Not Your Average DEI Podcast

Angela Dingle joins JSL's Vickie Hubbard for Episode 18 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Angela and Vickie discuss the intersectionality between businesses and public policy, the future of DEI and supplier inclusion, and Angela's professional journey. As President and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), Angela Dingle leads a national nonpartisan organization advocating on behalf...

Afra Afsharipour joins JSL's Vickie Hubbard for Episode 17 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Afra and Vickie discuss Afra's journey from law school to practicing at a Big Law firm to being a Professor of Law at UC Davis, the experience of women in law today, and her vision for tomorrow. Afra Afsharipour is Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis Sch...

Trecia Pessoa, Vice President & Senior Managing Counsel with Mastercard, joins JSL's Vickie Hubbard and 3 aspiring female attorneys (Hannah Fox, Jordan McClenney, and Emma Bonfiglio) for Episode 6 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Trecia, Vickie, Hannah, Jordan, and Emma discuss Trecia's journey to becoming an attorney, her career now, and the lessons that she's learn...

Theodora Lee, Senior Partner with Littler Mendelson, P.C., joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard and Cindy Towers for Episode 5 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Theodora, Vickie, and Cindy explore Theodora's extensive legal career and the challenges she has experienced as a woman of color attorney, and discuss Theodora's success as the owner of Theopolis Vineyards. Theodora Lee, a Senio...

Kim Cuccia joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard for Episode 4 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! Kim and Vickie discuss the value of supplier diversity programs in the legal industry and the importance of considering diverse-owned law firms for outside counsel opportunities. Kim Cuccia is Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for NiSource Inc. She provides leadership and...

Heather Choi joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard for Episode 3 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! This fireside chat with Heather, Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Baker Botts, covers her career trajectory from an Associate to a Partner and now to her dual role, as well as her advice for young women of color attorneys in Big Law. Heather Choi is Baker Botts’ first-ever Chief D...

Leslie Davis joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard for Episode 2 of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie and Leslie touch on the importance of mentorship and the power of allyship in the legal industry, and discuss Leslie's career trajectory and her role as CEO of NAMWOLF. Leslie D. Davis is a respected leader, experienced advocate, and logical strategist who has been a tire...

Dr. Ella Washington joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard and Krystle Martinez for the first episode of Season 2 of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie, Krystle, and Kimberly tackle the topic of microaggressions in the workplace. Dr. Ella Washington is an organizational psychologist and DEI expert with a wealth of experience through her involvement as the Founder and CEO of Ellavate Solutio...

Kimberly Leefatt joins JSL’s Vickie Hubbard and Krystle Martinez for the tenth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie, Krystle, and Kimberly tackle the topic of equity within law firms.  Kimberly Leefatt is an attorney practicing in California and a proud alumna of Howard University School of Law. Prior to joining the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2021 as a staff a...

Jayzen Patria joins JSL’s Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, for the ninth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie and Jayzen take a deep dive into Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and what makes an ERG program successful. Jayzen Patria is a personal branding expert, diversity advocate, and keynote speaker. He helps transform organizations through the power of their p...

Jocelyn Armstrong joins JSL’s Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, for the eighth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie and Jocelyn discuss attrition and retention, the difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and so much more! Jocelyn M. Armstrong, Esq. is the Director of Inclusion and Outreach at the Ohio State Bar Association (Ohio Bar). She leads programmin...

Virginia Essandoh joins JSL’s Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, for the seventh episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie and Virginia discuss the obstacles affecting the progression of DEI in the legal industry and effective strategies for overcoming those obstacles. Virginia Essandoh serves as Ballard Spahr's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. She...

Vanessa Watson joins JSL’s Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, for the sixth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast! In this episode, Vickie and Vanessa discuss Vanessa's decision to join the legal industry, the importance of mentorship and sponsorship to young lawyers, and the issue with retention at law firms. Vanessa Kaye Watson is the Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel...

Darius Treadwell joins JSL’s Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, for the fifth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast ! In this episode, Vickie and Darius discuss Darius’ experience as a legal recruiter, what diverse legal professionals are looking for in a law firm, and Vickie and Darius’ excitement over the launch of jurisADVANCE. Darius has 20+ years of executive recruiting experience spe...

Adrienne Fox joins JSL's Co-Founder/President & CEO, Cindy Towers, for the fourth episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast ! Adrienne and Cindy discuss the expansive field of legal procurement, the importance of trust in this area, and the key difference between price and value. Adrienne Fox is a Director of Global Category Management for Legal Services at Novartis, a global leader in phar...

Sela Garcia joins JSL's Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, for the third episode of Not Your Average DEI Podcast ! Sela and Vickie discuss the importance of representation, Sela's experiences within the legal industry so far, and the importance of mentorship. Sela Garcia is a first year civil-defense attorney with Paul Garcia & Associates. She is from and currently works in San...

Wesley Bizzell joins JSL's Chief Diversity Officer, Vickie Hubbard, and JSL's Chief Diversity Consultant, John Perella, for the second episode of  Not Your Average DEI Podcast ! In this episode, Wesley, John, and Vickie discuss Wesley's role in moving the needle in diversity within the legal industry, DEI metrics, and why legal may be behind. Wesley Bizzell (Wes) serves as Senior As...

JSL's President & CEO, Cindy Towers, joins JSL's Senior Relationship Manager, Vickie Hubbard, for the first episode of jurisADVANCE's podcast,  Not Your Average DEI Podcast. In this episode, Cindy and Vickie cover Cindy's background, why the time to address DEI in the legal industry is now, and what else jurisADVANCE has planned.