Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP

We are thrilled to recognize career milestones of three talented lawyers from Cohort 1 of Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP's 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 program, * Katie Larkin-Wong has become 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 at DoorDash. * Fatema Merchant, Co-Managing Partner at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, DC, has been named one of the “𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗿” by Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia. * Peter O'Neill, Associate at Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has been recognized as Best Lawyers "𝗢𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵". 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙆𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚, 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧! All the best in fostering thought leadership, thinking outside the box, challenging the status quo and driving forward new, impactful ideas to address social challenges in the legal field! Bendita Cynthia Malakia, Esq., CPC, ELI-MP, Aneesh M., Corey Laplante, Collette Woghiren, Esq., Jay Mitchell (CIPP/US, CIPT, CIPM, FIP), Rachel Hodge, Keny Zurita, Edward Toyozaki, Kathryn-Ann Bloomfield, Dashika Wellington #legalcareer #bestlawyers #starsofthebar #onestowatch #iilp #theiilp #inclusion #socialimpact #incubator #lawyerlife #lawyers #legalfield

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨! A huge thank you to the 𝗔𝗕𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 and the 𝗘. 𝗦𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 for bestowing the 2024 E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award upon the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP and Loyola University Chicago School of Law for our class, “𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗔 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.” This class is a labor of love as we seek to educate law students to better understand why DEI is a critical component of professionalism; the barriers and obstacles to, the strategies for, and the achievements of DEI in the legal profession; and how they, as students and young lawyers, can be empowered to advance DEI in meaningful ways. As we prepare to embark upon the 4th year of offering this class, receiving this award has been a welcome validation that we’re not the only ones who believe in its mission. Thank you SO much to our CEO, Sandra Yamate, and Advisory Board Member Josie Gough, who take the laboring oar and teach the class, the administration and staff at Loyola, especially Dean Michèle Alexandre and all the lawyers who volunteer as guest speakers and advisors for our students. Thank you also to Stephanie Villinski from the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and Joseph Bruno from the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility; we at IILP look forward to future partnering with both of you! Thank you to Erika Harold for the lovely bouquets for Sandra and Josie and for serving as inspiration for greater professionalism in our profession. And thanks to the National Conference of Bar Presidents and Robin Wolpert for presenting the award during their Annual Meeting luncheon. Any opportunity to be part of something with NCBP is enjoyable! Lastly, as a point of personal privilege: All of us at IILP want to express our gratitude and admiration for the NAPABA Law Foundation members who took the time to not only show up at the awards luncheon but managed to keep their plans to attend A 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧 and truly SURPRISE Sandra. That was no easy feat, but you did it! Someday, you must tell us how. 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨! Your attendance was a visible statement of your love and support. And the gorgeous orchid leis you brought were the piece de resistance! We know Sandra appreciated it and we’re grateful to you for doing it. Alan Tse; Judy Lam; Sid Kanazawa; Paul Hirose; Janet J. Lee; Yankun Guo; Sonni Williams; Anna Lloyd; Amy Meyerson; Joseph Yao Linda Chanow; Regina Speed-Bost; Jennifer Alice Jackson; Avani Patel‎, Nishan Ardon Marc Firestone; Michael Wagner; Madeleine McDonough; John Mathias; Sharon E. Jones, Floyd Holloway, Jr., Kim Hogrefe, Michael Hatfield, Elisa Garcia, Bruce Byrd #IILP #LoyolaChicago #lawschool #ABA #NAPABA #Professionalism #DEI #legalprofession #NCBP

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP’s Avani Patel‎ attended the South Asian Bar Association (SABA) of North America Annual Convention in Toronto where she got to catch up with a member of our Social Impact Incubator Cohort 1, Aneesh M.! One of the nicest things about bar meetings is the opportunity to see old friends! Katie Larkin-Wong; Jen Won; Fatema Merchant; Bendita Cynthia Malakia, Esq., CPC, ELI-MP; Molly Wiltshire; Eunkyung Kim Shin (김은경); Peter O'Neill; Derek Ishikawa; Deanna K.; Rachel Hodge; Dashika Wellington; Kathryn-Ann Bloomfield; Sandra Yamate; Linda Chanow; Regina Speed-Bost; Jennifer Alice Jackson; Avani Patel‎; Nishan Ardon #IILP #SABA #LawyerLife #SocialImpact #Inclusion #LegalProfession

