Prism 2016

Summer 2016

Prism

ALANYC Chapter Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter - Annual Edition

“We are mosaics. Pieces of light, love, history, stars... glued together with
magic and music and words.” - Anita Krizzan

IN THIS ISSUE: A WORD FROM THE CHAIR

A Word From the Chair 2 MATT FREDERICK - SEGAL MCCAMBRIDGE
2016-17 D&I Committee 3-5

Welcome to the Summer 2016 issue of changing, and whether new experiences

Authenticity - A Key to Inclusion 6 Prism, the second annual edition news- are perceived as attacks or opportunities
7
Law Firm Spotlight—Cooley LLP 8 letter of the ALANYC Diversity & Inclu- depends on one’s attitudes and open-

A Bridge to 21st Century 9 sion Committee! ness to growth. It’s a choice: we can
Leadership & Beyond
Proactive Change For Inclusion: 10-11 adapt, or ossify.
What’s the Holdup? I have learned so much as a member of
Open Your Mind to Diversity
the D&I committee. This has helped As the breadth of topics in the following

greatly in my role as an HR Manager, pages confirm, facets of the human

and I feel confident that I’m better pre- experience are constantly revealing

pared to deal with whatever issues cross themselves. The more we can learn to

the threshold, however unfamiliar. As I celebrate and not minimize our own

continue to learn about others’ experi- unique “mosaics,” the more we can ap-

ences, I often find myself thinking, “I had preciate those of others. We are glad to

12-14 no idea....” Everyone has a moving story, participate in the ALA’s mission to foster

Dining Trend: International Food which can be translated to provide valu- its members’ personal and professional
Courts
able contributions to society. development, regardless of one’s job

Meet Nellie Lefteratos: A Video Inter- 15 Personally, I am constantly thankful to title or whether one’s firm has actualized
view With The First ALANYC Chapter 16 diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Latina President live in an environment and time where I

Transgender Rights can exist as an out gay man with relative Thanks for the efforts of the ALANYC

freedom from reprisal or physical dan- D&I Committee members who have

ger. Until very recently this would not contributed to this issue.

have been the case, and it is still not the Thanks to our guest contributors, Ritu
situation for many. I am indebted to
Transgender Perspective: An Update 17-18 those who have risked everything to Bhasin, Karen A. Clark, Amie Santos

stand up for equal rights. and Angelique Piwinski for their pro-

Autism: An Overview 19-21 fessional perspectives.

Not long ago, if you asked someone
what diversity meant, they might say it Thanks to my predecessor as D&I Chair,
ALA’s Diversity & Inclusion Scorecard 22 referred to race, and then perhaps also Jenniffer Brown, for all of her help in

Diversity Training: An Important and 23 gender. Now there is increasing aware- preparing me to assume this role, and to
Ongoing Investment in Your Employ- 24 ness of many types of diversity, and that NYC Chapter president Nellie Leftera-
ees
the unique characteristics of our co- tos, for her feedback and guidance.
D&I Match Game
workers can be a great catalyst for Thanks to Segal McCambridge, for

change, productivity and profitability their continued support of my profes-

when well integrated into the workplace. sional development over the past 13

Hamilton: More Than Just a Broadway 25 Many have heard the statistics telling years.
Sensation
D&I In Colonial America: Highlights of 26-27 how law firms lag behind other sectors And a very special
the Remarkable Life of Alexander
Hamilton in embracing diversity and inclusion. The
good news is that much groundbreaking Thanks to Past President Advisor Nadia
NYC Bar Diversity Pipeline Resources 28 work has already been done and is Wagner, who brought her considerable
readily available to energize our firms’ D&I knowledge, network and experi-
cultures—we just have to educate our- ence—not to mention inimitable ener-
selves and implement strategies already gy—to make this issue into something
of which we are truly proud. We couldn’t
at work in society.
have done it without you, Nadia!

A Sampling of Summer Celebrations 29 The time has never been better. Every
Around the World 30 day in New York City provides endless On behalf of the ALANYC D&I Commit-
opportunities to encounter those differ- tee, we hope you find the contents of
Answers to Match Game ent from ourselves. In contemporary this issue as educational and inspiration-
culture, there is a constant flow of sto- al as we have….

ries about formerly marginalized per- Thanks, Matt Frederick

sons whose lives are now receiving

mainstream attention. The world is

2

2016-17 ALANYC D&I COMMITTEE

Meet Your 2016-17 D&I Committee

Matt Frederick, Chair
East Coast HR Manager, Segal McCambridge
[email protected]

Nadia Wagner, Past President Advisor
Office Manager, Beveridge & Diamond, PC
[email protected]

Oria L. Aponte, Member
Office Administrator, Gordon & Rees LLP
[email protected]

Joan Ashland, Member
Associate Director,
Compensation & Performance Management ,
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
[email protected]

Marcia Belgorod, Member
Retired ALA Member
[email protected]

Scott Cocker, Member
New York Office Administrator, Cooley LLP
[email protected]

David Glicksman, Member
Director of Finance,
Lester Schwab Katz & Dwyer LLP
[email protected]

Santa Medina, Member
Office Manager, Brill & Meisel
[email protected]

MATT

Starting life as an army brat, I moved over 25 times with my family. Fortu-
nately, I got used to being the new kid, and was always excited to discover
new places. One highlight was spending my 11th year in Australia.

Since college, however, I’ve settled down in NYC. As an avid cook, I read
food books, take classes and travel to culinary destinations. When I first
moved to Manhattan to attend graduate school at NYU, I lived near Union
Square and frequented the Greenmarket, where I got tips from the farmers.
Ten years ago, I moved to Hell’s Kitchen (appropriately named) and signed
up on the waiting list for a plot in a community garden. Finally, this sum-
mer, my name came up—it’s great to be able to run around the corner and
pick a handful of tomatoes or herbs for dinner.

A few years ago, I started running again. It had been many years since my
time on the track team in high school, and was slow going at first. These
days I look forward to jogging along the Hudson year round and for the
past three years I have participated in the 5K race in Central Park as part of
a team I organize for my firm.

I am a practicing Buddhist active in the local chapter of the SGI, an interna-
tional Buddhist organization. This has been helpful in my personal and
professional development by encouraging the appreciation of self and
others, and it has provided concrete methods to develop my capacity for
empathy and gratitude.

3

2016-17 ALANYC D&I COMMITTEE, CONT’D

NADIA JOAN

My family immigrated to the United States in 1969. As a I’ve been fortunate to work at the same Firm for 29 years. I was
child, I did not speak any English which led to a difficult tran- the Houston Office Administrator for Weil until three years ago
sition. But, thanks to regular TV watching and an avid love of at which time I was given the opportunity to lead our Compen-
reading, I was fortunate to become fluent within a short peri- sation and Performance Management Department for all U.S.
od of time. My parents taught me a proper work ethic and offices, based out of New York City. For the first two years, I
good values, which I hope to impart to my own children. I worked from Houston but, truthfully, I am not a good remote
graduated with a Psychology degree from SUNY Stony Brook worker; I want to be close to my team. So in August of 2015, I
and have spent practically my entire working career in law moved to Manhattan. New York, New York…I couldn’t think of
firms. I have been with my current firm for 27 years. I live in a better place to wind down my career. Prior to settling into a
Plainview, LI, am married to a wonderful man (we’ll be cele- profession, I enjoyed being a “sailor” in the U.S. Navy during
brating our 30th anniversary in 2017), have 3 sons who bring the early 70s. I had the great fortune to be stationed in Okina-
me great joy, Cameron, Brandon and Dylan (no, I was not a wa, Japan, and Hawaii. For someone who loves the water, I
90210 junkie, I just liked the names!), and consider each day a couldn’t have been luckier. I then went on to build a court
gift. I have been a member of ALA for over 25 years and feel reporting business in Florida with a terrific partner. Although I
extremely blessed with the opportunities and friendships it severed our business relationship when I moved to Texas, that
has afforded me. I love to keep busy and serve on several firm is still going strong. I have some pretty good memories
committees both at my firm and for ALA. In addition, with from depositions I took – the stories I could tell! When I
my good friend Nellie, I started a side business a few years moved to Texas, I was not certified to “report” in the state so I
ago which we continue to nourish and grow. I still love read- made the best decision of my life: get a job that gives you a
ing but also love to travel, cook and entertain. steady paycheck, and here I am. As mentioned earlier, I love
anything that has to do with water, also, I am an avid reader
MARCIA (mostly mind candy) and I particularly enjoy a good glass of
wine in the company of good friends.
After six years as an administrator of a women-owned law
firm, several years in the health industry and as an independ- ORIA
ent consultant in labor-management issues, and over 30
years in New York City government, much of it concerned I live in Westchester County with my husband Dan and my
with diversity issues, I find myself in a new phase of my life. lovely children – Dylan and Lyana. My background is in man-
No sooner had I theoretically retired that friends asked me to agement and finance and economics. Juggling life between
join them as they attempted to turn around a private, two- work and family is always a challenge but I would not have it
year college. I’m now working as a Career Specialist with any other way! I began my career as an office administrator 5
college students, helping to prepare them for jobs. So here I years ago and have enjoyed every moment of it. I joined the
am, a white “senior citizen” working with primarily minority diversity committee after speaking at an ALA Luncheon on
students, as much as 45 years my juniors, continuing to learn “Super Storm Sandy”. It has been a wonderful and enriching
about diversity from a different perspective. It is immensely journey to work with such talented and dedicated people. I am
gratifying to help a student find a job or an internship. I love confident that with our joint efforts we will definitely make a
seeing a student’s face light up with confidence when she difference in the legal community.
realizes how much her résumé has been improved, and how
much she really has to offer. I look forward to continuing in
this phase and the next, perhaps lending perspective from
the standpoint of an original post-war baby boomer (born 9
months to the day after my father returned from World War
II.)

4

2016-17 ALANYC D&I COMMITTEE, CONT’D

SCOTT DAVID

I am currently the New York Administrator at Cooley. In addi- I consider myself to be a very unique person. Howev-
tion to New York, I have worked as a law firm administrator in er, I would say that most of my uniqueness is non-
Washington DC and in Asia. In my free time, I like to bicycle visual. On the face of it, being a short, white, balding,
and work out with my boxing trainer. I live on the Upper West Jewish accountant is not going to get me on too many
Side of Manhattan with my partner/spouse of 21 years, Jamie. Diversity panels. However, from a young age, I never
really fit it in with too many people, and to this day, I
SANTA function best in very small social circles. Academically,
in addition to my Accounting degree, I have a degree
I was born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. I am one in Classical Greek and Roman Civilization. I think this
of six children. My full name is Santa Milagros Medina. My first has given me a unique perspective that has aided me
and middle names mean Saint Miracle in Spanish. I hold a B.S. in my life and in my work. Beyond my CPA, I also have
degree in Business, Management and Economics. My favorite the ALA CLM designation, which gives me an addi-
pastime is spending time with family and friends. Below are tional specialized perspective with respect to manag-
pictures of me enjoying precious moments with loved ones. ing within professional service firms. Further, I have
suffered from clinical depression at various points in
my life which is a constant battle that often presents
itself at the most inopportune times.

