Balch & Bingham Joins Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

Balch & Bingham is pleased to announce that it has joined 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 promoting a more open and diverse legal profession. The organization’s action programs are designed to attract, inspire and nurture the talent in society and within law firms across the country, thereby helping a new and more diverse generation of attorneys ascend to positions of leadership. By producing tangible results, LCLD works to promote inclusiveness within law firms.

Stan Blanton, managing partner, will serve as Balch’s representative to LCLD. Stan’s involvement speaks to his actionable commitment to building a truly diverse legal profession.  As a member, Stan will interact with the firm’s nominees to the Fellows, Pathfinders and 1L Scholars program, as well as other program participants to share and review best practices, discuss ways to advance diverse talent and redesign internal practices to create sustainable change. 

“As the legal industry works towards a more equitable future, we are honored to join our colleagues from across the country as we pursue a more truly diverse and inclusive workforce,” said Stan Blanton, Managing Partner. “I look forward to working alongside other law firm leaders and corporate leaders to support and participate in action programs for advancing diverse legal talent towards the ranks of leadership.” 

Founded in 2009, LCLD has created a unique set of programs and initiatives that were designed by lawyers, for lawyers, to work in the real world. These include innovative mentoring and professional development programs that operate at practically every stage of a legal career, starting at the university level and carrying through the launch of a lawyer’s career and beyond. 

Specifically, elite 1L LCLD Scholars Program, Pathfinder Program, Fellows Program, and LCLD Alumni are all designed to propel talented diverse lawyers, women and minorities, on a path to excellence and leadership within their organizations.

Balch & Bingham is committed to setting an example and raising the standards for diverse workplaces both in the legal industry and beyond. The firm’s DE&I efforts span across every aspect of our work, from engaging with a broad range of clients and developing a diverse workforce, to supporting organizations and developing initiatives that encourage diversity in the legal profession. These initiatives include signature programs like The Susan B. Livingston Boot Camp for Success, which equips incoming law students with the necessary tools to succeed in law school and throughout their professional careers, and Balch Business Boost, which supports entrepreneurs of color and/or women-owned businesses and start-ups by providing free or low-cost legal services. 

In 2021, Balch created a dedicated leadership role to direct the firm’s diversity, inclusion and recruitment efforts, thereby elevating Balch’s commitment to these important initiatives. In February of last year, Brandi Russell joined the firm as its first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Director of Talent Management. In this role, Brandi works alongside the Firm’s leadership and DE&I Council to provide strategic direction and management of the firm’s DE&I efforts, lawyer recruiting, and associate professional development program.