Dykema Shines at Diversity Lab’s 2024 “Moments to Movements Hackathon”

Dykema, a leading national law firm, is proud to share that Sherrie Farrell, Dykema’s Chief Diversity Officer, and Laura Baucus, Director of the firm’s Automotive Industry Group, each participated in the Diversity Lab’s “Moments to Movements Hackathon,” held on July 11, 2024, at NYU School of Law. Both Farrell and Baucus’s respective teams received formal recognition from Diversity Lab for their innovative ideas.

The Hackathon brought together more than 100 leaders from law firms and corporate legal departments to address critical challenges in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) within the legal profession. The event featured a “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition in which 10 teams pitched creative solutions to combat anti-DE&I rhetoric and ensure equal access to high-quality work for underrepresented attorneys.

Farrell and Baucus, along with other leaders, worked in small teams from March to July 2024 to collaborate, ideate, and offer sustainable and scalable solutions to the following Hackathon challenges:

Community — How can we defend and fortify DEI across the profession and in each organization to withstand downturns, leadership changes, anti-DEI rhetoric, and other headwinds?

Inclusive Talent Systems — How can we improve workplace practices and processes to ensure fair and equal access to high-quality work, sponsors, and business/clients to level the playing field for all talent, including historically underrepresented lawyers?

Baucus participated on the Bias Busters team, which was listed as a Top Winner and secured second place with its innovative solution, “Inclusion Hub,” a work allocation app designed to ensure equitable distribution of assignments among attorneys. This proposal was recognized for its potential to significantly impact the legal profession.

The “Inclusion Hub” addresses the issue of fair work allocation by making it easier for firms to build inclusive and diverse teams. The Hub provides an interactive platform that provides searchable information about associates’ core competencies and desired work experience. Lawyers assigning work can use the Hub to identify associates to staff on client matters, explore through low-risk and get-to-know-you projects, and schedule a preliminary meet-and-greet. The Inclusion Hub also generates metrics for annual reports and scorecards for clients to evaluate their law firms’ efforts to improve fair work allocation and utilization of diverse teams.

“It was an honor to participate in the 2024 Hackathon and work with such a dedicated and talented team,” said Baucus. “Our work allocation app addresses a crucial need for fairness in assigning work, and I am thrilled that our proposal was recognized. This experience helped to reinforce my commitment to advancing DE&I in the legal field. It is my hope that it may inspire the same in others.”

Farrell served as the DEI Advisor for the Inclusion Superstars team, whose pitch was recognized as an Honorable Mention, was highly praised by the judges, and is set to be implemented by Diversity Lab. The group’s proposal is a credential program that leverages gamification to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion amongst legal professionals.

The Inclusion Superstars platform awards lawyers points for engaging in inclusion-related activities that generate career-advancing professional opportunities for junior lawyers, with a specific focus on equal access for lawyers who are historically underrepresented in law. The points are verified by employers and certified by Diversity Lab, which designates the criteria for the Inclusion Superstar credential. Organizations can also achieve recognition through a tiered status system that is connected to the participation of their lawyers and professional staff. Individuals and organizations that achieve the Inclusion Superstar credential will benefit from increased DEI engagement, competitive edge, and marketing advantages.

“I was extremely honored to join the Hackathon as one of 10 DEI experts,” said Farrell. “The energy, initiatives, and ideas that each of the teams brought to the Hackathon were impactful. I’m proud that some of the ideas my team brought to the Hackathon will be put into action.”

Diversity Lab’s Moments to Movements Hackathon continues its legacy of fostering innovation and collaboration among DEI leaders. Dykema is proud of Sherrie Farrell and Laura Baucus for their contributions and looks forward to supporting the implementation of these groundbreaking ideas.

About Diversity Lab 

Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Experimental ideas are created through our Hackathons and piloted in collaboration with more than 250 top law firms and legal departments nationwide. Diversity Lab leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking, and technology to further develop and test new ideas and research, measure the results, and share the lessons learned. For more information, visit www.diversitylab.com.