California State Bar selects Lawrence Livermore as a 2024 bronze seal recipient

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been recognized as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Leadership Seal Program recipient by the California State Bar for 2024. The state bar’s DEI Leadership Seal Program recognizes California legal employers that commit to implementing or are already implementing actions that further DEI in the workplace. LLNL has been awarded the bronze seal.

See the full slate of awardees here, including program seal requirements.

The State Bar of California is the regulatory arm of the California Supreme Court responsible for licensing and disciplining attorneys. The state bar's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to and inclusion in the legal system.

The state bar’s DEI work seeks to achieve a statewide attorney population that reflects the rich demographics of the state's population. The state bar’s DEI Leadership Seal Program is available to all legal employers that employ California attorneys, including law firms, in-house legal departments, legal academia, nonprofit organizations and government agencies with attorney staff.

The Laboratory’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) supports LLNL’s mission by being a trusted and proactive partner to its employees, programs and departments. OGC helps to enable all parties to fulfill the Laboratory’s national security mission. LLNL’s OGC includes a team of seasoned attorneys and other legal professionals from diverse backgrounds, including private law firms, government agencies and in-house legal departments for global corporations.

“The OGC team is striving to build a diverse legal department, supported by broad and diverse-minded outside legal teams, which we believe positively impacts our mission, helps us find innovative solutions to meet national security goals and empowers us to pursue greater fairness when promoting the law,” said Christopher Land, LLNL’s general counsel. “We are humbled to have received this honor, and grateful for our LLNL colleagues who supported this effort. We look forward to implementing further actions that promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our team and the greater Lab as a whole.”

OGC is responsible for providing advice, representation and support for all legal matters affecting the Laboratory and its employees. OGC collaborates with many Laboratory organizations, including LLNL’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) Office.

The Laboratory’s IDEA Office fosters a workplace culture that is inclusive, collaborative and supportive of multi-disciplinary teams to solve challenges in national security. The core beliefs of LLNL’s IDEA Office embraces people with all their unique abilities and perspectives so they can succeed in reaching their full potential at the Laboratory. There are currently 12 employee resource groups at LLNL that support employees in myriad ways, including professional development, recruitment, networking, mentoring, internships, scholarships and leadership opportunities.

“This Bronze Leadership Seal from the California State Bar underscores our steadfast dedication to IDEA at LLNL,” said Sashalla Lemond, Workforce Engagement manager for IDEA. “Our focus on fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace is essential to our mission and success. We are committed to continuing and expanding our IDEA efforts, ensuring that every individual at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to our collective achievements.”

In the last decade, LLNL has continued to improve the employee experience in areas such as work-life balance and flexibility, benefits and career development opportunities, all of which are vital components of LLNL’s success. Having DEI-centric workplace initiatives helps drive organizational success and innovation at the Laboratory.

To learn more about IDEA efforts at LLNL, visit the web.