How to Build a Culture of Inclusion to Retain High Potential Diverse Talent at Midsize Law Firms

Please join us for the last of the 3 part roundtable series

Date & Time: February 24, 2021 from 11AM to 12:30PM EST
Location: This event is online. The link to attend will be in your confirmation email.

Organizations in the top quartile of cultural/ethnic diversity among executives were 36% more likely to achieve above-average profitability and top quartile of a gender diversity among top leaders were more likely to outperform on profitability—25% more likely for gender diverse executive teams and 28% more likely for gender-diverse boards (Source: McKinsey & Co). Because retention of lawyers from underrepresented groups is heavily influenced by inclusion, which is made up of the day-to-day behaviors of senior executives and partners as part of the firm’s culture, learn from experts and peers in what it takes to create a culture of inclusion. Some of the tactics used by successful firms include formal path-to-partnership program, social justice community group, and setting targets for increasing representation on the firm’s management/executive committee. Join Courtney Williams, Manager of Attorney Recruiting, Retention & Diversity/Inclusion at MGCLaw, J.C. Roper, Partner at Drew Eckl & Fernham, Beth Richardson, Member Robinson Gray, and Elizabeth Nelson, Director of D&I at Thomson Reuters.

Featuring

J.C. Roper

Partner, Drew Eckl & Farnham

J.C. focuses his practice in workers’ compensation defense litigation representing corporations, employers, insurers, and self-insured corporations. J.C. has substantial trial and appellate experience before the State Board of Workers’ Compensation throughout the state of Georgia and in all Georgia state courts, representing Fortune 500, Fortune 1000 and small-medium sized businesses defending workers compensation claims, including defense of auto manufacturers, county and municipal governmental entities, international airline catering services, aircraft part manufacturers, trucking companies,full service restaurant and retail industries, quick service restaurants, PEOs, staffing companies, hotel, hospitality and guest services industries, industrial cleaning services, nursing homes, highway/ bridge and road construction, general construction, sewer/drain and pipe construction companies, industrial contractors, and other commercial construction companies, workers’ compensation insurance carriers (across all employers/insured industries), third party workers’ compensation claim administrators, and self-insured corporations. J.C. has tried numerous cases before the State Board of Workers’ Compensation, argued appeals in Superior Courts, and defended claims through the state Supreme Court level. He is a former Nominee of the Fulton County Daily Report On The Rise Award and former Nominee for the Top 40 Attorneys Under 40 Atlanta Business Chronicle. He has received and holds an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale Hubbell for the highest ethical standards and professionalism.
Beth Burke Richardson

Member, Robinson Gray

Beth is tenacious and a rigorous thinker. Her practice focuses mainly on business disputes of all kinds. Her clients have included developers, retailers, restaurants, insurance companies, trusts, real estate agencies and agents, brokerages and investment brokers, and individuals and businesses implicated in False Claims Act investigations and minority shareholder litigation in the courtroom and arbitration settings, including FINRA. She also focuses on an appellate advocacy practice, particularly in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Beth has handled successful appeals of cases involving issues of first impression and divided authorities. Finally, Beth regularly assists other lawyers in ethics matters. Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Beth served as an adjunct professor in Advanced Legal Writing at the University of South Carolina School of Law and was an associate for five years at a BigLaw firm. Beth completed judicial clerkships in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. She received her law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where she served as Editor in Chief of the Law Review and was the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Graduate. Her undergraduate degree is from Duke University.
Elizabeth Nelson

Director of D&I, Thomson Reuters

Elizabeth Nelson is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) for Thomson Reuters. In this role, she supports the development and execution of the organization’s global D&I strategy which spans 24,000+ employees in nearly 80 countries. Previously, she was the Diversity Recruiting and Marketing Manager at Thomson Reuters and has also held leadership roles in D&I, human resources and talent acquisition in state government, higher education and boutique staffing. Elizabeth received her BS in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and has a research background in the neuroscience of decision making and unconscious bias – particularly how this impacts workplace decisions related to talent, recruitment and retention.