Babst Calland Receives ACBA ALLY Certification in Diversity and Inclusion

November 16, 2022

Babst Calland has earned certification from the Allegheny County Bar Association as part of the inaugural cohort of the ALLY Initiative.

The ALLY certificate was presented in a graduation ceremony last week. Babst Calland attorneys, Carla Castello, Donald Bluedorn and Lisa Bruderly, accepted the honor on behalf of the firm. “The firm views diversity as a business imperative that is critical for maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace culture. We are honored to be recognized by the ALLY Initiative,” said Carla Castello, Chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative.

ALLY stands for Attorneys, Learning as allies, Living as allies, and Yielding results. The ACBA Ally initiative was created “to engage attorneys, their law firms, corporate legal departments, courts and other legal organizations to commit to increase inclusivity, create equitable workplaces, empower historically marginalized and underrepresented members of the bar and reflect the community we serve, through active participation in various key programs and projects targeted to achieve these objectives.”

Over the past year, Babst Calland successfully completed 10 goals across four different categories to earn this ALLY certification and further promote gender equity and diversity both at the Firm and in the community. These accomplishments included, but were not limited to, the following:

  • The Firm hosted several Diversity, Equity and Inclusion CLEs, including a CLE through its partnership with the Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition, and an internal CLE co-hosted by the Firm’s Women’s Initiative and DEI Committee.
  • The Women’s Initiative promoted mentoring circles across multiple offices and practice groups to provide mentorship opportunities and support members’ professional and personal goals.
  • The Women’s Initiative provided presentations to young lawyers to support career development.
  • The Firm partnered with the Pitt Law Women’s Association to host a networking event to encourage women in the pursuit of their legal careers.
  • Babst Calland participated in the ACBA Summer Clerkship Program, which seeks to attract and retain high-potential diverse law students in the Pittsburgh community.
  • Babst Calland attorneys and staff organized a volunteer project through the United Way to benefit food-insecure children in our community.
  • Babst Calland encouraged and sponsored diverse attorneys in attending training programs and conferences to further their career.

The ALLY certification memorializes Babst Calland’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and legal profession.