Diversity Ever After

How can you help small businesses become big businesses? In this week’s episode, our hosts discuss how creative partnerships that focus on using your own resources to help others can make a lasting and impactful change in our communities and specifically the economic competitive marketplace for small business owners. The hosts discuss The Light of Baltimore Incubator, created in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses to help small businesses grow and advance. 

Our Host this Week:
Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder, Baker Donelson

Special Guest:
Alicia Wilson, Managing Director and Global Head of Philanthropy for the North America Region for JP Morgan Chase.  NOTE: Alicia was VP of Economic Development and Community Partnership at Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System at the time this podcast was recorded in early 2023.

It is important to have diverse representation of lawyers on TV and in films because representation shows possibility. In this week's episode, our hosts discuss these possibilities and the common themes and biases often portrayed in the storylines of some of our favorite TV lawyers such as Olivia Pope and Annalise Keating. Is the existence of these diverse characters enough of a win, or can the stereotypes they present do more harm than good? Our hosts consider this and discuss the tangible experience in entertainment law that our guest host, Loren Mulraine, has in negotiating the terms of his clients' portrayal. Join us for this engaging discussion of some critical TV lawyer scenes as we contemplate the commentary that these scenes consciously or unconsciously spark.

Our Hosts this Week:
Tenia L. Clayton, Associate at Baker Donelson 
Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder at Baker Donelson 

Special Guest Host:
Professor Loren Mulraine, Esq., Director of Music and Entertainment Law Studies at Belmont University and Of Counsel at Spencer Fane Bone McAllester, LLP

Resources:
Why Diverse Representation in Media Matters
What ‘She-Hulk’ and ‘Partner Track’ tell us about law firms’ diversity problems

On June 30, 2022, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made history by becoming the first African American woman to be sworn in as an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court. We had a chance to discuss this monumental day with Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. In Episode 2, Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby, who authored a 2010 law review article titled Black Women Judges: The Historical Journey of Black Women to the Nation's Highest Courts, discusses the historic meaning of Justice Jackson's ascension to our nation’s highest court, why diversity in the appellate judiciary is so critical to our judicial systems, and how events in the past few years created an environment ripe for Justice Jackson’s appointment in 2022.

Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby was sworn in as Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals on March 17, 2017. Prior to being designated Chief Judge, she was nominated by President George W. Bush in August 2006 to serve as an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Before that, Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby, nominated by President Bill Clinton, served as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2000-2006, and served as a Magistrate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1995-2000.

Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby is married to Judge Robert R. Rigsby, Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, former corporation counsel for the District of Columbia, and a retired colonel and military judge of the United States Army Reserves. They are the proud parents of a son, Julian Rigsby, who recently graduated from Elon University.

Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby also holds a special place in history as being a part of the first sitting mother-daughter judicial team in the country. Her mother, Judge Laura D. Blackburne, was elected to the New York City Civil Court in 1995 and in 1999 she was elected to the New York State Supreme Court. Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby had wonderful public servant role models in her mother and father who supported her and inspired her throughout her career. 

Our Hosts this Week:

E. Bahati Mutisya, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/bahati-mutisya

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Special Guest Host:

Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
https://www.dccourts.gov/court-of-appeals/judges/chief-rigsby-anna-page

Resource Guide:

"Black Women Judges: The Historical Journey of Black Women to the Nation’s Highest Courts"
https://www.nawj.org/uploads/pdf/black_women_judges_by_anna_blackburne_rigsby_howard_law_journal.pdf

We are starting the new year and a new season by checking-in with some of our hosts.  We recognize the importance of having a platform where we can openly discuss important and sometimes difficult and uncomfortable conversations that impact professionals, but you may wonder what we enjoy about hosting these episodes. The topics we discuss on Diversity Ever After can benefit any organization or professional as they strive to be more inclusive. At the heart of inclusion is creating spaces where everyone feels valued and seen, so focusing on inclusion is critical for all of our overall wellbeing. Tune in to learn why we continue to record these podcast episodes, why we believe discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion topics is important, and what we hope you gain from tuning in to our podcast. We also provide a sneak peak of a couple upcoming episodes.

Our Hosts this Week:

• Tenia Clayton, Associate
• Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
• Jerrick Murrell, Associate
• Bahati Mutisya, Associate

Firm clients are focusing on diversity internally and with their outside counsel.  While we all generally know what ‘diversity’ means, we all may not have diligently considered what it takes to create diversity in a law firm, worked to intentionally and meaningfully advance diversity in our law firms, and/or identified innovative ways to foster inclusion in law firms that support retaining diverse talent.  In this episode of Diversity Ever After, host Kennard Davis reflects on these questions by obtaining the perspective of three special guests:  Marcus Brown, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Entergy Corporation, Chris Walker, Associate General Counsel at Jacobs Engineering Group, and Danielle Agee, Market General Counsel for the Southcentral Market at Verizon.  Join us for an engaging discussion on the meaning of diversity, how law firm clients are also working internally to create more diverse and inclusive teams, actionable ways to facilitate purposeful development of minority attorneys who work in law firms, and methods for holding firms accountable to the diversity requirements set by their clients. 

