Columbus CEO shares how local GELI coalition "attacks pay equity"

A collaboration among local law firms including Bricker & Eckler, Gender Equity in the Legal Industry (GELI) was established in early 2017 as a result of several Central Ohio legal industry leaders recognizing the need for discussion regarding gender and pay equity. Since the group hosted its first casual conversation surrounding implicit biases and how they affect the workplace, it has developed a regular structure and schedule to keep these discussions going. As highlighted by Columbus CEO's article, "Coalition of Columbus law firms attacks pay equity," the group has now hosted eight events, all of which have drawn more than 100 people – both male and female – who are "trying to get to the root of a series of issues that are pushing women out of the industry, including pay equity, work-life balance, partnership opportunities and equity among case assignments."

Bricker's GELI representative Joëlle Khouzam has played an instrumental role in engaging both her Bricker colleagues and her industry connections in these important topics. She is a champion of GELI events, believing that "people who come to two or three of the sessions [can] bring these messages back to their firms and...replicate these kinds of conversations internally at their offices." Joëlle and GELI leaders are committed to helping legal industry professionals "[i]dentify issues and concerns and then empower people to go forward.”