Six Sigma Reducing Diversity Defects In DuPont's Primary Law Firms (PLF'S)
Nikkee Espree, MehaffyWeber

It started as an idea jotted down at the 2002 DuPont Minority Counsel Conference (“MCC”) after a presentation by Earl MacFarlane on the DuPont Six Sigma Program. It blossomed into a Six Sigma Green Belt Project affirming the commitment of DuPont, along with its PLFs and PSPs, to The DuPont Legal Model. The team, consisting of Nikkee E. Espree (MehaffyWeber) Six Sigma Green Belt, Earl W. MacFarlane (DuPont), James K. Leader (Leader & Berkon), Jacquelyn E. Stone (McGuireWoods), Julie S. Mazza (formerly of DuPont), Quan Le (formerly of Murtha Cullina), Pamela Stennes (Deloitte & Touche) and Scott L. Winkelman (Crowell & Moring), explored the potential for creating opportunities for Primary Law Firm (“PLF”) attorneys of color to learn about The DuPont Legal Model and to work on DuPont matters.

After reviewing feedback from DuPont MCC attendees and discussing apparent practices within the DuPont PLFs, surveys were sent to PLF attorneys of color. The survey results revealed that less than half of the respondents had ever worked on DuPont matters (74 of 174 or 42%). Respondents who worked on litigation matters for DuPont typically listed Early Case Assessment reports, written discovery, researching and drafting dispositive motions and general legal research and memorandums as the work most frequently performed. Less than half of the respondents indicated that they were “satisfied” with their level of responsibility on DuPont litigation matters (32 of 74 or 43%).

Two-thirds of the respondents had “very little” or “no” familiarity with The DuPont Legal Model (116 of 174 or 67%), and did not know if there was a procedure in place in the PLFs to learn about The DuPont Legal Model. Seventy per cent (70%) of the respondents did not have personal access to the formerly used KnowledgeBase (KB), and only one-third of the respondents were aware that the KB contained information about The DuPont Legal Model (58 of 174; 33%).

These survey results lead to the development of several initiatives. First, Stacey Mobley (Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, DuPont) sent an e-mail to PLF attorneys of color advising that information about The DuPont Legal Model would be forwarded to each PLF. The attorneys of color were (and are) encouraged to seek out this information to learn more about The DuPont Legal Model. Also, Theo R. Nix, Jr. (Corporate Counsel, DuPont) spoke at the June 2005 MCC and provided information on The DuPont Legal Model. Finally, questions were added to the annual DuPont Benchmark Survey concerning the role attorneys of color play in each PLF's work for DuPont, in both quantity and quality. The inquiries aid in the sharing of best practices among the PLFs for maintaining and/or increasing opportunities for attorneys of color to perform substantive work on DuPont matters and to become knowledgeable of The DuPont Legal Model.

The initiatives developed by this Six Sigma Team will have the lasting effects of assisting PLF attorneys of color, as well as all PLF attorneys generally, in learning about The DuPont Legal Model and enhancing their professional growth and value to DuPont and their respective firms. It was a pleasure working on this project and learning the Six Sigma process. I encourage any other interested persons to seek out opportunities to participate in this program and to work to improve a process in your PLF and/or one that may benefit DuPont.

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