Congratulations to Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP Board Member Lorraine McGowen of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP on being named to Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Lawyers List. We are so NOT surprised but we’re delighted to see Lorraine getting some well-deserved accolades! Congratulations! Marc Firestone, Sandra Yamate, Michael Wagner, Madeleine McDonough, John Mathias, Sharon E. Jones, Floyd Holloway, Jr., Kim Hogrefe, Michael Hatfield, Elisa Garcia, Bruce Byrd Linda Chanow, Regina Speed-Bost, Jennifer Alice Jackson, Avani Patel‎, Nishan Ardon #savoy #law #counsel #lawyers #iilp

All of us at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP are beyond thrilled to be selected to receive the 2024 𝗘. 𝗦𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 from the American Bar Association 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺. The Award “recognizes the nation’s exemplary, innovative, and on-going professionalism programs established by law schools, bar associations, courts and other not-for-profit legal organiza­tions that help ensure the maintenance of the highest principles of integrity and dedication to the legal profession and the public.” IILP and its partner, Loyola University Chicago Law School, are being recognized for creating a unique law school course: Diversity and Inclusion: A Social and Professional Responsibility which teaches law students about DEI in the legal profession through a lens of professionalism. The Award Judges and Committee noted that they found our class “stands out for its deep commitment to educating students about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and challenges within the legal profession and prepare students to be effective and knowledgeable DEI proponents during law school and beyond.” The Award will be presented during the 𝗔𝗕𝗔 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 at the National Conference of Bar Presidents 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗟𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗻 on August 2.   Thank you to the Award Judges and Committee for this recognition. We are grateful to Josie Gough and Loyola University Chicago School of Law for being such great partners in presenting this class. Thank you to the many lawyers and friends who serve as guest speakers for our class and our impressive law students! We look forward to the start of the fall semester when we will be teaching the course again to our largest class yet! Marc Firestone, Sandra Yamate, Michael Wagner, Lorraine McGowen, Madeleine McDonough, John Mathias, Sharon E. Jones, Floyd Holloway, Jr., Kim Hogrefe, Michael Hatfield, Elisa Garcia, Bruce Byrd Linda Chanow, Regina Speed-Bost, Jennifer Alice Jackson, Avani Patel‎, Nishan Ardon #ABA #LoyolaChicago #iilp #theiilp #legalstudies #lawstudent #DEI #diversity #inclusion #lawschool #lawstudents #legalprofession #lawyer

Vacations are good. One rests, renews, and rejuvenates. But, just as reinvigorating can be a few days spent with hundreds of dynamic women lawyers as the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP’s CEO Sandra Yamate can attest after attending the National Association of Women Lawyers’ annual meeting where they marked that organization’s 125th anniversary. We won’t add to the myriad posts about how wonderful Stacey Abrams’ remarks were or the exceptionally inspiring discussion featuring Jenny Yang, Shannon Minter, Laura Stein, and Grace Speights, or the other outstanding programs that made the NAWL Annual Meeting so great. Instead, we want to note how this meeting was galvanizing those in attendance, the inspiration coupled with determination to take meaningful action, and the warmth and affection that permeated throughout. Kudos also to NAWL President Kristin Bauer who delivered the most spot-on perfect presidential remarks at a bar convention and warmest congratulations to Outstanding Member Award recipients Heather Bell, Josh Fougere, and Joanne Simboli Hodge! Nice to see IILP supporters like monica dula and former NAWL presidents Leslie Richards-Yellen and Sarretta McDonough in attendance, along with National Asian Pacific American Bar Association President-Elect Thy Bui, and too many others to name because LinkedIn will limit the number of tags we use. 😊 Thank you to those responsible for organizing this year’s NAWL annual meeting! Sandra tells us she is looking forward to next year’s and another better-than-a-vacation couple of days! Linda Chanow, Regina Speed-Bost, Jennifer Alice Jackson, Avani Patel‎, Nishan Ardon Gigi Rollini, Peggy Abrams; April Boyer Duff; Tamela Woods Merriweather; Carol Anderson, Julia Simon #NAWL #womenlawyers #NAWLAnnual2024 #womanlawyer #theiilp #iilp

