Thursday, March 04, 2010
Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking in Denver at the public unveiling of the Denver-specific findings of the Part-Time Partners report. PAR and the Colorado Women's Bar Association and Bar Association Foundation worked jointly on the study of part-time partners, with very interesting results.
While in Denver, I learned about the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence -- a fascinating organization that is taking research about diversity in the legal profession and using it to create practical steps to make legal workplaces truly inclusive. As I was listening to its executive director, Kathleen Nalty, it struck me that CCIE is really a laboratory for creating and testing win-win approaches to diversity and flexibility. Here are some of its initiatives: an inclusiveness program that is being piloted at law firms, government legal offices, and corporate law departments in Denver; a manual that provides everything a law firm needs to know to undertake an inclusiveness initiative; and a Dean's Council that brings together leaders from all facets of the legal profession. An ABA Journal article recently featured Nalty and CCIE.
If you know PAR, you know why we applaud CCIE's work. For more than a decade, PAR has been developing practical, research- and business-based solutions to the issue of retaining and advancing women lawyers. Like CCIE, moving from words to action is the cornerstone of our work.
CCIE is hosting the must-attend 2010 Rocky Mountain Legal Diversity Summit on March 16. Here's just a taste of cutting edge topics: "The Impact of Privilege on Inclusiveness," "Being Comfortable with Discomfort: How to Start a Diversity Dialogue," "Roadblocks to Inclusion: What You Don't Know Might Surprise You," and "Change Your Attitude: Culture Shift to Support a Balanced Hours Environment." National experts from the ABA, MCCA, Catalyst and others will present. I hope you'll attend.
While in Denver, I learned about the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence -- a fascinating organization that is taking research about diversity in the legal profession and using it to create practical steps to make legal workplaces truly inclusive. As I was listening to its executive director, Kathleen Nalty, it struck me that CCIE is really a laboratory for creating and testing win-win approaches to diversity and flexibility. Here are some of its initiatives: an inclusiveness program that is being piloted at law firms, government legal offices, and corporate law departments in Denver; a manual that provides everything a law firm needs to know to undertake an inclusiveness initiative; and a Dean's Council that brings together leaders from all facets of the legal profession. An ABA Journal article recently featured Nalty and CCIE.
If you know PAR, you know why we applaud CCIE's work. For more than a decade, PAR has been developing practical, research- and business-based solutions to the issue of retaining and advancing women lawyers. Like CCIE, moving from words to action is the cornerstone of our work.
CCIE is hosting the must-attend 2010 Rocky Mountain Legal Diversity Summit on March 16. Here's just a taste of cutting edge topics: "The Impact of Privilege on Inclusiveness," "Being Comfortable with Discomfort: How to Start a Diversity Dialogue," "Roadblocks to Inclusion: What You Don't Know Might Surprise You," and "Change Your Attitude: Culture Shift to Support a Balanced Hours Environment." National experts from the ABA, MCCA, Catalyst and others will present. I hope you'll attend.