Our Host this Week:
Kennard Davis, Associate at Baker Donelson

Special Guest Hosts:
Marcus Brown, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Entergy Corporation 
Chris Walker, Associate General Counsel at Jacobs Engineering Group
Danielle Agee, Market General Counsel for the Southcentral Market at Verizon

Special Thanks to:
John Page, SVP, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer and Chief Legal Officer at Golden State Foods
Dana M. Douglas, United State Magistrate Judge at United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder at Baker Donelson
Christopher Joseph, Associate Attorney at D'Arcy Vicknair, LLC
Karl Connor, Chief Change Agent

By mid-spring, law students and law firms are gearing up for the start of summer associate programs, and your Diversity Ever After hosts are here to help! Time spent at a law firm as a summer associate can be a whirlwind of interesting and challenging assignments, networking events, and enormous personal and professional development opportunities. It can be difficult for both the law student and the law firm to figure out how to best navigate this busy time, and naturally, there are many questions (i.e., transactional work vs. litigation, when and how to give and get feedback, and critically, how to ensure that the summer associate experience is a fit for both parties).

In this episode, our hosts, Reba Letsa and Nakimuli Davis-Primer, are joined by Shareholder, Tom Barnard, and incoming Associate, Sabrina Marquez, for a discussion on how to maximize your summer associate experience and tips for leaving a lasting impression.

Join us as we reflect on our summer associate experiences and offer valuable insights and advice to help you navigate your time this summer and land the offer at the end.

Our Hosts this Week:
Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder 
Reba Letsa, Associate 

Special Guest Hosts:
Tom Barnard, Shareholder
Sabrina Marquez, Incoming Associate (Fall 2022)

Everyone should be able to be their authentic selves at work, which includes wearing the hair that naturally grows out of their head in natural hairstyles. Yet, this is not the reality for many people of color. Congress has noted the seriousness of this issue as demonstrated by the United States House of Representative’s recent passage of the CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination at work based on texture or style of hair. 

In Episode 2, we discuss the need for inclusive views of professionalism in the legal profession, why the CROWN Act is so important, and how the legal profession must adapt and embrace a culture of diversity. The hosts of this episode are joined by our special guest, Judge Ashleigh Parker Dunston, a District Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District of Wake County in North Carolina. Judge Dunston has extensively written and spoken about the CROWN Act. She also serves as a role model by embracing her authentic identity from the bench and promotes an environment that does not pressure black women or any person of color to conform to dated, Eurocentric views of what is deemed “professional.”

Our Hosts this Week:
E. Bahati Mutisya, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/bahati-mutisya

Tenia L. Clayton, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tenia-clayton

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Special Guest Host:
Judge Ashleigh Parker Dunston, District Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District of North Carolina
https://judgeashleigh.com/about-ashleigh-parker-dunston/

Resource Guide:

My Crown is Professional: Wearing Natural Hair in the Courtroom by Judge Ashleigh Parker Dunston
https://www.actec.org/assets/1/6/MyCrownIsProfessional.pdf?hssc=1

Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (CROWN) of 2022 (H.R. 2116)
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2116/text

When considering how to provide support and resources to help minority owned businesses on a pathway towards long-term sustainability, growth, and success, do not overlook the power of community and paying-it-forward.  One way Baker Donelson has chosen to pay-it-forward is through BakerBridge, a program wherein attorneys partner with minority owned businesses on their legal needs to help them scale and enterprise. 

In this episode, our hosts examine the power of using relationships and community to support minority owned businesses.  The guests, three Black women owners of two businesses based in Memphis, Tennessee, share their individual journeys as a food scientist, foodpreneur, and business professional, how they contribute to each other’s success, and the impact of Baker Donelson’s BakerBridge program on their business journey.  They also share actionable best practices for how minority business owners can invest in themselves and how other businesses can support minority owned businesses.  We hope this episode will challenge you to remember community and pay-it-forward by considering how you can support minority owned businesses. 

Our Hosts this Week:

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder and Co-Chair of BakerBridge

Mary Wu Tullis, Shareholder

Special Guest Hosts:

City Tasting Box
Lisa Brown
Cristina McCarter

Umami Food Consulting
Ali Manning 

Resources:

Click HERE to purchase, “Can I play with my Food?” – by Ali Manning

To learn more about the BakerBridge program, please visit:  https://www.bakerdonelson.com/bakerbridge

What is the purpose of a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer? Join us this week in Episode 6 as we sit down with Mark Baugh, Baker Donelson’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO), to discuss the role of a CDIO and how it is constantly changing. As members of a continually diversifying workforce, it is vital for employers to facilitate a welcoming and inclusive environment. Mark describes the capability of everyone to serve as an ally and advocate in the workplace and to remain committed to open dialogue and promotion of diversity and inclusion. 

Our Hosts this Week:

Jerrick D. Murrell, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/jerrick-murrell

Mark A. Baugh, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Mark-A-Baugh

How can we continue to advance Dr. King’s legacy in a way that creates more equitable and inclusive spaces all around us? In Episode five, we discuss how we can continue Dr. King’s living legacy through service.  Of note, we discuss how we can use our own resources, including our privileges, to level the playing field for those who may not have the same privileges. It is as simple as using your skills and talents to give back in ways that are meaningful to you. Join us as we discuss the importance of hope, service, and continuing to fight for civil and voting rights for all. 

Our Host this Week:

Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer

Special Guest Hosts:

Charles Grant, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Charles-K-Grant

Bahati Mutisya, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/bahati-mutisya

Resources:

Drum Major Sermon
http://bethlehemfarm.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/DrumMajorInstinct.pdf

I Have a Dream Speech
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/king.dreamspeech.excerpts.pdf

A Testament of Hope
https://www.faculty.umb.edu/lawrence_blum/courses/318_11/readings/king_ethical_demands.pdf