In this episode, Director of DEI at Jackson Lewis P.C., Angie Cavallo speaks with one of Jackson Lewis's Principal Attorneys, Michelle Phillips, who is the founder and prior Leader of JL's OPAL (Out Professionals & Allies in Law) resource group. Angie and Michelle discuss Michelle's personal and professional journey that has led to her being one of Jackson Lewis' preeminent openly LGBTQ+ attorneys, and how the landscape for LGBTQ+ attorneys in the legal profession has changed over the last few decades.
In this episode, Director of DEI at Jackson Lewis P.C., Angie Cavallo speaks with one of Jackson Lewis's Principal Attorneys, Michelle Phillips, who is the founder and prior Leader of JL's OPAL (Out Professionals & Allies in Law) resource group. Angie and Michelle discuss Michelle's personal and professional journey that has led to her being one of Jackson Lewis' preeminent openly LGBTQ+ attorneys, and how the landscape for LGBTQ+ attorneys in the legal profession has changed over the last few decades.
Angie Cavallo is an attorney who has been at the forefront of challenging discrimination and inequality for over 20 years. She graduated from Rutgers Law School with honors in 2010, where she held a fellowship with the National LGBTQ Task Force. Angie was a litigator for over a decade, focused on the varied needs of LGBTQ+ communities. She is also a certified mediator and routinely helped LGBTQ+ couples resolve their personal differences without litigation. Prior to her current role, Angie was a law partner and Chair of Diversity for a MidAtlantic full services law firm.
In 2017, Angie was named one of the Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and remains a member of this organization today. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her commitment to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal industry. Angie also taught at Rutgers Law from 2019-2021 and holds a certificate in Diversity & Inclusion Management from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She is a board member for the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group and a member of many DEI-focused legal organizations, including the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals (ALFDP) where she sits on the annual conference programming committee.
Angie routinely speaks on topics including LGBTQ+ conscious inclusion, interrupting bias, and the importance of pronouns and name pronunciations. She also regularly mentors other lawyers and law students, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. Presently, Angie is the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Jackson Lewis P.C., a preeminent Labor & Employment law firm with 1,000+ attorneys and 60+ offices nationwide.
Michelle E. Phillips is a principal in the White Plains, New York, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Michelle handles various types of employment litigation with an emphasis on sexual, racial, and disability harassment, and LGBT matters. She also counsels clients on a variety of labor and employment matters concerning federal and state employment laws. Michelle frequently conducts and advises clients on internal investigations and leads seminars and webinars for a broad range of clients focusing on employment discrimination, diversity, sexual harassment, and LGBT issues.
Michelle is a featured speaker at HRNY, NY and CT SHRM, ACC Corporate Counsel, Out & Equal Workplace Conference, and other prominent organizations. Michelle conducts training on race, ethnic, intergenerational, interfaith, LGBT & other inclusion issues. She is a national speaker on such issues as an employer's duty to accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees, sexual stereotyping in the workplace, and respecting each individual's gender identity and expression.