Best of Pioneers and Pathfinders: Laurie Robinson Haden

Throughout the year, we highlight episodes of Pioneers and Pathfinders that deserve a second (or third) listen. This month, as we celebrate Black History Month, we are revisiting our interview with Laurie Robinson Haden, founder of Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC). Today, CCWC provides an important platform for Black women attorneys to network and forge successful career paths in law. Laurie Robinson Haden is an award-winning lawyer and agent of change who personifies the pioneering spirit that defines this podcast. During a nearly 20-year stint in various leadership roles in CBS’s law department, she founded CCWC, the largest and most influential professional organization of its kind. What started as an informal group of friends exchanging contact information in 2004 has now become a powerhouse network of nearly 5,000 women of color devoted to empowering one another and lifting one another up. Seyfarth is proud to have played a role in the early days by helping Laurie set the organization up as a 501(c)(3), and the firm is proud to call her an alum, as well. Listen in to today’s conversation to get a feel for Laurie’s infectious energy as we discuss: - The need for an organization like CCWC—especially for first-generation women lawyers of color. - Her advice for getting buy-in and support from employers for diversity initiatives, and why people shouldn’t be afraid to walk away when they don’t get it. - What’s next for CCWC as it turns focus from the chief legal officers space to the boardroom.