Susan B. Livingston Boot Camp for Success
Continuing to build a future where everyone belongs
At Balch, we embrace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion as core values of the firm. Our dedication to providing excellent client service is rooted in our commitment to cultivating an environment where people of all backgrounds, characteristics, and perspectives are valued for their contributions, skills, and talents. We actively recruit, hire, mentor, develop, advance, and retain a diverse team and foster an inclusive environment that encourages respect, camaraderie, and community for all.
Key Priorities
We foster an inclusive environment by building and expanding opportunities for personal accountability and growth. In support of this effort, we host a learning series designed to provide actionable steps in fostering a workplace where everyone is empowered to reach their full potential. We also promote educational experiences that celebrate our unique diversity and collective success.
We strive to demonstrate active leadership commitment by encouraging personal accountability, sharing success for progress, and incorporating inclusion-focused goals into work practices and policies.
We work to strengthen a diverse legal talent pipeline by leading pipeline programs, recruiting at diversity-focused events and fairs, and hosting mentoring and networking events for pre-law and law students.
We focus our development programming to meet the needs of all members of the firm. As part of those efforts, we support affinity groups such as Balch BLOCC and Women’s Initiative, which all attorneys are welcome to join including allies and others who have a shared interest. We also review qualitative feedback through our mid-year and year-end review processes to further enhance our programming.
We work to extend our commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion beyond our workplace by supporting state and local bar associations, organizations, and community-led initiatives, and identifying opportunities to collaborate with clients on efforts within our respective organizations.
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Learning Series
We believe that strengthening our culture where each member feels valued begins with inclusion. To give our attorneys and professionals the resources they need to promote an inclusive culture, we began production of our Fostering a Connected Culture video series. The series is a set of learning modules that will provide educational resources to empower our team to help nurture a connected firm culture.
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Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)
We were pleased to serve as members the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), an organization of more than 400 corporate general counsel and law firm managing partners—the leadership of the profession—who are committed to creating an environment where all talent can thrive. The organization’s action programs are designed to attract, inspire and nurture the very best talent in society and within our organizations, thereby helping a new generation of attorneys excel in the legal profession.
Managing Partner Stan Blanton and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Brandi Russell serve as Balch’s representatives to LCLD.
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Susan B. Livingston Boot Camp for Success
We host the annual Susan B. Livingston Boot Camp for Success to equip incoming law students with the necessary tools to succeed in law school and throughout their professional careers. The program focuses on attracting promising students from groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession and from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as students facing other significant barriers to entering the legal profession.
During this two-day program, students will gain a better sense of the law school classroom experience, receive practical tips and advice from judges, in-house counsel and leaders from a variety of backgrounds, network with Balch attorneys and learn tips to enhance their academic and professional success while maximizing law school opportunities. -
Balch Business Boost
Balch Business Boost is a program dedicated to supporting emerging and small disadvantaged businesses by providing free or low-cost legal services. These businesses are critical contributors to our economy - important creators of new jobs and brilliant ideas that make our communities and our economies better. Through this program, we aim to promote entrepreneurship and economic growth that will unlock the potential for sustained momentum for many business leaders across our footprint.
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Highlights & Initiatives
Awards
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Brandi A. Russell
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Director of Talent Management