As some of you may know, I spend a significant
amount of my free time doing animal-related volun-
teer work (I am currently an active volunteer at the
following organizations - The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC
Animals, Animal Care Centers of NYC, ASPCA, Paws
NY, Rock and Rawhide, Tavi & Friends, Rational Ani-
mal, The Jackson Galaxy Foundation, among others).
Later this year, I will be getting my Animal Control
Officer designation, which I anticipate will make me
the only “CPA, CLM, ACO” in recorded history. Not
only is my animal volunteering helping me with my
depression, but it has given me a rewarding sense of
work-life balance that I never imagined was possible
in my 30-year work history.

Again, I see my uniqueness as mostly non-visual, but
that’s part of the joy of diversity – that we are all
unique in so many different ways – race, creed, color,
visual, non-visual, emotional, cognitive, etc., etc., etc.
As such, I fully believe in treating people fairly, not
rushing to impulsive judgments, and being tolerant
and helpful towards others. As Tim McGraw’s latest
song says, “Always be Humble and Kind”.

5

AUTHENTICITY—A KEY TO INCLUSION

RITU BHASIN - BHASIN CONSULTING, INC.

In recent months, there has been a lot ryone is expected to behave the same our organizations in order to in-
of discussion about the value of au- way in order to be accepted and get vite experiences of authenticity
thenticity – particularly in the context ahead. for each one of our leaders and
of career advancement and success. It employees?
forces us to ask: is bringing your What we are overlooking is that this The work that will lead us to true inclu-
whole, authentic self into the work- homogeneous set of expectations – sion starts here.
place an advantage or an obstacle? which most believe directly corresponds
to leadership ability – is not culturally Ritu Bhasin, LL.B. MBA, is a globally rec-
One side of the debate – which in- neutral, but rather represents the pre- ognized leadership and inclusion expert
cludes Wharton professor Adam ferred behaviors of the dominant cul- with a mission to create a more inclu-
Grant, who recently published a New ture. In other words, “bringing the out- sive and empowered world. She has
York Times op-ed on authenticity – side in” fundamentally changes who we delivered extensive programming and
argues that it is better in the long run are, and is the very definition of con- coaching to senior executives across
not to bring your authentic self to formity. sectors with a focus on Cultural Compe-
work. Grant says that authenticity tence, diversity and inclusion, and the
ultimately damages your career, and If minimization is the enemy of inclu- advancement of women. Her book, The
that rather than striving to express sion, then authenticity is inclusion’s clos- Authenticity Principle will be released
who we truly are, we should be bring- est ally. For the past several years, I have in 2017.
ing “the outside in,” matching who we been conducting research for my up-
are on the inside with who we want to coming book, The Authenticity Principle, To connect with Ritu and receive up-
be on the outside. in which I examine the importance and dates about The Authenticity Principle
the value of authenticity, and the barri- visit ritubhasin.com/connect.
Grant is right about one thing: in our ers many of us face to living more au-
current culture, bringing your authen- thentic lives. AUTHENTICITY:
tic self to work can have negative con-  Real or genuine, not copied or
sequences. But as an inclusion profes- What I’ve discovered time and time
sional, I recognize that this attitude again in my research, which includes forced.
poses a major threat to advancing interviews with dozens of senior lead-  True and accurate
inclusion – particularly in shifting or- ers, is that an overwhelming number of
ganizational culture to include and us struggle with masking, hiding, and
advance women, people of color, and pushing down core aspects of who we
other diverse professionals. truly are in order to get ahead. We
struggle to bring our authentic selves
This way of thinking reinforces the to work, and this has a profoundly neg-
culture of minimization that domi- ative effect on us and on our organiza-
nates American workplaces, which is tions.
what keeps us from being truly inclu-
sive. It causes us to ignore factors like This is where we all need to pause and Not false or imitation, actual
race, gender, religion, sexual orienta- reflect:
tion, and more. When we minimize,
we welcome diverse professionals into  How can our organizations be-
our organizations (we focus on the come truly inclusive if we contin- - Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary
numbers) but once they have arrived, ue pushing an agenda that favors
we ask them to suppress their differ- behavioral conformity to the
ences, and we expect sameness and dominant culture?
conformity in terms of behavior. Eve-
 How can we shift the way we lead

6

LAW FIRM SPOTLIGHT: COOLEY LLP

AMIE SANTOS — COOLEY LLP

Diversity Strengthens Culture at Cooley LLP opportunities for professional and business development
through participation in networking events. Additional
At Cooley, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is affinity groups that remain invaluable to fostering inclu-
integral to our culture, as well as to our efforts to leverage sion include African American attorneys and LGBTQ attor-
human talent and enhance competitiveness. It is a busi- neys.
ness imperative, championed by our CEO Joseph Conroy.
In the spirit of his vision and leadership, we are dedicated Recognizing that our leaders must be continually challenged
to maintaining a truly diverse workforce that values and and educated on the nuanced key principles of diversity and
celebrates differences – from the way we relate to and inclusion, meaningful discussions on this topic were featured
support one another, to the way we work together as one as the keynote presentation for the past two partner confer-
firm to meet the needs of our clients. It is the unique abili- ences. In 2015, Professor Jerry Kang presented on uncon-
ties and perspectives of every individual at Cooley that scious bias in law firms and in 2016, Lauren Stiller Rikleen
create such a rewarding workplace and constantly addressed generational diversity within the workplace. To
strengthens our culture. build on this momentum, formal diversity training for all firm
lawyers and managers is planned for the first quarter of
As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, we estab- 2017.
lished a diversity fellowship program in 2008. This pro-
gram demonstrates our awareness that in order to have a Cooley lawyers serve in leadership roles for organizations
truly diverse environment, you have to target lawyers who that focus on the advancement and mentorship of minori-
themselves champion diversity. In 2013, the fellowship was ties. We are proud to be active members of the Leadership
expanded by increasing both the amount of tuition assis- Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD) and Minority Corporate
tance and the number of summers that fellows may spend Counsel Association (MCCA), and strongly support diverse
with Cooley from one to two. First-year law students with a and women’s organizations including the National Bar Asso-
diverse background, broadly defined, and/or who demon- ciation (NBA), National Asian Pacific and American Bar Asso-
strate a commitment to promoting diversity, are invited to ciation (NAPABA), National Association of Women Lawyers
apply for fellowships consisting of awards of up to $30,000 (NAWL), Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) and
to assist with law school tuition and an invitation to join Women in Law London (WILL).
our summer associate program. Since its inception, Coo-
ley has awarded over $450,000 in tuition assistance and 29 We also regularly attend minority job fairs, sponsor and at-
diversity fellows have begun their legal career with us. tend receptions for minority law students, support and con-
Additionally, Cooley was one of four major law firms to tribute to minority law school symposiums and conferences,
pilot the OnRamp Fellowship, a re-entry platform launched and participate in pipeline programs through the Sponsors
in 2014 that matches experienced female lawyers returning for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Career Program and the
to the profession with law firms. We hired two OnRamp American Bar Association’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Pro-
Fellows from the inaugural 2014 fellowship class and have gram (JIOP).
since hired six additional fellows.
We are proud of our diversity initiatives and commitment to
Our diversity committee was created to help us reflect the overall firm culture.
diversity of our communities and is comprised of partners
and associates across all offices. Members work closely Additional Resources about Diversity at Cooley:
alongside the management and hiring committees to cre-
ate programs and policies geared towards advancing our Bloomberg article on diversity initiatives, authored by a Coo-
diversity and inclusion goals. One of these programs is ley associate.
the Cooley Women’s Initiative, which provides the tools
needed to achieve professional and personal fulfillment, Video clips on diversity and culture at Cooley.
including personalized counseling, business development
training and networking opportunities for women lawyers For more information, please contact Amie Santos, Diversity
across the firm. Another is our Minority Associates Group and Inclusion Manager at [email protected].
(MAG), which provides a forum and resource for support,
guidance and mentoring of minority associates, as well as

7

A BRIDGE TO 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP & BEYOND

NADIA WAGNER - BEVERIDGE & DIAMOND, PC

Imagine sharing an educational experience across the nation venues that would support both a live audience and also be
with other ALA chapters – both large and small – in real time, able to provide us with the technology needed for the
televised and LIVE with the added benefit of moderator-driven livestreaming. Thanks to the generous help of Roseann Lentin
dialogue. Think big screen. Think “Oprah’s Master Class”. and the bi-coastal teams of Reed Smith, we were able to re-
This is precisely the idea that our illustrious ALANYC Immedi- serve a conference facility at both locations for the event.
ate Past President, Sharon Stewart, had in mind in the fall of
2015 and one that she tasked our chapter’s Diversity & Inclu- The pace moved very quickly thereafter. One member was as-
sion Committee with taking on. The idea was to get a per- signed the duties of procuring the CLM accreditation, another-
spective across the nation about pertinent D&I topics and was charged with getting CLE accreditation. All members of the com-
to be a collaboration between NYC and a West Coast chapter, mittee were given various duties and responsibilities. A small sub-
with NYC taking on the broader responsibility of organizing group focused its attention on the project and ensured that it
the session. We were fortunate to achieve an alliance with the progressed quickly and on time. The subgroup held weekly
Golden Gate Chapter which readily agreed to accept our pro- phone conferences to update the status of the project and con-
posal. Three panelists on each coast would provide their ex- firm that things were progressing smoothly. We also spent a lot
pertise about D&I issues in a back-and-forth format and the of time marketing the event – including placing numerous, color-
session was to be livestreamed across the nation. It was a ful ads in the New York Law Journal, the National Law Journal and
monumental feat and required a great deal of organization, The Recorder on the west coast, in addition to marketing through
but we saw the benefits of such a program and how it can several social media outlets.
specifically provide us with an opportunity to share some D&I
knowledge. Thus was born A Bridge to 21st Century Leader- March 22, 2016 was a flurry of activity. There were many, many
ship and Beyond! The Making of a Diverse and Inclusive details that went into the final preparations for the program. We
Leader. The concept was new, innovative and never before had an overall attendance of over 100 people across the nation,
undertaken by an ALA chapter. Understanding the cost that reaching participants in Chicago, New Jersey, Boston, Atlanta,
would probably be associated with such a program, our first Washington, DC, Baltimore, Nashville, Las Vegas, Minneapolis,
order of business was to apply for a FALA grant (The Founda- Houston, Denver, Reno and Honolulu. The program garnered a
tion of The ALA is the charitable, educational and research score of 4.7 out of 5, with each panelist on each coast scoring
affiliate of ALA), which we successfully achieved in short order. between 4.6 and 4.8 out of 5 for overall performance and exper-
tise. Many lawyers attended the session and were provided with a
The program was to have a live format with a moderator driv- CLE credit for their effort.
ing the discussion between the panels on each coast. The ses-
sions would be open to all chapter members and others in the The program was a huge success and will be presented for an
NYC and SF areas to attend in person and the program would IDEA award on behalf of the NYC and SF chapters at the next Na-
simultaneously be streamed live for others to join in. The ses- tional Conference.
sion was to be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET in order to
easily accommodate various time zones across the nation and For those who were unable to attend the program on March 22,
would include a Q&A segment. We would close the program we are delighted to announce that the program will be available
with a half-hour of socialization and networking. To encour- in webinar format in the next few weeks. Attorneys in your firms
age attendance and participation, we also would have both who view the webinar will be able to earn CLE credit for NY or CA.
CLM and CLE accreditation for the program. Finally, we want-
ed to videotape the session and be able to provide it as a Stay tuned for details . . .
webinar in the future.

