Bridging the Diversity Gap in the Legal Profession with Brandi Russell - Episode 58

Kathryn talks with Brandi Russell, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Balch & Bingham about her new position and how her career has twisted to bring her here. They also talk about the goals and benchmarks for the firm and two D&I initiatives the firm is passionate about -- the Balch Business Boost and Susan B Livingston Boot Camp. They discuss how to sell the ROI on diversity for those that may take a more lukewarm approach and how to bridge the gap between diversity efforts in law schools and law firms. Episode Resources https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-a-russell-25b11457  Episode Highlights How she used her degree to get her where she is today - 2:22 Setting goals and benchmarks for the firm - 3:25 Focusing on recruiting - 4:31 The beauty of this program - 5:56 Focusing on internal growth first- 8:01 Supporting diversity efforts - 11:51 Recognizing keys to success - 12:52 Her perspective about the inclusive culture - 15:49 You need problem-solving skills - 18:04 Why did she go to law school? - 18:44 Some of her failures and successes in her career - 20:10 Hosting a program virtually - 24:40 Subscribe, Share and ReviewTo get the next episode subscribe with your favorite podcast player. Subscribe with Apple Podcasts Follow on Spotify Leave a review on Apple Podcasts