October 25, 2023 – Practising Law Institute (PLI), a leading nonprofit learning organization, has launched DEI Connect, a new way for professionals to connect with CLE programs and other resources to support and foster more inclusive workplaces.   

DEI Connect brings together PLI’s many programs related to diversity topics, including addressing implicit bias, embracing generational diversity, improving disability access and inclusion in the law office, advocating for veterans, and understanding attorney wellness through the lens of DEI. These programs, many of which are eligible for CLE, are offered to PLI Members and other customers at live onsite events, via live webcasts, and streaming on-demand from PLI’s website and mobile app.   

DEI Connect also features two new video series from PLI:   

  • Expert Insights, in which members of PLI’s DEI Council and other leaders offer advice and share their experiences with challenging questions encountered in the workplace, and  
  • Pipeline Spotlight, showcasing nonprofit organizations that connect students with education and opportunities to spark their interest in the legal field, along with opportunities for lawyers to get involved. The first video in the series showcases Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization.  

In addition, visitors to DEI Connect will find links to informative PLI publications and podcasts on topics such as diversity in the accounting and finance professions, workplace equity and pay transparency, and more.   

“We are proud of PLI’s longstanding commitment to fostering and supporting inclusion in the legal community and beyond,” says PLI President Sharon L. Crane. “We know that professionals in law firms and corporations, and practitioners at all levels, are eager for high-quality, innovative, and effective programs on diversity-related topics. Reflecting our mission to keep professionals ever current, we are pleased to provide a centralized place to access these and other useful resources.”  

PLI will continue to add programs, videos, and other relevant content to DEI Connect to help professionals stay current with these evolving topics.   

DEI Connect was developed in consultation with PLI’s DEI Council, which includes President Crane; Kirsten Talmage, PLI’s Global Director of Product Strategy & Customer Experience; Janet Siegel, PLI’s Pro Bono Director; as well as these  expert advisers: Anna Brown, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Mass General Brigham; Maja D. Hazell, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Managing Director, D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P.; Sang Lee, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Volta Talent Strategies, and Co-Founder and CEO, Thine Solutions; Andrea Cristina Saavedra, Assistant Dean, Office of Judicial Clerkships, Columbia Law School; Michael Sabella, Counsel, BakerHostetler; Don Smith, Chief Talent & Inclusion Officer, Crowell & Moring LLP; and Angela Winfield, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Law School Admission Council.  

About Practising Law Institute (PLI) 

Founded in 1933, Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI provides accredited, continuing legal and professional education programs delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty, including top experts across practice areas. Additionally, PLI publishes a comprehensive library of treatises, course handbooks, answer books, and journals, also available through the PLI PLUS online platform and app. The essence of PLI’s mission is a commitment to the pro bono community. Based in New York, PLI also has an office and Conference Center in San Francisco. Visit www.pli.edu to learn more.