Calling Upon the Best Places to Work
Q: I’m an openly LGBTQ+ attorney of color who works at a law firm well-known for its great track record in diversity and inclusion. How do you suggest sharing constructive feedback when my workplace considers itself a champion of LGBTQ+ inclusion? A: When you work at a law firm that prides itself on LGBTQ+ inclusion [...]
Soliciting Feedback and Meeting People Where They Are
In my experience as an attorney and LGBTQ+ advocate, I have seen firsthand that the external perception of a law firm can sometimes differ from what is felt internally by its employees. Prior to the start of any consulting work with a law firm client, I recommend offering a survey to as many attorneys and […]
Supporting Trans Employees
Q: Is your Gender-Inclusive Workplace Policy up-to-date? A: Over the past decade, it has been heartening to see the increasing number of workplaces that have adopted policies to support people undergoing gender transition in the workplace. Historically labeled, “Transition Guidelines” or “Transgender Policies,” these “Gender-Inclusive Workplace Policies” are widely adopted by legal employers to support […]
Barriers to Success: The Importance of Equitable Access for Low-Income Legal Professionals
Q: How does the LGBTQ+ Bar ensure that everyone has access to Lavender Law® Conference & Career Fair? A: Since its inception in 1988, the Lavender Law® Conference & Career Fair has served as a ‘family reunion’ for LGBTQ+ and allied legal professionals to both look back at our shared history and to look forward to the […]
Getting Comfortable With LGBTQ+ Issues
Q: What do you find has been key to successful retention of LGBTQ+ talent? A: One key to recruiting and retaining LGBTQ+ talent is making sure everyone in the workplace is fluent, familiar, and comfortable with LGBTQ+ issues. As Thompson Hine Partner and LGBTQ+ Bar Board Member Marla Butler says in this video, “It was very important […]
Best Practices for Inclusive Restrooms
Q: What are best practices for law firms when it comes to bathroom policies? A: Here are three core principles for ensuring inclusive restrooms. 1. Ensure that all single-stall restrooms are designated “all-gender.” A growing number of jurisdictions legally mandate such signage on any single-stall restroom, including NYC, DC, and San Francisco, but we recommend […]
Empathy in the Workplace: Feeling With Others
Q: How can empathy help take your leadership to new heights? A: Empathetic leadership can help drive results in more ways than one. Empathy allows you to put yourself in the shoes of your clients, as well as your colleagues. We often hear from straight, cisgender leaders that one of the biggest challenges to […]
Centering LGBTQ+ Attorneys of Color
Q. What best practices and business development opportunities can law firms implement to improve inclusiveness of attorneys who, for example, identify as LGBTQ+ and racially diverse? A. In addition to providing intersectional LGBTQ+ inclusion educational programming for all law firm employees, law firms can do the following: Prioritize stronger mentorship and sponsorship opportunities and resources for LGBTQ+ attorneys, […]
Addressing Tokenism in the Workplace
“How does one address tokenism that may be perceived as inclusion due to someone of a diverse group having assumed expert knowledge of said diverse group. For example, is it tokenizing to ask a trans attorney to be part of a client pitch on a matter which involves trans people just because the attorney is […]
Accountability in Action with our LGBTQ+ Workplace Best Practices Index
Those of you who have attended our annual Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair might be familiar with our recruiter index. If you are not familiar with that index listing employment benefits, you can see our 2021 version here. This index derived from our requirement that all recruiters have a workplace nondiscrimination policy that includes both sexual orientation […]
Capturing Sexual Orientation on Self-ID
A growing number of law firms and companies are allowing employees to self-identify their sexual orientation and gender identity in a confidential and voluntary manner. In a world where many LGBTQ+ people still feel unsafe to be out at work, it is paramount that they are able to disclose their identity on their own terms. Inclusive […]
How to support your LGBTQ+ colleagues
Happy Pride! Here are a few tips for allies on how to best support LGBTQ+ colleagues. Do more than just show up for Pride. Pride occurs once a year on the commemorative anniversary month of the 1969 Stonewall riots. Pride is more than just the stamp of rainbows and marketing to LGBTQ+ people, it’s a […]
Best Practices: Let Staff Tell Your Their Pronouns
When it comes to offering pronoun options for employees, the most inclusive practice is to allow people an option to describe their own pronouns. It might be an added step for Human Resources, but the benefit is priceless: the likely few people who use customized options will have the opportunity to have their identities seen […]
Do you know how to capture gender in an inclusive way when it comes to your Self ID practices?