After review of the chapter calendar, we settled on the date of
March 22, 2016 for the session and preparations went into full
swing to accomplish all goals within a very limited period of
time. All members of the D&I Committee on both coasts were
activated into service for the project and immediately set out to
locate and book speakers for the panels – not an easy task. We
reviewed respective contact lists and reached out to business
partners, local colleges and diversity organizations for sugges-
tions. Within a few short weeks, we had confirmed 6 excellent,
high caliber panelists – all attorneys – and had confirmed a top
notch moderator as well. Simultaneously, we scouted various

8

PROACTIVE CHANGE FOR INCLUSION:
WHAT’S THE HOLD-UP?

KAREN A. CLARK - CITY NATIONAL BANK

I have been learning, teaching and implementing diversity & performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 on a series of fac-
inclusion training for a long time. I started in the late 80’s with tors relating to the hiring and advancement of women and
a big bank, teaching diversity & inclusion for greater bottom non-whites.
line productivity in the United States and Europe. Sometimes I
was greeted enthusiastically for this mandatory two day class; The study found the annualized return for the 100 companies
and other times, not so welcomed. I can only attribute the re- which rated lowest in equal employment opportunities issues
sistance to fear. We have come far since the 1980’s but even in averaged 7.9 percent, compared to 18.3 percent for the 100
2016, we see resistance to this idea of inclusion in our compa- companies that rated highest in their equal employment oppor-
nies. tunities. Thus, the stock market performance of the firms that
were high performers on the glass ceiling-related goals was 2.5
Our companies are fertile ground for experiments in inclusion. times higher than that of the firms which invested little in glass
Our workforces are made up of people from around the globe, ceiling-related issues.
with different experiences, backgrounds, education, life experi-
ences, and perspectives. A proactive approach to inclusion and Millennials. There are other reasons that firms should pay at-
collaboration allows for some measure of control in implemen- tention to this issue. By 2025, 70 percent of the workforce will
tation and intended outcomes. A proactive approach allows us be millennials who have grown up as the most diverse genera-
to manage the change that will certainly happen based on tion in American history, and they expect diversity and inclusion
American’s dynamic and changing demographics. in their environment. Statistics also show that this group is often
not willing to settle for work environments that are less than
Gender & Ethnic Inequality. Recent surveys show that, while satisfactory, thus creating a generation with the highest levels of
women make up more than a third of the legal profession, they education and the highest levels of unemployment.
only represent 17 percent of the equity partners at law firms.
Africans, Asians and Native Americans, along with Latinos, con- Marketplace Reality. The marketplace is increasingly diverse.
stitute about a fifth of law school graduates, but make up fewer While lawyers are overwhelmingly white, the United States has
than 7 percent of law firm partners. Diversity is an area in which become a multicultural society, with whites expected to be a
law firms have traditionally not competed well. There have minority by the year 2043.
been many case studies proving that diversity and inclusion,
managed properly, can be profitable for the firm. But the im- Unconscious Bias. Recognize that bias is often an unconscious
portance and value of a more diverse and inclusive legal pro- response. Even if you assume you and your colleagues are all
fession goes well beyond dollars and cents. fair and sensitive individuals, you may be making discriminatory
decisions unconsciously. Case in point – a consulting firm gave
Social Justice. A diverse and inclusive legal profession is fun- white law partners a memo to review. One group of partners
damental to social justice. Surveys reveal that when teams had was told the memo was written by Tony O’Keefe; they rated its
one or more members who represented a target end user, the quality 4.1 on a 5 point scale. The other were told it was written
entire team was as much as 158 percent more likely to under- by Keisha Thompson; they rated it 3.2.
stand that target end user and innovate accordingly.
Be a Change Agent. John F. Kennedy said – “Change is the law
Profitability. Writer Melissa Lauber, in a recent article, cited a of life. And those that look only to the past or present will miss
report on the economic imperative of managing diversity that the future”. For companies that want not only to survive, but to
includes more than 70 pages of analysis. The report concluded thrive in the future, now is the time to jump in front of the fray.
simply, “Organizations which excel at leveraging diversity Now is the time to utilize all available brain power to get ready
(including the hiring and advancement of women and non- for the new world, not so far away. A company that is posi-
white men into senior management jobs, and providing a cli- tioned to capitalize on ALL the best talent and not just a slice of
mate conducive to contributions from people of diverse back- it will outpace their competition every time.
grounds) will experience better financial performance in the
long run than organizations which are not effective in manag- Karen A Clark is the SVP / Multicultural Strategy Manager at City
ing diversity." National Bank . You can contact Karen at:

One of the many statistics used to bolster this finding was a [email protected]
study, by Covenant Investment Management, which rated the

9

OPEN YOUR MIND TO DIVERSITY

MARCIA BELGOROD

As administrators and managers we fre- being green. Rights movement beginning with the

quently have to be the change agents in Go to the movies Stonewall Riots.
our firms. Often we are expected to be
Finding Your Roots, a series that may
aware of potential issues before they be- Equity is a portrayal of Wall Street that be difficult to categorize and contro-
versial about what it has or has not
come major concerns. To accomplish this, focuses on smart, ambitious women. presented, has given us insight into
the American melting pot by using
we sometimes have to go outside our Southside with You, a fictional portray- celebrity family trees as a device for
comfort zones and learn about how other al of the Obamas’ first date on the exploring American history, particular-
people live or can be affected by decisions Southside of Chicago. ly with respect to racial identity and
within our organizations. We may have to slavery.

suppress our personal opinions for the Hidden Figures is a film about African

sake of fairness. To aid us in tackling these American women mathematicians

issues, we may rely on professional semi- whose work for NASA contributed to

nars, workshops and readings, or we may early space missions. Go out to eat

just step out into the world and experience The Thirteenth, a documentary regard- Try an ethnic cuisine that you haven’t
new ideas. ing the prison system in the United tasted before. In Queens, and else-

In New York, we are particularly lucky States and how it reveals the nation’s where, you can find food from several

(even if we don’t always think so) to live in history of racial inequality, is opening countries on the same block.

one of the most diverse places in the later this year. Try some of the food courts men-
tioned in Matt Frederick’s article on
world. Just look around you on the sub- Watch television pgs. 12-14.
way. All kinds of people flock here, for

opportunities, for entertainment, the arts, How to Get Away with Murder – Viola

education, and freedom to be who we are. Davis stars as a criminal lawyer and Go for a walk

What are some of the ways we can go out law professor. She was the first wom- In New York, there have always been
and expand our experiences? an of color to win an Emmy for lead- ethnic enclaves in every borough.
ing actress in a drama. Take a walk on Roosevelt Avenue in
Go to a Broadway (or off-Broadway)

show Masters of None has dealt humorously Queens and see one ethnic block after

Hamilton with its hip-hop rhythms with serious issues like the clash be- another. Or walk down Fourth Avenue
and and diverse cast (See review p. 25) tween the immigrant generation and in Brooklyn, where there are other
the first generation raised in the U.S. ethnic blocks. What other cities have

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Blackish departed from its sitcom for- three Chinatowns?
Night-Time - about the world of an mat to address relations between mi-
autistic teenager attempting to solve a nority communities and the police. Participate in one of the numerous
mystery. It’s closing soon. If you can’t fundraising walks; for example, join
make it before it closes, try reading Mom features issues of substance the ALA Team in the Autism Speaks
the book on which it’s based. abuse recovery and single Walk in October, or participate in the
parenthood. Aids Walk in May. You will never feel
Falsettos – (Opening in October) tells better in every way than you do when

the story of Marvin, his ex-wife Trina, Transparent and Orange is the New you complete one of these walks.

his psychiatrist Mendel, his 10-year- Black have dealt with transgender Read an ethnic newspaper
old son Jason, and his gay lover issues.

Whizzer Brown. Confirmation dealt with the Clarence Some require knowledge of another
Thomas hearings, taking on issues of language, but others, like New
Kinky Boots, Wicked and The Book of sexual harassment and race. York Amsterdam News and The Irish
Mormon have all been running for Echo, cater to groups that have always
several years. They all deal with clash- Underground is a dramatic series on been English-speaking. Still others,
es of culture in their own ways. If you the experience of slaves and the Un- like The Forward, originally the
question Wicked as a musical about derground Railroad. The Jewish Daily Forward published in
diversity, think of it as a story of a Yiddish, have predominantly later-
woman who doesn’t fit in because of When We Rise, is an upcoming mini- generation readers whose first lan-
the color of her skin. It’s not easy series about the history of the Gay guage is English.

