Lenczner Slaght Welcomes Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility Leader

We are proud to take another step forward in our commitment to advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) at our firm and in the legal profession with the addition of our new Senior Manager of IDEA, Susannah S. Alleyne.

“Welcoming Susannah is another significant step in our commitment to IDEA and ensuring everyone at our firm has an equal opportunity to develop, advance, and contribute to our success,” says Monique Jilesen, Managing Partner. “In 2023, after extensive consultation with every member of our firm through an external expert, we launched our IDEA Strategy & Plan with its own mission, vision, values, and tactics aiming to further attract, retain, and advance equity-deserving groups and address the unique barriers that they face. As Susannah has tremendous experience in this area, her expertise will be invaluable in not only driving this plan forward but in developing and implementing new strategies and initiatives as we grow and change. We are eager to get working with her!”

Prior to joining the firm, Susannah served as the Law Society of Alberta’s first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion counsel in its 116-year history and the first known Black Equity Ombudsperson. In these roles, she applied an EDI lens to various projects and worked to create a more inclusive legal profession. An experienced panelist, guest lecturer and facilitator, Susannah frequently speaks on a variety of IDEA issues including allyship, anti-racism, intentional inclusivity, and centering equity in the workplace. With a core belief that legal service providers should reflect the communities they serve, she brings her passion for finding common ground and executing innovative ideas to her work, every day.

Susannah is also the founding and former President of the first Alberta Chapter of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. She has co-chaired and sat on several Canadian Bar Association committees, and has volunteered with Women in Law Leadership and the Association of Women Lawyers Calgary.

In 2023, Susannah was recognized as one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 in Avenue Magazine and one of the Black People Making History in Calgary by the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council. In 2022, she received the Tomorrow’s Leader Award from Women in Law Leadership Alberta.

Welcome, Susannah!