Recently, I signed up for a webinar, and was prompted to select my gender with these options: Male Female Transgender As a transgender man, I was in the painful position of choosing between being counted as a trans person, or being counted as a male. It was a very “othering” experience from a very well-intentioned […]
Are your hiring efforts missing LGBTQ+ talent?
You know you can connect with amazing people at our Lavender Law® Conference and Career Fair. But what will set your workplace apart when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion? A whole pool of talented individuals will choose their employer based on how prepared they are to welcome diverse talent. First, be sure that your workplace is up-to-date on the most […]
Impact of Adding Pronouns to E-Signature
Did you know adding pronouns to your e-signature is not only a great move as a LGBTQ+ ally, but it can also bring in business? Hear why with this video testimonial from a partner at Goodwin Procter LLP, Kris Brown, who attended our Lavender Law 365™ program and was inspired to add his pronouns to […]
Why Pronouns Matter
On October 21, 2020, the National LGBT Bar is proud to join the celebration of International Pronouns Day. For the third year, participants all over the globe will once again acknowledge and celebrate the importance of respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns. Pronouns, by definition, are the words we use in place of someone’s […]
End the Blood Ban
In light of the COVID-19 crisis, the FDA recently reduced the deferral period for “male [blood] donors who would have been deferred for having sex with another man and female donors who would have been deferred for having sex with a man who had sex with another man” from 12 months to 3 months. Yet […]
Courage, Dignity, Strength, and Activism
At a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing on April 8, 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, took a brief moment to honor the struggle of the LGBTQ+ community during the HIV epidemic. Fauci highlighted how marginalized communities are being disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
Now Is The Time To Commit To Lasting Institutional Change
By M. Dru Levasseur, Deputy Program Officer of the National LGBT Bar As the COVID-19 pandemic rattles the world economy, several law firms have begun cutting support staff or vastly reducing their billable hours. These initial cuts may be a sign of what’s to come during a potential post-pandemic economic downturn and have far-reaching implications for […]
PRESS RELEASE: Lavender Law 365® expands nationwide to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion coaching to law firms and law schools across the country
For Immediate Release April 22, 2020 Contact: M. Dru Levasseur (202) 637-7661 // dru@lgbtqbar.org Lavender Law 365® expands nationwide to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion coaching to law firms, law schools, and companies across the country. The expansion is a direct response to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs taking a hit from the COVID-19 Crisis. [...]
Inclusion in an Unprecedented Time
By M. Dru Levasseur, Deputy Program Officer of the National LGBT Bar We’re in an unprecedented time. The global health crisis caused by COVID-19 has led to a near shutdown of most social functioning: no in-office work, no in-store shopping, no gathering of friends, no public events. Many, many people are left vulnerable, losing work, social […]
The Powerful Role of Attorneys
By M. Dru Levasseur, Deputy Program Officer of the National LGBT Bar On February 1st, I had the honor of keynoting the 19th Annual Minnesota Lavender Bar Conference. It’s always a pleasure to be in the room with members of one of our 38 state and local LGBT Bar Affiliates to hear about the exciting work […]
Beyond Pronouns: Embracing the Full Gender Spectrum
By M. Dru Levasseur, Deputy Program Officer of the National LGBT Bar Last week I spoke to Law360 about “How BigLaw Is Starting To Embrace The Full Gender Spectrum.” It is truly significant that law firms are taking a visible stance to include transgender and nonbinary attorneys in the legal workplace, particularly with the current […]