Whether they are running for office (including very high office) or running a legal practice, women lawyers are great! We speak from experience: look at all the amazing women lawyers who get involved with the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP. So, we were tickled when the women lawyers at ChIPs Network invited our CEO, Sandra Yamate, to speak at their General Counsel Boot Camp on August 25th. Sandra reports that she met more incredibly talented and accomplished women lawyers and felt like she made some new friends. One was moderator Kate Roin, a partner at Bartlit Beck and a friend of a friend, Sean Gallagher. Another woman she met was Mary Catherine Malley, who works for Juniper Networks with IILP Advisory Board member Rob Mobassaly! Is it truly a small world or is this just a matter of great people knowing and working with other great people? Certainly something to think about! But thank you to all the fabulous women at ChIPS whom Sandra was delighted to meet – especially Executive Director Joan Toth and Monica Phillips, Director of Learning, Content and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – for including her as a speaker! She (and we) look forward to more opportunities where IILP and ChIPs can work together! Bruce Byrd, Erica Kelley, Mehrin ("Mir") Masud-Elias, JD. MBE, Elena DiMuzio, Jennifer Brumbaugh, Parijat Sharma Linda Chanow, Regina Speed-Bost, Jennifer Alice Jackson, Avani Patel‎, Nishan Ardon #IILP #ChIpsnetwork #DEI #womenlawyers

All of us at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP are looking forward to welcoming our sisters from the National Association of Women Lawyers and their allies to our hometown: Chicago! The NAWL Annual Meeting looks to be a lively and interesting few days of cutting-edge discussions about the issues most important to women lawyers and those who support them. We’re totally prepared to lean into fangirl mode for keynote Stacey Abrams and award recipients Jenny Yang, Shannon Minter (whom, we might note we’ve been honored to have as an IILP speaker in the past), and IILP Partner Mondelēz International! Linda Chanow, Regina Speed-Bost, Jennifer Alice Jackson, Avani Patel‎, Nishan Ardon. Bruce Byrd, Brian Duwe, Elisa Garcia, Michael Hatfield, Kim Hogrefe, Floyd Holloway, Jr., John Mathias, Madeleine McDonough, Lorraine McGowen, Michael Wagner, Marc Firestone.

The Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP was pleased to attend the 2024 Diversity Lab Hackathon, “From Moments to Movements” in NYC. It was thrilling to see so many people with connections to IILP participating, including Devoted Health Chief Legal and External Affairs Officer William "Mo" Cowan, pictured with IILP Board Member Sharon E. Jones of Haynes and Boone, LLP and IILP CEO Sandra Yamate; Diversity Lab Founder and CEO Caren Ulrich Stacy with IILP Advisory Board Member Sylvia James of Winston & Strawn LLP; Social Impact Incubator Cohort 1 Member Brandon Mita of Littler Mendelsohn; IILP Advisory Board Member Tom Chen of Haynes and Boone with IILP speaker and friend Ena Lebel from the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition; National Association of Women Lawyers Secretary April Boyer Duff K&L Gates with her team; and IILP Advisory Board Member Bobby Moore of Baker McKenzie. All in all, a good day, filled with lots of exciting ideas! In our opinion? Winners all! Congratulations to all the participants! Bruce Byrd, Brian Duwe, Elisa Garcia, Michael Hatfield, Kim Hogrefe, Floyd Holloway, Jr., John Mathias, Madeleine McDonough, Lorraine McGowen, Michael Wagner, Marc Firestone. Linda Chanow, Regina Speed-Bost, Jennifer Alice Jackson, Avani Patel‎, Nishan Ardon. #DEIhackathon #2024momentstomovements #diversitylab #lawfirms #legaldep #hackathon #DEI #inclusivity

We are pleased to share the latest blog post, “Breaking Down the Siloes: The Collective Power of Women in the Legal Profession” by Sandra Yamate, CEO of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession | IILP. It discusses and questions siloing within DEI efforts in the legal profession and explores the topic further through demographics, underscoring initiatives that are focused on women lawyers. Sandra also highlights a program that is of special interest to her. This article is published in her blog 'Inclusion at Work' that seeks to take a comprehensive look at issues that influence the legal profession’s advancement in diversity and inclusion. https://lnkd.in/guEbRykx #diversity #equity #inclusion #inclusionatwork #legalprofession #womenlawyers #DEI #womanlawyer #intersectionality #lawyers #siloes