Litera'like the companies we've merged with over the years'started as a small company. We knew each other as individuals. We knew what we had in common, and we knew what set us apart and made us unique. We could look each other in the eye and accept each other as real people, with all of our glorious diversity of backgrounds and life experiences. Now, frankly, we've grown into a global company that's simply too big to count on everyone having those personal, one-to-one relationships that build trust and understanding.
We're also, as a society, increasingly recognizing that our differences should be celebrated. Yes, people are people, and we share much in common, but our differences also matter. We have each had different experiences throughout life because of who we are and how the world views us. Pretending we haven't blinds us to the value of diversity and hampers our growth.
But change is an inside job. That's why we, as a company, wanted to formally recognize our differences, lay the groundwork for better understanding one another, and publicly state that we value our differences as well as our commonalities.
Celebrate Pride Month RecapOn June 17, we held a virtual workshop and conversation to celebrate Pride Month and to educate ourselves about LGBT terminology, the history of the movement, and the challenges faced by the LGBT community. This discussion ranged from the somber, as we recapped the long history of societies' criminalization of non-heterosexual relationships and the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, to the lighthearted, with a moment to appreciate fashion trends at LGBT weddings in India. We closed with a celebration of the progress and beauty of the LGBT movement and an emotional open forum in which community members and allies shared their experiences. It was a time for growth, learning, and appreciation for one another.
Throughout the month, we also addressed LGBT issues on Litera TV with a series of Pride Month episodes. Among some ofour favorites were:
Bob Ambrogi's conversation with Gillian Power, CIO of Lathrop GPM LLP, about her experience coming out as transgender in the legal field and how she believes technology can help to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion;
Joe Borstein's conversation with Kristen Sonday, co-founder and COO of Paladin, about her efforts to increase access to justice by working with legal teams to optimize their pro bono programs; and
Ari Kaplan's conversation with Shannon Salter, Chair of the Civil Resolution Tribunal, about the mission of the CRT and the power of technology to enhance access to justice among underrepresented groups.
As we close out Pride Month, we look forward to continuing our celebration of diversityand inclusion in all its varied forms and continuing, to ask ourselves where we need to be open andcontinue to lead change.
Posted in Legal,Technology