10

OPEN YOUR MIND TO DIVERSITY, CONT’D

MARCIA BELGOROD

Go to a parade The National Museum of the Ameri- Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and

From spring through fall, there is a can Indian is part of the Smithsonian Redemption in an American Prison,
different parade almost every week- Institution and located in the Alexan- Shaka Senghor
end. See the West Indian Parade eve- der Hamilton Custom House near Bat-
ry Labor Day Weekend tery Park. It possesses one of the It’s Not Over: Getting Beyond Toler-
world’s largest collections of Native ance, Defeating Homophobia and Win-
https://www.youtube.com/watch? artifacts including artifacts from the ning True Equality, Michelangelo Si-
v=qHqM954nZpo entire Western Hemisphere. gnorile

Or the Pride Parade in June Go to the Stonewall National Monu- I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up
ment, recently declared America’s first for Education and Was Shot by the
https://www.youtube.com/watch? LGBT national park site. Taliban, Malala Yousafzai and Christi-
v=wBSBvG9AEyI na Lamb

Visit someone’s house Have coffee or a glass of wine Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers

Louis Armstrong House in Corona to If you are over 50, sit down with Who Fought the Landmark Case for
see the jazz musician’s memorabilia. someone under 30, who is not your Marriage Equality, Debbie Cenziper
relative, to learn about that person’s and Jim Obergefell

The Tenement Museum on the Lower life and dreams and aspirations. Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet
East Side to learn about the early (Jewish Lives), Jeffrey Rose
twentieth-century immigrant experi- If you are under 30, sit down with
ence. someone over 50. Invisible Man, Got The Whole World

Visit someone else’s house of worship Change your radio station Watching: A Young Black Man’s Edu-
cation, Michal Denzel Smith
Many of New York’s congregations Listen to an ethnic music station.
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the
welcome visitors of other faiths, or no Listen to a college station. They fre- United States (ReVisioning American
History), Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
faith, to visit. We have churches for quently showcase a variety of music

every Christian denomination, syna- styles.

gogues of every branch of Judaism, Read a book America Is In The Heart: A Personal
Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist temples, History (Classics of Asian American

Muslim mosques, and probably vari- Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Literature), Carlos Bulosan

ous other religious sites. Check one Coates The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of
out. The Underground Railroad, Colson a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism,

Attend an interfaith event. Several Whitehead Naoki Higashida and KA Yoshida

churches and synagogues in Forest The Joy Luck Club , Amy Tan The lists of opportunities to expand our
Hills participate in an annual interfaith
Thanksgiving service the Sunday be- Ourselves, horizons are endless. No one person can
fore the holiday. It rotates among the We Are Not Matthew experience everyone else’s lives. We can
various congregations. Other com- Thomas only try to go outside our own bubbles,
munities have similar events.
The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit, but the more we experience, the more we

Lucette Lagnado can understand. The more we understand,

Go to a museum or monument The Shoemaker’s Wife, Adriana Trigiani the better we can translate that under-
standing into action to promote diversity
The Museo del Barrio on upper Fifth
Avenue spotlights Latino Culture. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and inclusion throughout our firms and in

Junot Diaz our everyday lives.

The Museum of Tolerance in Lower Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and
Manhattan commemorates the Jewish Sweet, Jamie Ford
victims of the Holocaust while cele-

brating Jewish life of the twentieth Homegoing: A Novel, Yaa Gyasi

and twenty-first centuries.

11

DINING TREND—INTERNATIONAL FOOD COURTS

MATT FREDERICK - SEGAL MCCAMBRIDGE

The constant change in the New York Manhattan Teas, Chi Dumplings, Olma Caviar,

City metropolitan area provides endless TurnStyle Ora di Pasta, Lady M Patisserie, Sabi
Sushi and longtime NY Kosher mainstay
surprises…

Who would have thought that the food Enter on any corner of 57th/58th Street William Greenberg Desserts, among
court, one of America’s most ubiquitous & 8th Avenue, Midtown West Manhat- others.

and tired culinary concepts, would get a tan Gotham West Market

makeover and become the next big NYC www.turn-style.com 11th Avenue between 44th & 45th Streets,
dining trend? Far from clones of the
cookie-cutter chains found in every mall, Opened in April, 2016, TurnStyle is 325 Westside Manhattan
these new iterations feature curated feet of underground corridor space www.gothamwestmarket.com
collections of diverse and uncommon leading to the Columbus Circle subway
station (no Metrocard needed for ac- With its trendy industrial decor, this
ethnic cuisines. Some have the added cess). There are a few large chains here, 10,000-s.f. food market space functions
mission of incubating local businesses but most are smaller, local businesses, as a “canteen” for residents of the 1,238-
by providing a next step for ideas start- such as Fika Swedish café, Ellary’s unit residential complex Gotham West
ed in a food truck or market stall, allow-
Greens, Donuttery, Pressed Juices and and neighboring Hell’s Kitchen denizens,
ing for controlled growth before facing Bolivian Llama Party. There is also an as well as tourists from the Intrepid and
the risky the demands of an independ- outpost for South Yonkers’ innovative cruise ships on the piers. The varied
ent brick-and-mortar existence. Greyston Bakery (which provides em- communal indoor and outdoor seating

ployment opportunities and support areas encourage groups to form, yet are

Driven by millennial tastes, these spaces services regardless of background or large enough to afford solo visitors
have communal seating which allows for work history: www.greyston.com) There plenty of nooks to work on their laptops.
flexibility, and provides plenty of leeway are 24 venues, of which 10 sell food or Special events, public-use board games,
for the varied tastes of a given dining beverages. music and films inspire waves of attend-
party. Often they are conceived as ance throughout the day and night. Of-
amenities for residential and commercial ferings include Ivan Ramen’s first loca-
buildings or anchored around tourist tion outside of Tokyo, Blue Bottle Cof-
and transit hubs. Manhattan led the way fee, El Colmado tapas, The Cannibal
with Chelsea Market and the Flatiron with its hundreds of beer varieties, Cho-
Eataly, but now they are popping up all za Taqueria and Ample Hills, Zagat’s
over the metropolitan area, with many #1 rated NYC ice cream.

similar projects in the works. You might

have already come across at least one of

these newfangled food courts in your

travels. Here’s a guide to some of the
newest and most prominent, in case you The Plaza Food Hall

want to seek them out. (Check weblinks The Plaza Hotel, Lower level, 57th & Fifth

provided for updated vendor lists, busi- Avenue, Midtown East, Manhattan

ness hours and directions to plan your www.theplazany.com/dining/the-plaza-

trip.) food-hall/

The legendary hotel repurposed it’s low-
er level into a sleek space of white mar-
ble to house a curated collection with
outposts from Epicerie Boulud, Kusmi

12

DINING TREND—INTERNATIONAL FOOD COURTS, CONT’D

MATT FREDERICK - SEGAL MCCAMBRIDGE

City Kitchen http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/ food court at the Brookfield Place com-

Row Hotel 700 8th Ave at 44th St., Thea- pdfs/directoryMap.pdf plex (formerly World Financial Center)
ter District, Manhattan across from the World Trade Center. It
Danish celebrity chef Claus Meyer’s ambi- houses many eateries including Num
http://citykitchen.rownyc.com/ tious food hall inside Grand Central Ter- Pang, Northern Tiger, Black Seed Ba-
minal's Vanderbilt Hall has five pavilions gels, Blue Ribbon Sushi and Parm. On
The Milford Plaza, former stalwart of the of different dishes and drinks. You can the floor below is Le District. Casually
theater district, has been completely ren- get open-faced sandwiches, sweet pas- referred to as “the French Eataly,” it is a
ovated into a boutique hotel. Now the tries, coffee, and cocktails at the mini massive 30,000-s.f. market divided into
Row Hotel, it has a window-lined food food court, which also promises a grain “districts” such as: the Café District
court on the second floor which is a wel- bar and a vegetable-focused stall. This (pastries, coffee, housemade ice cream,
come oasis from which to observe in the Scandinavian concept joins the already crepes, Belgian waffles), the Market Dis-
hubbub of the Theater District at a quiet- well-established Grand Central Market trict (cheese, charcuterie, bread, fish mar-
er distance. Some of the featured vendors with myriad options on the east side of ket, butcher, wine bar, flower shop) and
are Sigmund’s Pretzels, Kuro Obi Ra- the station complex, and the wide array the Garden District (prepared foods and
men, Luke’s Lobster, Gabriela’s of restaurants in the basement-level Din- specialty groceries). There are many seat-
Taquería, Illi Middle Eastern food, ing Concourse, making the eating op- ing areas on both floors, indoors and out.
Dough Donuts, and Wooly’s shave ice. tions in this one location almost endless.

Gansevoort Market Urbanspace Vanderbilt Eataly Downtown

353 W. 14th Street between Eighth & 230 Park Ave., Midtown East World Trade Center Tower 4, Third Floor,
Ninth Avenue, West Village, Manhattan Downtown Manhattan
www.urbanspacenyc.com/urbanspace-
www.gansmarket.com vanderbilt/ https://www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/
new-york

Established in 2015, Urbanspace Vander- The Italian cuisine behemoth has opened
bilt is providing upstart competition to a new branch at the World Trade Center.
nearby Grand Central Terminal with its

20+ artisanal and chef-driven food con-

cepts. These bring some of the trendiest

area food concepts into the heart of mid-

town, namely: Mile End Deli, La Palapa,

Mimi’s Hummus, Odd Fellows Ice

Cream, Amali-Mou Greek cuisine, and

Roberta’s Pizza.

Recently pushed out of its lovely Gan- Hudson Eats and Le District It contains four casual restaurants, one
sevoort Street location to make way for a upscale restaurant, six take-away coun-
reincarnation of Pastis restaurant, this Brookfield Place, 225 Liberty St., Battery ters, and two bars (one coffee, one wine).
new location a few blocks uptown has Park City, Downtown Manhattan Regulars to the original Flatiron location
both new and old names on its roster, will recognize familiar restaurant areas,
including: Gotham Poké Hawaiian sea- https://brookfieldplaceny.com/directory/ which will be joined by some new con-
food, Big Gay Ice Cream, Ponti Rossi, food/all cepts at this location such as Orto &
Mission Ceviche, Crêpe Sucre, Bangkok Mare, a vegetable and seafood-focused
Bar, La Sonrisa empanadas and Oppa restaurant with an extensive breakfast
Korean barbeque. menu, and the more upscale Osteria del-
la Pace offering the cuisine of southern
The Great Northern Food Hall Italy.

Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal,
Midtown Manhattan

www.greatnorthernfood.com

Hudson Eats is a 600-seat, 35,000-s.f.

13

DINING TREND—INTERNATIONAL FOOD COURTS, CONT’D

MATT FREDERICK - SEGAL MCCAMBRIDGE

Farther Afield 40,000-s.f. campus of former ware- The local and sustainable neo-Food Hall

New World Mall Food Court houses serves as a breeding ground for movement has come to Westchester:
collaboration, housing mixed corporate, Dirty Roots by Myong, Fuoco’s Pizze-

136-20 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, Queens retail space and food spaces such as ria, Charcuterie 153, Inno Sushi, and

Blue Marble Ice Cream, Colson Patis- Rawsome Seafood Bar are among the
www.newworldmallny.com/en/food- serie, Table 87 Pizza, Burger Joint, dozen or so venues featured.
court
One Girl Cookies, Ends Meat, Taco
This pan-Asian mall houses a newly- Mix, and Recafo Caribbean food. A vari- On the Horizon

renovated food court in the lower level ety of indoor and outdoor seating areas Pier 57 (www.hudsonriverpark.org/

with over 32 vendors from different are- are available to enjoy your finds. Check explore-the-park/locations/pier-57) Ce-

as of North and South-East Asia: stalls the website for occasional special lebrity chef Anthony Bourdain reported-

offer Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chi- events. ly will bring his international market to
nese, Korean and Japanese foods. After- Pier 57 at West 15th Street on the Hud-

wards you can head upstairs to the J- son riverfront (near the already well-

Mart store for a large selection of Chi- established Chelsea Market

nese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Fili- www.chelseamarket.com). Inspired by

pino and Vietnamese groceries. Singaporean hawker centers, the space

will showcase both international and

local street food in as many as 50 indi-

vidual stalls.

