Post Conference 1/2 Day Legal Symposium
Diversity – the New Imperative
How In-house Counsel and Law Firms Can Meet the Challenge
Reaffirm your law department’s or firm’s commitment to diversity. Learn from leading experts about the most successful ways to use diversity effectively to enhance your business development, recruitment and productivity. Learn about current trends, opportunities and challenges in creating and managing a diverse legal organization. Read more

Registration Options Symposium - 11 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. WDN Member Non Member If registering after 5/5/06 $200 $250
Includes opening keynote, lunch, your choice of concurrent sessions and closing networking reception.
Keynotes
Opening Keynote - 11 a.m. - 12 noon
	Taswell Papier Partner, Sonnenberg Hoffmann Galombik, South Africa 2006 World Lawyer of the Year
Luncheon Speaker - 12:15 - 1:15 p.m.
	Michael H. Tulloch The Honorable Mr. Justice Michael H. Tulloch, Superior Court of Justice of Canada
Concurrent Sessions
Diary of a Diversity Initiative - 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
In 2006, Nixon Peabody LLP, was recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For®," one of only six law firms in the United States named to the list. The firm's commitment to diversity and inclusion was a key factor in its selection. A panel of individuals from Nixon Peabody's Diversity Action Committee will review the creation and development of the diversity initiative within the law firm.  The discussion will address both the opportunities and challenges such an initiative presents.  The panelists will also share some of their best practices and ideas for success.
Panel
	Margaret Clemens Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP
	Elizabeth Moore Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP
	John Higgins Counsel, Nixon Peabody LLP
	Bill Simpson Human Resources Director, Nixon Peabody LLP
	Mauricio Velasquez, CEO, The Diversity Training Group Moderator
Clients - The Catalysts for Changing Law Firms 2:40 – 3:40 p.m.
Clients represent a powerful voice for change.  If clients use their collective voice to seek changes in the profession, the results could be immediate.  Do in-house counsel have a responsibility to use their economic clout to promote diversity in the law firms with whom they do business?  What are effective ways to ensure that firms provide meaningful statistics about their diversity efforts and results?
Panel
	Lauren Rikleen Senior Partner, Bowditch & Dewey (Moderator)
	Dale Skivington Assistant General Counsel, Eastman Kodak Company
Managing the Diversity Pipeline 3:50– 4:50 p.m.
Many professions and businesses recognize that diversity benefits clients, the workforce itself, and the general population, and that diversity in highly skilled or professional positions requires investments in minority youth who form the “pipeline” to the workforce. Yet, while other professions have implemented diversity pipeline programs for decades, the legal profession has largely remained disengaged from this effort, causing it to lag behind. Even well-intentioned law firms cannot recruit effectively if they are fighting over the same diminishing pool of candidates. The panel will discuss initiatives that are underway to address these issues and the roles that members of the legal profession need to play.
Presenters
	Carl G. Cooper Chief Diversity Officer Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP
	Mike Wolford Partner, Wolford & Leclair LLP
	Elizabeth Moore Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP
	Jill Schultz Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP
Networking Reception with Presenters 4:50– 6:00 p.m.
We'll wrap up this dynamic symposium with an opportunity to network with colleagues, and talk with presenters. Hors d' oeuvres and cash bar.

If any of the following situations has been the subject of
discussion at your corporation or law firm, you are not alone.
These issues are business imperatives and matters of survival.

• We have a diversity initiative, but we are not getting results.
• We’re hiring people, but they are not staying.
• Our customers or clients are increasingly insistent that we
  clearly demonstrate their business can be handled by a
  diverse staff.
• We want to offer legal representation that reflects our
  customers and the communities we serve.
• We are struggling with seeing why diversity is an
  imperative and how it can make our business better.

Attend this special half-day symposium to learn more about:

• The business value of diversity and how it affects your
  bottom line.
• How to avoid common pitfalls, and develop and sustain
  a diversity initiative that works.
• How diversity does not come at the expense of quality
  or other people.
• How to shift from an emphasis on recruiting to the
  creation of an inclusive culture that naturally facilitates
  the attraction and retention of diverse employees.

See the complete Diversity 2006 Conference agenda.

Diversity 2006 Sponsors

Principal Sponsor

Leadership Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Partners

Non-Profit

Acknowledgments