Alumni Celebrate in Boston for the 13th Annual LCLD Leadership Symposium

BOSTON, MA – Last month, over 320 LCLD Alumni convened in Boston, MA for the 13th Annual LCLD Alumni Leadership Symposium at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. Over two action-packed days, Alumni had opportunities to give back, hear from experts, and build connections with friends new and old.

Before the Symposium officially kicked off, 45 Alumni volunteers gathered and gave back during a community service event co-sponsored by Nutter and MassMutual . The volunteers worked with ABA Free Legal Answers for New York and Massachusetts, assisting 53 individuals with civil legal issues. LCLD Members Michael O'Connor , General Counsel at MassMutual, and Liam O'Connell , Managing Partner at Nutter, were in attendance. Liam welcomed the group, followed by remarks from William (Bill) Elwell , Head of Corporate Tax Law at MassMutual, and instructions from 2023 Fellow Nicholas Stabile , Partner at Nutter. “This experience was a great reminder of how incredibly rewarding pro bono service is and how attorneys can positively impact someone’s life,” said 2022 Pathfinder Laura Lamansky .

After the Community Service event, the Symposium officially began with a welcome from LCLD President Robert Grey and 2020 Pathfinder and Leadership Symposium Chair Patrick Fang . Plenary Speaker and former professional athlete Charles Clark then took the stage for a session on mental health, engaging the group with strategies for fostering greater wellbeing.

Following Charles’ session, Alumni celebrated the winners of this year’s Alumni Awards. 2012 Fellows Gerard Gregoire and Kenneth Perry received the esteemed 2024 Rick Palmore Award and 2021 Fellow Tina Hu-Rodgers was honored as the 2024 Rising Star Award winner. On the class competition side, 2018 Fellows and 2016 Pathfinders celebrated their All In! Participation Is Key Awards for the fifth and fourth consecutive years, respectively.

Riding the excitement of the awards ceremony, Alumni brought their energy to a three-round networking event where they expanded their circles and connected with Alumni across regions and class years. Armed with expanded networks and new friendships, Alumni headed to Kings Dining & Entertainment for an evening of bowling, pool, and bar games. For those who weren’t ready to call it a night, Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. hosted a speakeasy-style After Hours Party where the key to admission was a four-letter password (L-C-L-D).

Day two of the Symposium opened with a keynote session by disability advocate and founder of Diversability, Tiffany A. Yu, MSc . During her captivating session, Tiffany highlighted some of the challenges experienced by those in the disabled community and provided steps on how to be a disability inclusion advocate — both in and out of the workplace.

Alumni then had two options for breakout sessions: one led by 2013 Fellow Simeon D. Brier and 2017 Fellow Lynnette Espy-Williams on approaches to inclusive excellence, and one led by 2021 Fellow Jessica B. Lee and 2013 Fellow Kyle A. Ferachi on increasing stamina in your legal career.

Next, 2011 Fellow Danielle McCoy , Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at Fannie Mae; 2019 Fellow Sharifa A. Anderson , Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Fannie Mae; and 2023 Fellow Nicole Lester Arrindell, Esq. , Chief of Staff to the Chief Legal Officer & Government Relations Counsel at Equitable, presented an authentic and interactive panel session on building a personal board of directors. They shared insights into how they navigated new career milestones and strategies for building dynamic relationships in your personal and professional life.

A panel of Alumni Executive Council members closed out the day’s programming with a session on LCLD Alumni initiatives. 2018 Fellow and Chair Elect Brenda Rodriguez-Howdershell , 2016 Fellow and Pathways to Equity Chair Michelle Park Chiu , 2019 Fellow and Coaching Circles Vice Chair Randall Lehner , 2016 Fellow and Sustainable Partnership Program Vice Chair Lisa Maria Harris , and 2022 Pathfinder and Alumni Initiatives Co-Chair Elisa Chen shared opportunities for Alums to engage with LCLD, from joining Coaching Circles to participating in the Sustainable Partnership Program.

To cap off the Symposium, Alumni enjoyed Dine-Arounds — a beloved LCLD tradition — where they connected with familiar faces and forged new friendships at restaurants across Boston.

Thank you to our incredible sponsors for making this event possible:

• Gold Sponsors: Allstate, Cooley LLP, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Lockheed Martin, Morrison Foerster, and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
• Silver Sponsors: BakerHostetler, Council of Federal Home Loan Banks, Horvitz & Levy LLP, Littler, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Raymond James, Stradley Ronon, and Zebra Technologies
• Bronze Sponsors: DTO Law, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Fish & Richardson P.C., Fried Frank, Sullivan & Worcester LLP, Thompson Coburn LLP, White & Case LLP, and Wiley Rein LLP
• Supporting Sponsor: Advance
• Community Service Sponsors: MassMutual and Nutter
• After-Hours Party Sponsors: Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.

This article was originally published on the LCLD website, here.