Diversity Issues
You Can’t Be What You Can’t See : The Need for Meaningful Mentoring to Improve Diversity and Inclusions
D
iversity and inclusion are familiar buzzwords in our profession, but what do they really mean? In abstract terms, diversity is about social harmony; practically speaking, however, diversity is representative of reality. As Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Diversity at University of Cincinnati College of Law Staci Rucker put it: diversity is being invited to the party, but inclusion is being asked to dance. Despite ongoing efforts, the legal field remains one of the least diverse among other professions, including medicine and engineering. Diversity in our profession begins with strengthening our pipelines. Developing and sustaining formal and informal mentoring programs with law students has the potential to move the needle in meaningful ways. In mid-February, I was invited by the Black Law Student’s Association (BLSA) to sit on a panel with other Black attorneys in the Dayton area to discuss issues of diversity and inclusion in our profession. To properly frame the discussion, 1L student, Kyla Randle, read an excerpt from an ABA article published in May of 2018. The authors’ research indicated that as of 2017, there were approximately 35 percent of women in the legal profession. Percentages for racial and ethnic diversity in the profession were even bleaker: the numbers rose from 4 percent in 2007 to 5 percent in 2017. While minority law students are applying and being accepted into law schools more than ever , we have to make sure that we are cultivating practices that can sustain this increase. Clients, whether individuals or corporate entities, come from all walks of life and expect to see a variety of people in law firms they are considering hiring. A firm that is more representative of the general population will be more attractive to a greater array of potential clients. Diversity breeds innovation and fresh perspectives leading to creative solutions to clients’ problems. Diversity makes your organization more marketable attorneys from different walks of life run in different networking groups and participate in different activities, which will increase exposure to your firm. There is also a trend among corporations that are placing more pressure on firms to diversify their workplaces. While diversity is a good business practice, it is vital to the very nature of our profession. As advocates, we symbolize equal access to the justice system, and without the public trust we have nothing. Given the external and internal pressures to remedy the issue, it can be easy to let the weight of the problem paralyze us into doing nothing. The onus is not on any one single person or employer; rather, this is an issue that demands a collective approach. This approach does not have to come at a high price either. Mentoring is a cost16
Dayton Bar Briefs April 2020
By Ebony Davenport DBA Editorial Board, Pickrel Schaeffer & Ebeling Co., LPA
effective, valuable tool that can be customized depending on one’s professional and personal demands, and the size of a given firm or organization. If you’re still wondering exactly how you or your employer can get involved, I have great news for you: you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We already have the tools to address this issue and make steps toward bridging the existing gaps. Many years ago, the University of Dayton School of Law (“UDSL”) developed a clerkship program to assist diverse law students with obtaining local summer employment opportunities. For various reasons, that program lost steam. By the spring of 2016, however, two local attorneys, Robert Gresham (Wright & Schulte, LLC) and Jamar King (Thompson Hine), picked up the reigns and reintroduced the clerkship program. I was in the inaugural class of the revived program during my 1L summer along with two other UDSL students, Timothy Hill and Bridget Jackson. Robert and Jamar worked closely with the Federal courts to place the three of us with the Hon. Judge Walter H. Rice, the Hon. Magistrate Judge Sharon L. Ovington, and the Hon. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Newman. I was placed with Judge Newman and there are not enough words to express how valuable that experience was in shaping who I am now as a young attorney. I had an enviable, backstage pass to see how our justice system works up close. Not only was I able to refine my writing and research skills, but I was able to network with other attorneys and legal professionals. I quickly learned just how congenial the Dayton Bar is, which strengthened my desire to practice in my hometown upon graduation. That summer allowed me to develop a meaningful relationship with Judge Newman and his staff. My participation as a “diversity clerk” wasn’t ceremonial; it set the foundation for where I am today. Since the program’s revival, Jamar and Robert have developed partnerships with more employers, which in turn has created more clerkship availabilities. Wright & Schulte LLC, Thompson Hine LLP (Dayton), the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office, and the Dayton Municipal Court have joined the Federal judges in taking on diverse summer clerks. continued on page 17
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