Dekalb Market

Mitsuwa Marketplace (www.dekalbmarkethall.com) This forth-

595 River Road Edgewater, NJ coming enormous underground space

will emphasize local vendors, including
www.mitsuwa.com/locations/edgewater an outpost of the famous Katz’s Deli, in

Like Ikea in Elizabeth, New Jersey’s Japa- the City Point building development

nese megastore Mitsuwa Marketplace is between Flatbush and Fulton in DoBro

accessible via buses running from Port (downtown Brooklyn).

Berg’n Authority to facilitate access from Man- Building 77
hattan (through NJ Transit). Mitsuwa has
over a dozen vendors for prepared food, (http://brooklynnavyyard.org/leasing/

899 Bergen St between Classon & interspersed with grocery and retail bldg-77/) is being marketed as an

Franklin, Crown Heights, Brooklyn shops. amenity for employees at the repur-

www.bergn.com posed Brooklyn Navy Yard art industrial/
manufacturing, tech and design hub.

A Brooklyn beer hall/incubator from the Brooklyn Brewery and Russ & Daughters

founders of Brooklyn Flea and Smorgas- have already signed on as anchor ten-

burg, Featuring food from a rotating ants in the 16–story building which will

roster of vendors, at press time includ- have 60,000-s.f. of ground floor space

ing Mighty Quinn's BBQ, Landhaus, available for mixed food production and

Tramezzini, and Lumpia Shack. retail space.

Industry City Food Hall Enjoy! Smaklig måltid! chia̍ h hok! Itada-
kimasu! Afiyet olsun! Buon Appetito! Es
220 36th St between 2nd & 3rd Aves., gezunterheyt! Smacznego! ¡Buen prove-
cho! Selamat makan! On egin! Prijatno!
Sunset Park, Brooklyn Smaaklike ete! Bil hana! Bon Appetit!

Exit 4 Food Hall
http://industrycity.com/inside-ic/

#transportation-map 153 Main St. Mount Kisco, NY

Currently open weekdays only, the (www.exit4foodhall.com)

14

MEET NELLIE LEFTERATOS
THE FIRST LATINA ALANYC CHAPTER PRESIDENT

SANTA MEDINA - BRILL & MEISEL

VIDEO INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR OUR CHAPTER PRESIDENT:
 How long have you been in the legal field?
 What interested you in legal management?
 How many years have you been a member of the Association of Legal Administrators?
 How did you learn about the Association of Legal Administrators?
 We know you have volunteered on some committees before becoming President. How did those experiences play a

part in your interest in becoming President of the Association of Legal Administrators?
 What is your nationality?
 What is your native language?
 Why do you think it's important for the Association of Legal Administrators to have a Diversity and Inclusion commit-

tee?
 As a Hispanic female how do you think that your individual experiences and contributions will change the way that the

Association of Legal Administrators will be viewed and operate in the future?
 As the Chapter President what has been one of the biggest obstacles you've had to overcome in order to make a

change within the Association?

To hear Nellie’s answers to these questions, please click on the link below to access her entire video interview::
Nellie Lefteratos Interview

15

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS

ORIA L. APONTE - GORDON & REES LLP

The issues facing transgender people and North Carolina has come under siege, conduct.” These penalties can be separate

have come front and center in recent both legally and politically since it was and apart from other remedies available

years due to figures such as Caitlin Jenner enacted. North Carolina is currently facing to people who prevail on claims including

telling her story and educating the public lawsuits brought on by the Justice De- back and front pay, compensatory dam-

on what it means to be a transgender partment for passing this bill since it is so ages, attorneys fees and punitive damag-

person. Transgender is a term for a person clearly discriminating against transgender es. As you can see, the penalties and

whose gender identity, expression or be- individuals. More recently, the NBA re- damages can be substantial.

havior is different from that designated moved the upcoming NBA All-Star game Employers in New York (as well as other
on their birth certificate. Gender identity previously scheduled to be played in states) are urged to make every effort to
refers to a person's internal, personal Charlotte, North Carolina due to the dis- ensure best practices are in place to pro-
sense of being. Transgender people con- criminatory effect the League felt HB2 tect the rights of transgender people.
sider themselves to be their own internal fosters.
Existing policies and procedures should
gender identity, which is at odds with Employers should be prepared to deal be reviewed and the following should be
their birth-designated sex.
with such issues to avoid lawsuits and— considered:

A transgender person should not just be most importantly—wrongful treatment of • Review and revise equal employment
dismissed as a cross dresser, but instead transgender individuals in the workplace. opportunity, non discrimination and anti-
recognized as a person who undergoes a In regards to which bathroom a harassment policies;
transition from the sex they were as- transgender person should use, most
signed at birth. This transition may in- transgender people would prefer to use • Review and revise restroom, locker
clude hormone therapy and sex reassign- the bathroom that matches the gender room, and changing room policies;

ment surgery. Gender identity is different with which they identify. It should be not- • Review and revise dress codes;

from sexual orientation, as sexual orienta- ed that Title VII does not explicitly protect
tion refers to those to whom a person is sexual orientation or gender identity, but • Create a policy for transitioning em-
This differentiates a a transgender person may still be able to ployees; and
attracted.

transgender person from a lesbian or a take legal action if they feel they are dis- • Update training for Human Resources
homosexual and potentially subjects them criminated due to the fact that they are professionals and managers.

to a litany of unique discriminatory situa- transgender. As transgender people fight for more
tions. The discrimination transgender rights and protections, employers must
people face can range from others’ preju- New York State has always been a leader implement policies to ensure their
dicial treatment to dictates about which in protecting the rights of transgender transgender employees are treated fairly
bathroom they are allowed to use. individuals. In January of this year, Gover- and within the law. As legal administra-
nor Cuomo announced the adoption of

The topic recently has been further new regulations that banned discrimina- tors, we are constantly faced with chal-

brought to the political spotlight due to tion and harassment against transgender lenges such as these and it is our respon-
the North Carolina House Bill #2; also people in the state of New York. The reg- sibility to be kept informed of changes

known as “HB2” or “The Bathroom Bill.” ulation clearly states that: “discrimination taking place in the workplace. We must

This bill requires “state employees in pub- on the basis of gender identity is sex dis- also continually educate ourselves to en-

lic government buildings and students in crimination.” Any person who feels they sure that we are not violating any laws

public universities and schools to use a have been discriminated against or har- and—most importantly—ensure that all

restroom, a locker room, and shower fa- assed can file a complaint with the court employees are treated fairly.

cility that matches their biological sex.” or with the New York State Division of For further information visit:
The Bathroom Bill defines gender as the Human Rights.

sex listed on one’s birth certificate. This of Additionally, the New York City Commis- GLAAD: https://www.glaad.org/
course directly contradicts the sex of a sion on Human Rights can impose civil transgender/transfaq

transgender person, who does not identi- penalties up to $125,000 for violations The NYC Division of Human Rights:
fy with the sex listed on their birth certifi-
cate. Many believe HB2 violates Title VII and up to $250,000 for violations that are http://www1.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/the-
the result of “willful, wanton, or malicious
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) law.page

16

TRANSGENDER PERSPECTIVE—AN UPDATE

ANGELIQUE PIWINSKI

My name is Angelique Piwinski and I am a transgendered my corporate volunteer position as National Chair of
person. In last summer's edition of Prism, I wrote about IPGLBT. Moving forward I have been consulting locally on
my workplace transition and my larger life's journey. Over marketing, advertising, diversity and inclusion and my
a year has now transpired and both my life and the cli- other skill set as a recognized local historian. I am close
mate for the transgender community have changed dra- to finding a permanent position and fortunately have had
matically; in some ways for the better, but in other ways no problems whatsoever in interviews and the like. I have
more challenging than ever. been invited to speak at ad agencies and other compa-
nies about the transgender community and transitioning
As brief background and to put the transgender commu- best practice in the workplace. I also was appointed by
nity in perspective, the community represents 0.3 percent Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano to his LGBTQ advisory board.
of the US population by most recent surveys. While that Applying best practice, the board was able to recom-
number seems very small, it actually equates to over one mend policies to the administration earning the City of
million people. This of course does not count the people Yonkers a coveted perfect rating of 100 on the prestig-
who are still not publicly out and who most likely would ious Municipal Equality Index conducted by the Human
add substantially to that statistic. Other statistics for this Rights Campaign (HRC-MEI). In fact only 41 cities in the
segment of the population continue to remain grim. Over nation earned a perfect score. It is a measure of how wel-
45 percent of those who identify as transgender have at coming and inclusive a city is to diverse people.
one point in their lives attempted suicide. This is not be-
cause they can't figure themselves out, it's because they Now I return to the larger national picture for transgender
can't deal with the hate, the bullying, the misunderstand- people. We see a preponderance of new TV shows, the
ing and the non-acceptance that is directed towards most notable being a new show named “Strut” being pro-
them. The transgender community is different from the duced by Whoopi Goldberg that will debut shortly. It is a
rest of the LGB acronym. Identifying as lesbian, bisexual series about transgender models breaking down barriers in
or gay is identifying a gender attraction preference for the modeling industry. The models are part of Slay Model
others. Transgender is about gender identification. That Management, the world’s first exclusively transgender mod-
said, transgender people could also fit under the LBG eling agency. In fact, most of the people on the show I
headings as well. Quite complex no matter how you look know quite well. There are several other new shows as well.
at it. These all help with the visibility of transgender people in a
positive light.
So first I'd like to share my year with you, since I last
wrote for this newsletter. Being an Executive Vice Presi- Another statistic that I found very interesting in a recent
dent of an advertising agency and responsible for reve- study was that only 18 percent of those surveyed had actu-
nues with clients placed my transition in a very interest- ally met or knew a transgender person. That means that 82
ing space. While my internal corporate peers had no is- percent of the population only forms opinions based on
sues accepting me, the question always remained would what they see in the media. So the media are critical to the
my clients accept me? As I wrote previously, I received formation of opinions. In the media we can see positivity
overwhelming support from each and every one of these being reinforced on television, but then on the flip side
client companies and the individuals I dealt with. Sadly various states in the U.S. are creating discriminatory policies
though in early 2016, my major client was acquired by a for bathroom usage.
larger entity that also embraced me, but wanted to con-
solidate their advertising assignments with other agen-
cies already on their roster. Because of the magnitude of
the revenue impact, this effectively terminated my posi-
tion with my advertising agency, but unfortunately, also

