Inclusion Evolution

In this episode, Lisa and Vivian have an open and frank discussion with Jane Wainwright, a patent attorney and partner at Potter Clarkson, about menopause and the workplace. Listen as we talk about the different stages of menopause, why menopause is an inclusivity problem, what law firms and corporations can do to become more menopause friendly, and what women should not be afraid to do at work if they experience peri/menopausal symptoms.

In this episode, Lisa and Vivian are joined by Robert Andrews, the Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Mewburn Ellis, LLP, an intellectual property law firm with offices throughout the United Kingdom and Munich, Germany. Listen as Robert discusses Mewburn’s inclusion and diversity journey and its forward-thinking strategy for translating good intent into change. You’ll hear about Mewburn’s menopause policy, the reasoning behind its decision to release its gender pay gap information before being legally required to do so, and so much more.

In this episode, Lisa is joined by Vivian Coco to discuss the gender wage gap. While the gender wage gap has been decreasing steadily in many parts of the world, there is still no single country that can boast equality in earnings of men and women. Listen as Vivian and Lisa discuss some bright spots in the gender wage gap, what law firms, what legal departments can do to address the pay gap, and our hopes for the future.

In this episode, Lisa and Mike speak with John McGinty, whose work in inclusion focuses on the Deaf community. In this episode, you will learn about John’s company, SignesGlobal, which works in the technology industry to help companies with inclusion and accessibility, including helping companies to hire and integrate valuable members of the Deaf community into their workplaces across many industries. As a Deaf-led boutique global agency, SignesGlobal’s offerings are designed to foster inclusivity and break down barriers across various industries.

In this episode, Lisa and Mike explore the topic of loneliness and, in particular, a recent article by Hillary Clinton in The Atlantic magazine entitled "The Weaponization of Loneliness" in which she referred to a May 2023 report from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy entitled "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" which warns that a growing "epidemic of loneliness" and isolation threatens Americans' personal health and the health of our democracy. In this episode you will learn about what happens we disconnect from family, friends, and our community, the impact of loneliness on our democracy, and recommendations for combating loneliness.

In this episode, Mike and Lisa explore the topic of tokenism with their guest, Vivian Coco, the Director of Marketing & Client Relations at Licks Attorneys, a Brazilian law firm specializing in IP litigation, prosecution, and enforcement. Vivian’s master’s thesis explored diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in the legal market. Listen as Vivian talks about tokenism in law firms in Brazil, the U.S. and other countries, explains how it undercuts inclusion, and provides strategies law firms can use to overcome tokenism in their DEI efforts.

In this episode, Lisa and Mike speak with Rebecca Faye Smith Galli (Becky) and Rebecca Rienzi of Pathfinders for Autism (https://pathfindersforautism.org/), an organization which works to support and improve the lives of individuals affected by autism through expansive, customized programming, and by providing resources, training, information and activities free of charge. In addition, you will hear Becky's inspirational story of learning to accept and embrace life despite tremendous tragedy, including the loss of her younger brother at age seventeen from a water-skiing accident and her oldest son Matthew at the age of fifteen to an undiagnosed neurodegenerative disease, the diagnosis of her daughter Madison's autism, as well as her contracting a disease that resulted in her becoming paralyzed from the waist down. After you listen to this episode, you will have a better understanding of what it means to be resilient, have strength and exhibit graciousness no matter what life has in store.

In this episode, Lisa and Mike are joined by Jonathan Barbee, Michael Invernale, and Jessica Trostel to discuss the currently pending and enacted legislation in the U.S. aimed at restricting LGBTQ rights and the teaching of black history in schools and universities. Listen as the group also discusses the continued increase in the banning of books authored by persons of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other historically marginalized groups. Suggestions on how to be better allies to these groups as they navigate these challenging issues is also discussed.

Imposter syndrome is described as "the phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable, or creative despite evidence of high achievement". Research suggests that around 70 percent of adults may experience impostorism at least once in their lifetime. In this episode, Lisa and Mike discuss the causes of imposter syndrome, the impact of impostorism, especially as it relates to law students and lawyers, and provide some suggestions and strategies for overcoming imposterism.

In this episode, Lisa and Mike talk about pending legislation that would prohibit colleges and universities from having diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or staff; ban mandatory diversity training; prohibit institutions from using diversity statements in hiring and promotion; or prohibit colleges from using race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in admissions or employment. Also discussed are the recent laws passed in North Dakota and Florida and the potential impact of these laws for Black and other underrepresented individuals at colleges and universities in these states.