We're excited to celebrate our August Member of the Month, Lynsey David of Lewis Wagner LLP! Women and the Law Division Executive Committee Member Ellen Pactor sat down with Lynsey to get to know her a little better.
Tell us about your practice.
I am a member of Lewis Wagner’s Transportation Practice Group and devote most of my practice to representing commercial carriers and drivers in various areas of litigation in both state and federal court. Fun fact: I started as a law clerk with Lewis Wagner after attending the IndyBar’s Diversity Job Fair as an out-of-state student looking to break into the Indianapolis job market.
What do you find most satisfying about your practice?
Hands down, the people – both the people I work with and the people I work for. I have been fortunate to have been taken under the wings of three giving and intentional mentors, which includes two incredible women attorneys, and love working alongside them. I am also fortunate that my practice includes working with a lot of the same clients and contacts, so not only do I get to help them solve problems and work to resolve cases, but I also get to know them on a personal level.
How did you get involved in IndyBar?
As I mentioned, I am a past participant of the IndyBar Diversity Job Fair and feel eternally grateful for the opportunities it provided me. I was an out-of-state student with little connection to the Indianapolis legal community, but knew I wanted to start my practice here. So, once I started practicing, the opportunity arose for me to become a member of the DJF Committee and I’ve been around ever since. I am honored to be a Co-Chair of the DJF Committee this year, and love the tangible benefits the job fair offers for both students and employers. I am also on the Litigation Committee’s Executive Committee, where I have enjoyed coordinating the Committee’s Annual Judicial Roundtable and Reception and identifying evolving and reoccurring issues that are beneficial to litigators to learn about in our CLE offerings.
I also have to give a major shoutout to the WLD’s mentor program. I have participated many times and always leave the year with deep connections with the members of my group. As someone who did not grow up in Indiana or go to school here, it has been an invaluable source of connection and friendship for me.
This year the WLD is focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion. How can allies support their diverse colleagues?
Learn, listen and be intentional.
As someone who grew up in a very small town in Kentucky, I learned I had a lot of self-education to do to start to understand and best support the DEI efforts I have been involved in. That meant learning about implicit bias, and continually working to identify and challenge my blind spots.
Listen to and get to know your diverse colleagues – ask about their families and hobbies and work to identify shared interests. Also specifically ask and listen to your diverse colleagues on whether they have enough work, if there is anything you can do to better support them, what ideas they have, and what is working and what is not in your organization.
Finally, be intentional. Invite diverse colleagues to client meetings, take them out to lunch, put them on cases, and make sure diverse candidates are included in interviewing for both external and internal positions. Being intentional also includes working to drive positive change in your organization. Be a spokesperson for diversity issues that are not necessarily your own.
Finally, I have heard before that DEI efforts are a journey, not a destination. Commit to your own efforts and the efforts of your organization to be ongoing goals, not a program that will be completed in six months to a year.
What do you do for fun outside of work?
I have a two-year-old son that keeps me busy, so most weekends you can catch our family riding bikes, playing at parks in Greenwood, or going to the zoo. Also, I am on the Board of Directors for GenderNexus, work out at Orange Theory Fitness in Greenwood, and recently rediscovered my love for reading – especially new adult fantasy books.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the WLD?
Get involved with something you’re passionate about! As much as I truly love the work I do, my bar association and nonprofit involvement is inspired by my passions. We all have busy practices and sometimes even busier lives, and I’ve found that even if these non-work obligations can feel overwhelming at times, I am always happy I took the time and effort to contribute because I care about the work and mission of the committees I am part of.
If you would like to submit content or write an article for the Women and the Law Division, please email Kara Sikorski at ksikorski@indybar.org.
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