17

TRANSGENDER PERSPECTIVE—AN UPDATE, CONT’D

ANGELIQUE PIWINSKI

For the record, there have been no documented assaults Contact: [email protected]
committed by a female transgender person in any women's https://www.facebook.com/angelique.piwinski
restroom anywhere. The unknown creates fear. Fear fuels https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelique-piwinski-47b480b
misunderstanding and sadly, hate in many cases. Once peo-
ple get to know us, there is an acceptance, and with that For Answers to Your Questions About Transgender People,
acceptance, a melting of the potential fear. The reality is Gender Identity, and Gender Expression:
that transgender people are the ones who are assaulted https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/tools-and-
and targeted, we are not the assaulters. In fact, this year samples/toolkits/Documents/transgender.pdf
alone 19 transgender women have been murdered in the
United States. That is the largest number of transgender How Many People are LGBT?:
murders year-to-date versus any other year on record. On https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/tools-and-
balance however, given all of the other factors, I personally samples/toolkits/Documents/Gates-How-Many-People-LGBT
think that the transgender community is moving forward. -Apr-2011.pdf

Now speaking about the workplace, most corporations and Workplace Gender Transition Guidelines:
companies have written or are writing policies to assist with http://www.hrc.org/resources/workplace-gender-transition-
transitioning in the workplace for transgender people. We guidelines
must all keep in mind that it's not just the transgender per-
son who transitions, it's the entire workplace as well. The Accommodating Sex Transformations:
person everyone knew before is still the same person, just https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/
the outside changes, in order for the person to feel more Pages/1009agenda_diversity.aspx
comfortable. It’s so important to be your authentic self.
Happy people do the best work. It is a well-established fact Tips for Allies of Transgender People:
that companies who actively promote inclusion in their di- https://www.glaad.org/transgender/allies
verse workforce are the most successful. This is because it's
not just good enough to have a diverse workforce, but it's List of Further Resources for Transgender People and their
critical to engage everyone to work together in the devel- Allies:
opment of the final product regardless of what that product https://www.glaad.org/transgender/resources
or service may be.

So in summary I feel that the transgender community is
progressing. We are receiving greater positive visibility in
most places. This will ultimately lead to acceptance and
inclusion. As for myself, I have always looked at life as a
journey, a fascinating and wonderful journey of discovery
that I am happy to be on and celebrate every day. And now
I am happy to have included you in this journey as well.

Angelique Piwinski is an appointed member of Yonkers
Mayor Mike Spano’s LGBTQ Advisory Board. She previously
served as National Chair of IPGLBT, the LGBT business re-
source group of The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG),
where she held the position of EVP Director until the position
was eliminated in early 2016 due to a client merger and ac-
quisition, just shy of her 35th anniversary working with that
client. While at IPG, she was the most senior level employee
ever to successfully transition in the workplace throughout
any of the group’s 90+ companies. At present, Angelique
consults on marketing, advertising, and diversity and inclu-
sion projects, while actively seeking a permanent position.

18

AUTISM: AN OVERVIEW

DAVID GLICKSMAN - LESTER SCHWAB KATZ & DWYER LLP

Autism. Everyone’s heard the word. Most people have Instead he watched a lot of Disney movies. One day, while
some idea of what it means; many people have read books re-watching The Little Mermaid, he suddenly repeated one
or have seen movies that give an insight into the ailment; of the lines in the movie. Everyone was shocked and
and some have a more personal experience with it, via a didn’t know what to think. A new documentary called
friend or a loved one. When I was asked to write this story “Life, Animated”, explores the life of Owen Suskind. Owen
about autism, I was immediately struck by how many daily is now 25 years old and is a happy, functioning adult. His
references there are to Autism in some fashion, in the immersion in Disney animated films was a groundbreaking
newspapers, television, internet and conversations. I will step in helping him overcome and cope with his autistic
share a few of them here, after first defining some autism challenges. At a young age, Owen moved into an assisted
basics. -living complex and formed his own Disney club at the
school. In the club, developmentally disabled students
Autism is a spectrum disorder (ASD) that refers to a group shared through movies. After that experience, Owen was
of complex disorders of brain development. As such, there able to take a job at a local multiplex cinema, and continue
are varying degrees to the disorders and a wide range of his developmental growth and his relationship with mov-
symptoms and disabilities. Some of the autism disorders ies. Owen’s deep connection to Disney movies, particular-
deal with difficulties in social interaction, verbal and non- ly the animated ones, became a constant in his life. As a
verbal communication and repetitive behaviors. All of the young boy, Owen often recreated some of the scenes in
autism disorders are considered under one umbrella called the Disney movies—once he and his father re-enacted a
autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Further, the disorders scene from Peter Pan in their backyard. These connections
can be associated with intellectual disabilities, difficulties in allowed Owen to cope. This technique is now referred to
motor coordination, attention issues, sleep and gastroin- as “affinity therapy”. People on the autism spectrum can
testinal disturbances, among other things. Consequently, use these experiences and passions to keep themselves
some people with autism spectrum disorder have been anchored on a focused developmental pathway. There are
known to excel in visual skills, music, math and art. so many varied obstacles in the path of people in the au-
tism spectrum, obstacles that materialize and present
Autism most frequently emerges in children between the themselves in various forms. In the end, Owen is quoted
ages of two to three years old. As such, early intervention as saying “it turns out as me, I emerged”. A simple, hope-
and dedicated behavioral therapy can improve the out- ful statement, that means so much to one who needs to
come. Further, autism does not discriminate as the symp- emerge.
toms occur in every racial and ethnic group, and across all
socioeconomic levels. However, for some reason, boys The second story was titled “Tech and the Autistic Child”. In
seem to be significantly more likely to develop the disor- an age of videogames and Pokémon Go, parents are often
der than girls, and about 1 in 68 children has some form baffled over how much technology is too much for their
of autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, genetics and children. For autistic children, this can be an even more
environment seem to have a combined influence on the difficult decision for their parents to make. On the one
development of the disorder. However, defects in the hand, autistic children can be even more prone to the ad-
genes that control brain development and brain communi- diction of technology. In fact, often the addiction can send
cation are the most prevalent cause. a child further down the autistic spectrum as the immersive
experience of gaming can reinforce the rigidity of autistic
The first story that I came across was called “With Disney brain types. On the other hand, technology can help autis-
Part of His World, Autistic Boy Thrives”. This was a story tic children develop and focus on the strengths that they
about Owen Suskind who developed autistic symptoms at
age 3. He was unable to communicate through speech.

19

AUTISM: AN OVERVIEW, CONT’D

DAVID GLICKSMAN - LESTER SCHWAB KATZ & DWYER LLP

need to address their unique challenges. For one ten-year- technology can have a constructive influence in assisting with

old child who was recently diagnosed with autism, his par- specific behaviors in order to provide carefully observed in-

ents did extensive studies to determine which technologies teractions that can help an autistic person to progress along

could be appropriate for their son. They set realistic goals a developmental path.

and then supervised and documented the results. Here are The third story that I found dealt with the benefits of animal-
some of the key aspects that they uncovered:
related interactions for children with autism. Apparently, for

Autistic people don’t have the same filters that others do. some time, horses and dogs have been used successfully with

They can often be easily overwhelmed, and need a fair children with autism. However, in this one particular true

amount of quiet time to reorient themselves. Technology story, the author wrote about the newly identified benefits of

screen time can be used to aid people with autism for this cats and autistic children. The story was written by a father

purpose. Such things like listening to audiobooks, virtual who is caring for his autistic son. Coincidentally, the father is

city tours, and other activities can be helpful and not too also involved in the field of neuropsychology - a factor that

stimulating. Consequently, if an on-line activity becomes assisted him in caring for his son. While autism is character-

overstimulating or causes sensory-overload, the activity ized as a communication disorder, it can also lead to mental

would be pulled from the approved list for a period of six retardation in a more extreme part of the spectrum. Alt-

months in order to prevent tantrums in the short term. hough his son was non-verbal until age four, he was fortu-

They also looked for targeted therapeutic tools that were nate to hear that his son only struggled with the communica-
designed specifically for autistic and anxiety-type disorders. tion difficulties but did not have the more pronounced men-
These types of activities helped to teach social skills and self tal retardation.

-regulation. They found that activities designed to teach The father tried working with horses as he heard that had

emotional intelligence were often too exciting and led to been successful for some people with autism. However, his

meltdowns. Further, his parents not only supervised him, son was not responsive to this form of therapy. Next, the
but they also shared in the experience, by either helping family visited a local animal shelter in the hopes of working
with the controls or teaching their son the importance of with dogs. Again, the son was unresponsive. On the way
breathing to aid in self-regulation. During these shared out, they had to pass the cat room, but the father wasn’t ex-
experiences, they found that their son was able to open up pecting very much at that point. However, his non-verbal
to them in ways that even surpassed his regular therapy son looked around, pointed to a black and white cat and said
“Cat!”. They adopted the cat on the spot. The boy began

with clinical psychologists. having conversations with the cat, whom he named Clover. It

Additionally, they used technology for supervised communi- seemed that the boy just needed a calming presence to
speak to, one that wouldn’t answer him back or startle him.

cation. Many people who suffer from autism find it difficult After that, the family adopted a second cat with very similar
to communicate face to face, but it is sometimes easier for results. The cats would sit with the autistic boy while he did

them to interact virtually. While many parents of non-autistic his homework and helped him to focus. When he took part

children are concerned about online interactions, like chat in his art class assignments, his cats sat calmly by and helped

rooms, that can hinder a child’s development of face-to-face him to focus his efforts. In the end, not only did the cats help

social skills, these same online interactions can often aid in him to focus his energies, but they also assisted in helping

the development of autistic children and help them to com- him progress to a point where he was comfortable with his
municate more effectively. Further, there are many great on- autism and could live a productive life. He summed it up by
line support groups where parents can share similar experi- saying "Cats are like me. They look at everything and think

about it when everyone thinks they're not paying attention
ences and concerns, and help each other to get through the and they only talk when they have something to say."
difficult process of raising special-needs children. As such,

