DiversityisNatural.com is Launched: New Web Site Creates Forum for Addressing Issues Related to the Advancement of Women and Minorities in the Legal Profession
Roseland, NJ, February 10, 2009 — Lowenstein Sandler has launched DiversityisNatural.com, a new Web site dedicated to fostering the advancement and promotion of women and minority attorneys in the legal profession. Unveiled this week, the site features topical articles by judges, in-house attorneys, and other prominent legal professionals.
"The goal of the site is to encourage meaningful dialogue on topics including the recruitment, retention, and promotion of women and minorities in the legal profession," said firm partner Miguel Alexander Pozo, Editor-in-Chief of DiversityisNatural.com. "The featured articles will also address issues regarding mentoring, work-life balance, and gender equality, as well as career advancement and professional development," he said.
Despite increasing dialogue about diversity in our society and the apparent push by some employers to achieve it in our workplaces, Mr. Pozo said that statistics reveal a continuing lack of true diversity in the legal profession. "One need only consider the attrition rates of women and diverse attorneys at major law firms, the lack of ethnic and gender diversity on the judicial bench, and the relatively low number of women general counsels at Fortune 500 corporations, to see that the legal profession still has work to do, despite progress in recent years," he explained.
Recognizing that there are no quick fixes or simple answers, DiversityisNatural.com serves as a resource for corporations, law firms, government agencies, academic institutions, companies large and small, and individuals interested in grappling with the challenges — and solutions — associated with cultivating and maintaining a diverse working environment. DiversityisNatural.com will ultimately discuss possible solutions — some innovative, others time-tested — that employers across the country are implementing in order to achieve diverse and robust workplaces.
The first installment of original articles includes: "To Create a Diverse Environment, One is Not Enough," written by the Honorable Susan Wigenton, United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; "Developing a Personal Board of Directors," by David Arroyo, Vice President of Legal Affairs for Scripps Networks; and "Experiencing the Other Side of Diversity," by Christopher Santomassimo, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at AGFA Corporation. Each of these articles addresses the topic of diversity from the perspective of the individual author and chronicles their experiences with diversity in their professional careers. The editorial board anticipates quarterly updates to the Web site.
The DiversityIsNatural.com editorial board consists of Associate Editors Lisa A. Harvey, Monica N. Kamison, Michael T.G. Long, and Elizabeth Pietrowski, all attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler PC.
About DiversityisNatural.com
DiversityisNatural.com is a Web site dedicated to fostering the advancement of women and minorities in the legal profession. Featuring articles written by judges, in-house attorneys, law professors, and other prominent legal professionals, DiversityisNatural.com will tackle critical issues associated with cultivating and maintaining a diverse working environment, such as mentoring, work-life balance, recruiting and retention, career advancement and professional development. The site is an initiative of Lowenstein Sandler PC, an AmLaw 200 law firm named one of the "Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity," "Top 100 Law Firms for Women" and "Top 25 Law Firms for Hispanics" by MultiCultural Law.
About Lowenstein Sandler
Lowenstein Sandler is a nationally recognized corporate law firm with offices in Boston, New York, Palo Alto and Roseland, with approximately 270 attorneys providing a full range of legal services. The firm’s commitment to its clients is demonstrated through its client-centered, service-oriented culture. Lowenstein Sandler attorneys are regularly recognized for excellence by clients and peers in national publications, including Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Legal 500.