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Learning From Leaders to Address Diversity Challenges: A Roundtable

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Learning From Leaders to Address Diversity Challenges: A Roundtable

Friday, April 4, 2008

Join law firm attorneys, corporate counsel and legal career professionals in a discussion of issues affecting the pipeline into the legal profession and the advance of cross-cultural and generational diversity in law practice.

Conference Schedule

8 a.m. - Registration (The Atrium)

8:30 a.m. - Welcome Remarks (Ceremonial Court Room)

8:30-9:15 a.m. - Opening Plenary: Issues Affecting the Pipeline into the Legal Profession (Ceremonial Court Room)
Discussion of the Admissions picture, minority student issues, student debt, and recruitment issues.

Moderator:
Lisa Fairfax
Professor of Law and Director, Business Law Program
University of Maryland School of Law

Panel:
Crystal Edwards
Director, Student Affairs
University of Maryland School of Law

Suzanne Hill
Director, Employer & Professional Development
University of Maryland School of Law

Michele Hayes
Director, Admissions
University of Maryland School of Law

9:30-11:00 a.m. - What Can We Learn From Each Other to Address Diversity in the Workplace? (Room 107)
Corporate clients have raised the diversity bar for law firms handling their business. What can law firms do to remove obstacles to diversity as the numbers minorities and women entering law school continues to decline? What can law firms and corporations learn from each other to improve efforts to retain and advance women, minorities, and LGBT attorneys in their ranks? What can we learn research to widen the pipeline and challenge conventional thinking necessary to overcome barriers to success?

Moderator:
Veta Richardson
Executive Director
Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Panel:
C. Elaine Arabatzis
Diversity/Pro Bono Counsel
Dickstein Shapiro LLP

Ann V. Booth-Barbarin
Senior Counsel & Assistant Secretary
Legal Department, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP

Melanie Harrington
President
American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc.

Corey D. Jackson
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Toyja Kelley
Associate and Vice Chair
Defense Research Institute Diversity Committee
Tydings & Rosenberg LLP

11-11:45 a.m. - Breakout Groups

Recruitment Issues – Room 107
Retention Issues – Room 202
Advancement Issues – Room 302

11:45-12 p.m. - Group Report Submissions

12-1:30 p.m. - Lunch and Keynote Address (Westminster Hall)
Patricia Gatling, Commissioner
New York City Commission on Human Rights
Pearl, Lawrence I. & Lloyd M. Gerber Lecturer

1:45-3:15 p.m. - Advancing Cultural and Generational Diversity (Room 107)
Advancing diversity requires employers to develop cultural competencies to engage people across four generations to work together and thrive. How does age influence the workplace agenda and impact capacity to address recruitment, retention and advancement challenges? What can we learn from each other to manage cross-cultural and generational diversity, and improve bottom line results?

Moderator:
Paula Monopoli
Professor of Law & Founding Director, Women, Leadership & Equality Program
University of Maryland School of Law

Panel:
John B. Frisch
Chairman and Co-Chair, Diversity Committee
Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

Maja D. Hazell
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Tyree P. Jones, Jr.
Partner and Director of Diversity
Reed Smith LLP

D’Arcy Kemnitz
Executive Director
National Lesbian and Gay Law Association

John Lewis, Jr.
Sr. Managing Counsel – Litigation
The Coca-Cola Company

Mark Metz
Deputy General Counsel and Chair, Diversity Council
Wachovia Corporation

3:15-4 p.m. - Closing Remarks (Krongard Board Room)

4-5 p.m. - Networking Reception(Krongard Board Room)

This Roundtable is sponsored by the Career Development Office, the Business Law Program, and the Women, Leadership & Equality Program at the University of Maryland School of Law, and the Pearl, Lawrence I. & Lloyd M. Gerber Memorial Lecture Fund.

Learning From Leaders to Address Diversity Challenges: A Roundtable

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