20

AUTISM: AN OVERVIEW, CONT’D

DAVID GLICKSMAN - LESTER SCHWAB KATZ & DWYER LLP

In researching this article, I continued to see many other Autism Speaks: www.autismspeaks.org
stories and references about autism, including a traffic
sign for an Autistic Child Area a few blocks from my Global Autism Project: http://globalautismproject.org/
home. In summary, we all have some kind of challenges
and difficulties in our lives, as each of us is diverse, Washington Autism Alliance and Advocacy http://
unique and special. Some of us may even be experienc- www.washingtonautismadvocacy.org/
ing an autism disorder which could be as wide ranging as
many of the other challenges and difficulties that each of The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation:
us is faced with every day. As such, this is just another [email protected]
important reminder not to pre-judge other people and
their situations. Treat each person fairly, and be a posi- Books:
tive force of good in the world by being tolerant, under-
standing and assisting of those around you. The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-
Old Boy with Autism, by Naoki Higashida and KA Yo-
Here are some additional resources to help you learn more shida
about Autism:
The Curious Incident of the Dog and the Night-Time, by
Mark Haddon

AUTISM WALK

ALANYC will be sponsoring an Autism Speaks Walk on Sunday, October 2. For more information or to
participate in the walk, please contact Rose Jaworecki at [email protected]

21

ALA’S DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SCORECARD:
ROADMAP TO CHANGE

ABOUT THE SCORECARD Earn the “We Participate” Seal
There is no cost to participate, and everyone is welcome. To
The Association of Legal Administrators Diversity and Inclusion be a part of the Association of Legal Administrators Diversity
Scorecard – Roadmap to Change is a tool that is used to gauge & Inclusion Scorecard – Roadmap to Change initiative, simply
trends and best practices among legal workplaces and ALA download the scorecard and utilize it in your law firm, legal
Chapters committed to advancing diversity and inclusion. Par- department and chapter.
ticipation in the scorecard is voluntary. Notify the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion that you are
utilizing the Scorecard by email to [email protected], and
Many questions on the scorecard deal with specific policies or earn the Seal of Participation for your website.
practices within workplaces, while others are informational We also encourage you to share insights, stories and testimo-
questions intended to help track trends and better understand nials regarding your experiences with the Scorecard: how has
how organizations of different sizes are approaching diversity it helped or fostered new ideas and advancement of diversity
and inclusion. and inclusion goals and objectives in your environment?

How the Scorecard Works A Word from ALA National D&I Vice Chair, Jenniffer Brown:
How do you assess your current diversity and inclusion initiatives
It’s called a scorecard, but the Scorecard is really an internal in your firm? Have you ever wondered if your policies need up-
resource, or tool, to help your chapter or law firm assess cur- dating or would you like to introduce a diversity and inclusion
rent performance against suggested best practices, and pro- program? National’s ALA Diversity and Inclusion Committee can
vide additional ideas for moving your diversity and inclusion help. By using the Scorecard for Law Firms and the Scorecard for
program forward. Two Scorecards are available: one for chap- ALA Chapters , you will have access to suggested best practices
ter leaders, and one for law firm leaders. and documents to guide you through the process. The best part
is you can earn the Diversity Scorecard Seal to be added to your
For reference, hyperlinks with examples of policies and/or ac- chapter or law firm website. Read how you can earn the seal here
tions to assist you on each best practice are provided in each and contact the D&I Committee at [email protected].
Scorecard. Congratulations to Beveridge & Diamond, PC, for display-
ing the Seal on their website: www.bdlaw.com.
Who Completes the Scorecard

Typically, an individual responsible for leading the diversity and
inclusion effort at the participating workplace or chapter utiliz-
es the Scorecard as a guide to obtain information from multi-
ple areas within the organization. Several functional areas may
need to provide input for the scorecard, including:

Human Resources/Staffing
Diversity/Inclusion
Counsel / Legal
Marketing / Communications
Corporate Giving / Foundation Relations
Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Education Chair
Other Board or Chapter member as designated

22

DIVERSITY TRAINING : AN IMPORTANT AND
ONGOING INVESTMENT IN YOUR EMPLOYEES

JOAN ASHLAND - WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES LLP

Why is diversity training in the workplace important, and However, diversity training is unlikely to be effective if an
why isn’t once enough? Workplace diversity training is an organization approaches it as a one-time event. It should
investment in your employees. It is an ongoing process to be reinforced on an ongoing basis in order to activate the
educate people of different backgrounds with dignity and behaviors associated with being an inclusive individual,
respect. While the definition of diversity training varies manager, and organization. Successful organizations view
from organization to organization, an effective program can diversity training as a long-term process and strategy that is
be defined as one that raises personal awareness about embedded into every aspect of the business and opera-
individual differences in the workplace and how those dif- tions, not just as a one-off initiative.
ferences inhibit or enhance the way people work together Resources for training:
and get work done. A successful program serves to inspire
cultural sensitivity with regards to gender, religion, ethnici- Implicit Bias Test: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
ty, sexual orientation, disability and age. Amongst many takeatest.html
other elements of diversity, organizations are recognizing
the need to adapt to a multicultural work environment and Future Work Institute for Implicit Bias, Cross-Cultural, Genera-
the benefits of workplace diversity and inclusion. tional Diversity, etc.
Margaret Regan, President & CEO
There are many benefits to diversity training in the work- [email protected]
place. Managers become more effective because they can www.futureworkinstitute.com
provide suitable job assignments and at the same time they
can evaluate employees properly. In addition, it can help DeValk & Associates for Interactive Theater about implicit bias
managers improve recruitment. The employees also gain and other topics
benefits. As their motivation and morale increases, employ- Steve Devalk at [email protected]
ees become more satisfied with their work. Finally, the or-
ganization and its environment improve. It creates a posi- Steve Young Insight Education for Microinequities
tive and inclusive work environment where all employees Barbara Hockfield, Managing Director
are respected, where different perspectives and ideas are Insight Education Systems
encouraged and valued, and where employees are empow- 973-509-2911 ext. 22, [email protected]
ered to give their personal best each and every day. www.insighteds.com

There are many methods and techniques that are used by Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding
companies to deliver diversity training programs. Because for Religious Diversity
not everyone learns at the same pace or in the same way, a Liz Joslin, Workplace Program Associate
variety of approaches to training should be used. Some
effective training techniques are: training provided by out- 212.967.7707 x136
side consultants, videos, participative exercises, case stud- [email protected] | Tanenbaum.org
ies, lectures, games, theatre, and webinars. Other frequently
used training methods include: panels (participants on the
panels represent diverse groups who are knowledgeable
about the different experiences of individuals in their
groups), self-examination (participants take a diversity quiz
or generate a list of stereotypes and/or basic assumptions
and discuss with a larger group), and personal action plans
which encourage participants to develop a plan to apply
their learnings from the training on the job.

Any diversity training activity may provide a starting point
for organizations to begin heightening awareness and sen-
sitivity and uncovering hidden assumptions and biases.

23

D&I MATCH GAME

CAN YOU MATCH THE WORD WITH THE CORRECT DEFINITION?

1. Bias A) The act of creating environments in which any
individual or group can be and feel welcomed,
2. Cultural Competence respected, supported, and valued to fully parti-
3. Identity Group cipate. (UC Berkeley Initiative for Equity, Inclu-
sion, and Diversity)

B) The everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environ-
mental slights, snubs, or insults, whether inten-
tional or unintentional, which communicate
hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to
target persons based solely on their marginal-
ized group membership. (Derald Wing Sue, Co-
lumbia University)

4. Inclusion C) A positive or negative set of beliefs held by an
5. Microaggression individual about the characteristics of a certain
6. Stereotype group. (The National Multicultural Institute)

D) A positive or negative inclination towards a per-
son, group, or community; can lead to stereo-
typing. (Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.)

E) Knowledge, awareness and interpersonal skills
that allow individuals to increase their under-
standing, sensitivity, appreciation, and respon-
siveness to cultural differences and the interac-
tions resulting from them. (The National Multi-
cultural Institute)

F) A particular group, culture, or community with
which an individual identifies or shares a sense
of belonging. (The National Multicultural Insti-
tute)

(Answers on page 30)

24

HAMILTON -

MORE THAN JUST A BROADWAY SENSATION

NADIA WAGNER - BEVERIDGE & DIAMOND, PC

On Saturday, July 18, 2015, I had the privilege of seeing a score contains hip-hop, there are some beautiful ballads as
preview of Hamilton on Broadway with my husband and well). As an audience member you will experience many
children. Having heard about the rave reviews for the show emotions running the gamut from laughter to tears. I espe-
from D&I Committee Member Marcia Belgorod, I jumped at cially enjoyed the scenes that featured Jonathan Groff as the
the chance to purchase the tickets the minute they became admonishing King of England warning the wayward revolu-
available. Am I glad I did! As you must know by now, tickets tionaries that “they’d be back”. Hysterical! While Mr. Miran-
for this show are very hard to come by. The play debuted at da usually plays the title role, our performance featured the
the Public Theater in NYC to rave reviews and had already extremely talented Javier Munõz in the lead. (Javier Munõz
won a record-breaking 10 Lortel Awards, 3 Outer Critic Circle who was previously an understudy for the role, has now as-
Awards, 8 Drama Desk Awards, the 2015 NY Drama Critics sumed it full-time with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s recent depar-
Circle Award for Best
New Musical and the ture from the play. Munõz is
2015 OBIE Award for an openly gay man who is HIV
Best New American Play. positive.) The performances
At the recent Tony were outstanding. I can’t gush
Awards, the play received enough about the entire expe-
11 prizes (just one shy of rience. To add icing to the
tying the record for most cake, we had a very special
Tonys at 12 with The guest in the audience on the
Producers), including the day we saw it – Barack Obama!
coveted Best Musical on I couldn’t help but ponder
Broadway. what our 42nd President’s
thoughts were as he witnessed
The play, which is a hip- the story of the birth of our
hop retelling of the life nation. What a special day.
of Alexander Hamilton,
features a multi-cultural Afterwards, the more I read
cast. Hamilton’s crea- about the play, the more I
tor, 35-year-old Lin-
Manuel Miranda (who appreciated it. The entire
had previously gar- program is a rich tapestry
nered attention for his of past and present filled
well-received In the with gorgeous music and
Heights), came up with contemporary sounds.
the idea for the play (Pay attention to how
after reading Ron many of the songs fore-
Chernow’s 2004 biog- shadow the inevitable
raphy entitled duel!) Spoiler alert – the
“Alexander Hamilton” play doesn’t end with Mr.
while vacationing in Hamilton’s demise.
Mexico. He was in-
spired by the story and If you have an opportunity
saw a unique way of bringing it to an audience. The use of to get tickets, rush to the
fast-paced hip-hop allows for a combustible amount of his- beautiful Richard Rodgers
tory to be squeezed into an action-packed 2-1/2 hours. The Theatre for an extremely
minute the show starts, you throw away any preconceived
ideas about our founding fathers and focus completely on memorable experience.
the extraordinarily talented actors on the stage. The music is
at times foot-tapping, at others deeply poignant (though the [The insane popularity of this show has led to the formation
of a Hamilton Awareness Society and even an App that
makes it simple to enter a daily lottery to win tickets to the
show!]

