Babst Calland participated in the New Jersey State Bar Association’s DEI Conference on October 7, 2024. The conference focused on recent court decisions reviewing non-discrimination training and next steps in DEI programs at law firms, corporations, and universities. Babst Calland was represented at the event by Brianne Kurdock, co-chair of the firm’s DEI Committee. For more information, click here.
Babst Calland partnered with the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition (PLDIC) to sponsor and host an event designed for law students who identify as diverse. This event, called “Ask Us Anything,” was a panel discussion, followed by a networking reception, where over a dozen Pittsburgh law students had the opportunity to meet in-house attorneys from various companies and to ask them anything. The panelists included Ariell Antonio, Highmark Health; Jamie Fargo, PNC; David Ross, Giant Eagle, Inc.; Keysha Taylor, BNY; Tony Thompson, Dollar Bank (& PLDIC Board Vice Chair); and Chaton Turner, UPMC. For more information, click here.
Facilitated by Babst Calland’s marketing team with the Pittsburgh Chapter of Legal Marketing Association (LMA), Executive Director Ena Lebel and Communications Director Megan Edwards of the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition (PLDIC) presented a training on implicit bias theory and research and why it matters in the legal profession. More than 70 attendees from LMA’s Northeast Region participated in the training with real life scenarios including tools for how to recognize and interrupt such biases personally and professionally in the workplace.
Babst Calland has earned certification from the Allegheny County Bar Association as part of the inaugural cohort of the ALLY Initiative.
The ALLY certificate was presented in a graduation ceremony last week. Babst Calland attorneys, Carla Castello, Donald Bluedorn and Lisa Bruderly, accepted the honor on behalf of the firm. “The firm views diversity as a business imperative that is critical for maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace culture. We are honored to be recognized by the ALLY Initiative,” said Carla Castello, Chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative.
ALLY stands for Attorneys, Learning as allies, Living as allies, and Yielding results. The ACBA Ally initiative was created “to engage attorneys, their law firms, corporate legal departments, courts and other legal organizations to commit to increase inclusivity, create equitable workplaces, empower historically marginalized and underrepresented members of the bar and reflect the community we serve, through active participation in various key programs and projects targeted to achieve these objectives.”
Over the past year, Babst Calland successfully completed 10 goals across four different categories to earn this ALLY certification and further promote gender equity and diversity both at the Firm and in the community. These accomplishments included, but were not limited to, the following:
The ALLY certification memorializes Babst Calland’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and legal profession.
Babst Calland, through its Women’s Initiative, is pleased to announce the Firm’s participation in the Allegheny County Bar Association’s ALLY Initiative Cohort. ALLY stands for “Attorneys, Learning as allies, Living as allies, and Yielding results.” The Initiative is designed to engage attorneys and their law firms, corporate legal departments, courts and other organizations to commit to increasing inclusivity, creating equitable workplaces and empowering historically marginalized and underrepresented community members.
The Initiative, which will run from March 15 through October 2022, will offer programing and other projects, which will then allow firms and legal departments to earn an official “ACBA ALLY Certification.”
To read more, click here.
Babst Calland has joined with area law firms, in-house legal departments, and law schools to form the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity and Inclusion Coalition (PLDIC). The Coalition’s mission is to attract and retain people of all races and backgrounds to Pittsburgh, and assist employers in the legal industry for the purpose of increasing the hiring, retention and inclusion of diverse legal professionals. Managing Shareholder Donald C. Bluedorn II serves as an officer on the Coalition’s Board. The firm will work collaboratively with PLDIC and other member organizations to foster diversity and inclusion in the legal community.
In addition to Babst Calland, other current Coalition members include: Alcoa, Allegheny County Bar Association, Chevron, Duquesne Light Company, FedEx Ground, FHL Bank Pittsburgh, Highmark Health, Mine Safety Appliances, PPG, and U. S. Steel, and 18 other prominent law firms in Pittsburgh.
Click here to view a video with attorneys and law firms, discussing the legal profession in Pittsburgh and the importance of the Coalition’s work in the city.