Action: Diversity in the Legal Profession, which lays out a blueprint for working to increase diversity in the legal profession. Today, it remains an important source document for those working on these issues.
Call to Action Summit
In Scottsdale, Arizona, Palmore convenes approximately 40 general counsels and 100 managing partners from major US corporations and law firms to develop an action plan for increasing diversity in the legal profession.
LCLD Established
With the filing of papers on April 29, the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity is founded as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization focusing on talent development, with Palmore serving as chair of its board of directors and Robert J. Grey, Jr. as executive director.
First Annual Membership Meeting
LCLD Members gather in Washington, D.C, for a two-day conference headlined by U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Harvard Law Professor David Wilkins, a leading expert on the legal profession. Discussions focus on the need for the leaders of law firms and their corporate clients to think creatively and work collaboratively.
Fellows Program Launches
LCLD launches the first of its talent development initiatives, designed for high-potential, mid-career attorneys at LCLD Member organizations. Fellows are hand-selected by their home law firms and corporate legal departments for the year-long leadership program.
1L Scholars Program Launches
LCLD’s 1L Scholars program strengthens the legal pipeline by expanding the number of opportunities for diverse first-year law students. After attending a career-building summit hosted by LCLD, many 1L Scholars split their summers between law firms and corporate legal departments, gaining a valuable perspective on the attorney-client relationship.
Mentoring Program Launches
LCLD launches its Success in Law School Mentoring Program to help diverse students navigate law school, prepare for the bar exam, and launch their careers. Matching first-year law students with attorneys at LCLD organizations, the program provides mentoring at key points in a student’s development. Additionally, a Group Mentoring Program provides informal, interactive collegial sessions in participating cities.
Fellows Form Alumni Network
Eager to extend the benefits of their one-year program, LCLD’s first class of Fellows creates an alumni network for graduates. Volunteers eventually organize an executive council, working committees, regional networking events, an annual symposium, service projects, and an annual dues structure.
Wally Martinez Named Chair
Wally Martinez, Managing Partner of Hunton Andrews Kurth (then Hunton & Williams), succeeds Rick Palmore as Chair of LCLD.
Alumni Directory Debuts
To expand the networking power of the Alumni community, LCLD creates an online directory featuring biographical profiles, professional highlights, and contact information.
Brad Smith Named Chair
The three-year chairmanship of Brad Smith, General Counsel (later President) of Microsoft, is marked by the rapid growth of LCLD programs and the launch of an annual Leadership Summit for exploring new areas of strategic focus and implementation.
Inaugural Leadership Summit Held
A select group of Members convenes with thought leaders and Alumni to explore strategic options for LCLD in small group settings.
Smith Sets the Bar
In his closing remarks at LCLD’s 2014 Annual Meeting, Brad Smith, board chair, challenges the organization to enhance the careers of 10,000 individuals by LCLD’s tenth year. It is a daunting charge, but one that reflects the tone set earlier by Founding Chair Rick Palmore, who urged LCLD’s Members to set bold objectives.
Pathfinder Program Launches
Designed to serve diverse attorneys early in their careers, LCLD’s Pathfinder Program provides young attorneys with coast-to-coast networking opportunities and practical tools to build professional relationships, leadership skills, and career advancement strategies.
Rick Palmore Alumni Award Created
To honor LCLD’s Founding Chair while recognizing Alumni who have made extraordinary contributions, the Alumni executive committee, supported by LCLD’s board of directors, establishes the Rick Palmore LCLD Alumni Award, presented annually for “outstanding achievement, commitment, and leadership.”
Sustainable Partnership Program Launched
LCLD Members in the Washington, D.C. area create a year-long Sustainable Partnership Program (SSP) built around three in-person meetings with general counsel. Its goal is to give diverse, Partner-level attorneys at law firms sustained access to corporate leaders, who share thoughts on how they choose law firms for their matters, and how young law firm attorneys can build relationships with potential clients.
Laura Stein Named Chair
Laura Stein, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for The Clorox Company, begins a three-year tenure that will see extraordinary growth in LCLD programs and membership..
Campaign 100 Reaches Goal
Led by the LCLD Board of Directors, Campaign 100 (launched in 2016) reaches its goal of 100 corporate members two years ahead of schedule. Success is possible because Members themselves reach out to peers, sharing their personal commitment to LCLD’s action-oriented mission. As seen in the annual Impact Report, surveys consistently report a high degree of Member satisfaction: a year-to-year membership renewal rate of more than 95%.
The Palmore Challenge: Institutional Change
Founding Chair Rick Palmore challenges LCLD Members to examine their own organizations to identify, evaluate, and reform processes that hinder the advancement of diverse talent. At the 2018 Leadership Summit, he cites the stubborn presence of barriers within organizations and urges Members to remove them.
“10 Years, 10,000 Careers” Goal Achieved
Attaining a goal set five years earlier by then-Chair Brad Smith, LCLD announces its 10,000th program participant at the 2019 Annual Meeting. It is a moment for celebration before LCLD Members turn to the hard work ahead: removing organizational impediments to diversity and inclusion.
Ellen Dwyer Named Chair
Succeeding Laura Stein, Ellen Dwyer of Crowell & Moring leads LCLD into its second decade with an innovative and bold commitment to diversity and inclusion.
LCLD Goes Virtual
Responding quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic, LCLD converts all in-person meetings to virtual and organizes a range of new opportunities (virtual happy hours, book clubs, and check-ins) to help program participants, Alumni, and Members stay connected and continue moving forward.
LCLD for Social Justice
With the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, LCLD, on behalf of its Members, calls for reform of the American justice system including a more diverse and inclusive legal profession.
Language of Leadership
To help the LCLD Community meet the challenges posed by a pandemic and ongoing George Floyd protests, LCLD launches the monthly Language of Leadership webcast, featuring interviews with LCLD Members on leading in times of crisis.
Leaders at the Front Announced
At the virtual 2020 Annual Meeting, Ellen Dwyer and the board announce a bold new initiative placing LCLD Members at the forefront of organizational change, with public pledges detailing their commitment.
Leaders Pledge Required
At the Annual Meeting, Ellen Dwyer and the board announce that, going forward, a public Leaders at the Front pledge will be a requirement for membership in LCLD.
Member Pledges
LCLD reaches a milestone of Member participation as more than 400 corporate and law firm Members renew their commitment to LCLD by finalizing and publishing their Leader Pledges.
In-person Annual Meeting
After a summer in which the Alumni again meet in person, the Members of LCLD gather in Washington for the first in-person Annual Meeting in three years. Highlights include a conversation with Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, and a look at “Super” Pledges made by key Members.
Kim Rivera Named Chair
Dynamic and keen on innovation, Kim Rivera, Chief Legal Officer of One Trust, becomes the sixth Chair of LCLD at a watershed moment.
Super Pledge Summits
To expedite the move from pledging to implementation, inaugural Super Pledge Summits for Members are hosted by Google in California and Dominion Energy in Virginia.