25

D&I IN COLONIAL AMERICA:
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON

MATT FREDERICK - SEGAL MCCAMBRIDGE

It is surprising that Lin-Manuel Miranda picked up Ron Cher- 1772 Writes essay detailing a recent hurricane which
now’s doorstop-sized biography of Alexander Hamilton for devastated Nevis. Local community leaders, impressed
beach reading on break from his smash Broadway hit In the by his account, collect a fund to send the young Hamil-
Heights. ton to the North American colonies for his education.

It is remarkable that he saw corollaries between the colonial 1773 Attends King's College (now Columbia University)
milieu of Hamilton’s time and the rags-to-riches-to-death-by- in New York City. Forms a literary society that is regard-
gunshot trajectories memorialized in contemporary hip-hop ed as a precursor of the Philolexian Society. Publishes
culture. anti-British loyalist political tracts anonymously.

It is genius that he was able to articulate the vision into a 1775 joins a New York volunteer militia and leads a suc-
blockbuster retelling of history, lead the surprisingly diverse cessful raid against the British cannons in the Battery
cast and revive through rap both the musical theater and the after the outbreak of battles at Lexington and Concord.
spirit of one of early America’s most colorful and influential
citizens. 1776 Raises the New York Provincial Company of Artil-
lery of sixty men in 1776, and is elected captain. Takes
Far from being born into privilege, Alexander Hamilton found part in battles around New York City, White Plains and
his way from remote, illegitimate obscurity to participating in Trenton. Accepts post as George Washington's chief aide
the birth of a nation. Ironically, until the musical recirculated de camp, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Befriends
his resume, the initiator of the U.S. Mint had become so undif- the Marquis de Lafayette.
ferentiated among the nation’s founders that he was almost
removed from the face of the $10 bill. 1780 Marries Elizabeth Schuyler, a daughter of Philip
Schuyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer, at the Schuyler
What follows is a summary of the 38-page Wikipedia entry Mansion in Albany, New York. The couple produces
documenting the life of a man so instrumental in forming the eight children over the next twenty years.
city and the nation we inhabit today. You never know from
whence the next superstar will hail…. 1782 Is appointed to the Congress of the Confedera-
tion as a New York representative.
1755 Alexander Hamilton is born out of wedlock to Rachel
Faucette, a married woman of British/French descent, and 1783 Resigns from Congress, enters into law practice in
James A. Hamilton, the fourth son of a Scottish nobleman on New York City after securing authorization subsequent to
the British Caribbean island of Nevis. several months of self-study.

Since his parents are not legally married, the Church of Eng- 1784 founds Bank of New York which becomes one of
land denies him membership and education in the church. the longest operating banks in American history, until it
Attends private school led by a Jewish headmistress, supple- merges with another bank in 2007. Also helps restore
ments education with private tutoring and the family library. King's College, which had been suspended since 1776
and severely damaged during the War, as Columbia
Moves with his mother and brother, James Jr., to St. Croix after College. Drafts resolution for a constitutional conven-
his father abandons the family. tion.

1768 Becomes orphaned when his mother dies of fever. Her 1787 Co-authors a series of essays defending the pro-
legal husband seizes and auctions off her estate, but a friend posed Constitution, now known as The Federalist Pa-
purchases the family's books and returns them to the young pers, with John Jay and James Madison. Serves as assem-
Alexander. blyman from New York County in the New York State
Legislature and is chosen as a delegate for the Constitu-
Finds work as clerk at a local import-export firm trading with tional Convention. Signs the United States Constitution
the New England colonies. as the only representative from New York.

Is briefly adopted by a cousin, Peter Lytton; until Lytton com- 1789 is appointed the first U.S. Secretary of the Treas-
mits suicide, is then adopted by Thomas Stevens (a Nevis mer- ury by President Washington, a post he holds over five
chant who may have been his biological father). years. Simultaneously helps found the Federalist Party,
the world's first voter-based political party.

26

D&I IN COLONIAL AMERICA:
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON, CONT’D

MATT FREDERICK - SEGAL MCCAMBRIDGE

1790 Proposes to Congress the formation of a naval police
force to combat smuggling and pirating, thereby sets in mo-
tion in the establishment of the U.S. Coast Guard.
1791 Proposes recommendations resulting in the passage of
the Coinage Act of 1792, and the creation of the United
States Mint.
1797 Writes a pamphlet to go public on his nine-month
affair with Maria Reynolds, a married woman, who with her
husband had been blackmailing Hamilton.
1801 Founds The New York Post newspaper.
1804 Dies after being wounded in a duel with the U.S. Vice

President, Aaron Burr, in Weehawken, NJ, and is entombed

in the graveyard of Trinity Church at Wall Street and Broad-

way in Lower Manhattan.

1929 Regains some prominence as the new face of the $10
bill.
2015 Hamilton is reborn 260 years later in musical form for
a sold out run at the Public Theater, then transfers to Broad-
way, receives a record 16 Tony Award nominations, and the
rest, as it is said, is History….

27

NYC BAR DIVERSITY PIPELINE RESOURCES

MATT FREDERICK— SEGAL MCCAMBRIDGE

NYC Bar’s Diversity Pipeline Initiatives informative of my work life. It was fast-paced learning from

Firms can participate in many programs to help ensure that day one.

a diverse pool of accomplished candidates will be available LD: Ever since my interview I knew it was going to be an

to fill any future positions. Diversity pipeline programs are amazing opportunity to gain experience before starting col-

incalculably valuable for top students who might not oth- lege in the fall. At first I thought that most internships would

erwise have access to resources to fully realize their poten- consist of mundane activities and no one would talk to an

tial. Additionally, a mentor can gain a surprising sense of intern, but at least one would be working in a law firm…but

renewed energy, perspective and enrichment through in- it has been a phenomenal experience.

teractions with interns and inspire new generations to pur-

sue careers in the legal profession. LA: Being able to sit in with actual attorneys and paralegals

going through their normal workdays has been incredibly

An initiative of the NYC Bar, the Thurgood Marshall Sum- informative, especially considering that I knew virtually

mer Law Internship Program provides training for high- nothing about litigation and even overall life as a working

achieving inner-city high school students and places them adult before this internship.

in paid internship positions with legal employers for the

summer. Referred through the Thurgood Marshall pro- LD: Being exposed to actual everyday legal procedures has

gram, Lianna Dumeng and Leon Alper interned this sum- been especially eye-opening. It has greatly intrigued me how

mer in the Manhattan office of Segal McCambridge. We much one can learn.

checked in with them, both at the beginning and the end LA: In addition to being my first job in a big office environ-
ment, the intricacies of being a part of the legal world be-
of their internships, and these were their comments:

Early July came increasingly clear to me as the summer transpired.

Whether assisting in the paperwork of a case or electronical-
PRISM: After your first week, how are you finding your ly distributing mailed documents to the appropriate people
internship?
in the office, I was getting a first-hand experience of the

LD: Being able to work alongside incredibly knowledgeable, work necessary to get the best result in any case. My grati-

but also incredibly friendly attorneys, paralegals and legal tude for receiving this chance when still in high school goes

assistants is wonderful. They each explain and teach me to the Thurgood Marshall Program and to Segal McCam-

valuable skills as well as give me wise advice for my future. bridge for helping me find out what it means to have a sum-

mer job that is both hugely informative and interesting.

LA: Everyone has been so grounded and welcoming from the

start that I haven’t felt uncomfortable or out of place. In- In addition to the Thurgood Marshall Program, the New

stead, I feel that I am among respectable and professional York City Bar Association’s Office for Diversity Pipeline Initi-

people who have a lot to teach me, in terms of what they do atives administers more than a dozen annual programs to

and overall life experience. support high school, college and law students as they pur-

sue legal careers. For more information please visit:

LD: This is definitely an environment where I can see myself

growing as well as thriving.

http://www.nycbar.org/serving-the-community/
diversity-and-inclusion/student-pipeline-programs

Late August

PRISM: Now that your summer internship is wrapping
up, did it turn out to meet your expectations?

LA: My experience with the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law
Internship Program has been by far the most unique and

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A SAMPLING OF SUMMER CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Throughout the year, all around the world people mark holidays with special traditions, festivities
and services. These events usually occur around each solstice or season. In honor of the summer

solstice, we took a quick tour of some of the celebrations that take place in the summer.

Midsummer Day: Arapaho Sun Dance:

The sun continues to shine long after midnight in Scandinavia A religious festival centering on the sun dance takes place
when Midsummer Day is celebrated in late June. To celebrate, during summer in Wyoming. Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sosho-
Swedish villagers decorate a spruce trunk—called a majstang— ne, and members of other Plains Indians tribes dance
like a maypole. In Norway, families light bonfires along the around a pole topped by a buffalo’s head. The buffalo is a
fjords. symbol of plenty, and dancers wish for good fortune in the
year ahead.

O-Bon: Ramadan:

Japanese people keep the memory of their ancestors alive with During this holy time, the ninth month of the Islamic cal-
a festival during the summer called O-Bon. People put lit can- endar year, Muslims do not eat, drink, or smoke from sun-
dles in lanterns and float them on rivers and seas. They also rise to sunset for an entire month. Instead, they spend
visit and clean the graves of those who have died. In the an- their days in worship, praying in mosques. At the end of
cient city of Kyoto, people light giant bonfires. Ramadan, people celebrate with a festival known as Eid-il-
Fitr.

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ANSWERS TO D&I MATCH GAME

Bias: (C) A positive or negative set of beliefs held by an individual about the characteristics
of a certain group.
Cultural Competence: (E) Knowledge, awareness and interpersonal skills that allow individ-
uals to increase their understanding, sensitivity, appreciation, and responsiveness to cultural
differences and the interactions resulting from them.
Identity Group: (F) A particular group, culture, or community with which an individual iden-
tifies or shares a sense of belonging.
Inclusion: (A) The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and
feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate.
Microaggression: (B) The everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or
insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or neg-
ative messages to target persons based solely on their marginalized group membership.
Stereotype: (D) A positive or negative inclination towards a person, group, or community;
can lead to stereotyping.

For additional words and definitions, click here:
glossary-of-terms

_________________________________________________________________________________________
THE ALANYC DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE
Wishes to thank Kevin O’Sullivan and the team at
Konica Minolta Business Solutions

For their generosity in providing print copies of this issue

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