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Federal clerkships, for better or worse, are often seen as a gateway to many of the country’s top-tier legal jobs. Sadly, it comes as no surprise that diversity among law clerks in the federal judiciary is disproportionately low. Even though minorities increasingly make up a growing percentage of law school graduates nationwide, and
The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Tony McDade brought long overdue conversations about anti-Black racism—and police brutality against Black communities—into the mainstream. But at the University of Michigan Law School and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, it took hundreds of emails from
College sports and queer activism rarely meet. In fact, many queer students lack a sense of belonging both on the field and in the stands. Before the November 2019 Oklahoma-Baylor football game,
July 5, 2019, I came to the striking realization that I’m a trans woman. And since that day I’ve lived the life I’ve always wanted to live. Albeit sober and in law school—which are challenges in and of themselves. So. Yay me. Starting London Tipton.
Bright students pay on average $43,020 dollars annually to become the world-changing attorneys they see in the news—those creating stay-at-home orders to halt the spread of COVID-19 or calling for the end of the qualified immunity doctrine to reduce police brutality against communities of color. To get into law school, these students
I’m your classmate, and I’m Black. I was Black before I enrolled, and I will be Black after we graduate. Can you count how many Black classmates you’ve had throughout the years? Can you name them? I can count how many Black students I’ve
The words “diversity” and “inclusion” (as well as “equity” and “justice”) are often buzzwords in today’s workplace, on social media, and in classrooms across law and other graduate schools across the country. For those who come from historically (and currently) marginalized backgrounds, especially people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities,
How I’ve learned and been motivated by those who break from tradition.
As a first-generation college graduate, I did not know what kind of doors a college degree or a graduate degree could open. Coming from an economically disadvantaged background, I did not have the resources or the tools to leverage a college degree or graduate degree. At my local
It’s no secret that June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Pride celebrations are occurring every weekend across the United States, and the world. Here in Omaha, 32 of the 34 American flags that line the ConAgra campus downtown have
The question for many law students today is what you can do to protect yourself when you realize you’re in a real-life situation stemming from bias?
As bar leaders, lawyers can successfully integrate diversity into your bar, into your leadership, and into your future plans for your organization. Today, I’m happy to talk about how you as bar leaders can successfully integrate diversity into your bar, into your leadership, and into
Law schools have traditionally focused on teaching law students about the theory and doctrine of the law. However, with the higher demands and expectations of new associates, it is imperative to learn skills not traditionally taught in law school. Anyone performing an online search will find numerous articles
How does one tell if a firm is truly committed to diversity and inclusion? While many firms tout their commitment to service, diversity and inclusion, and professional development of its junior attorneys, law students should consider the following tips when evaluating a firm’s culture to determine if it is the right fit.
Let me tell you a story about implicit bias. In 2009, I married a man I met the first day of law school. He is white. I am black. In 2010, we moved to Chicago. By various measures, Chicago is the most segregated city in the United States. Specifically, for
Implicit bias is pervasive. It is a consequence of our brains’ quest for efficiency. Instead of laboring over every decision we need to make each day, our brains take shortcuts when making routine decisions. For example, each time you stop at a red light you don’t contemplate what that means
Black History Month, to me as an African-American, is a time for reflection on and celebration of past accomplishments (and planning for future achievements) of our community. I have heard more than one person comment that February 2018 was “the blackest Black History Month ever” thanks in significant part to the
Yesterday, Google terminated a Googler who wrote a “manifesto” against “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber.” This is not surprising. That said, the belief that Google only did so because of its “politically correct monoculture” either fails to see the significant problems in the memo or intentionally glosses over them
Make eye contact. Speak up. Stand up straight. Gesture only to make a point. Oral advocates and students of oral advocacy regularly get advice about the nonverbal aspects of their presentations. But what is an advocate or a student to do if the advice perpetuates harmful stereotypes? This was the topic
Linda Chanow is executive director of The University of Texas School of Law's Center for Women in Law. She is a liaison to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession. She also co-chaired the ABA's Toolkit for Gender Equity in Partner Compensation, an initiative of the ABA
Here is a sobering statistic: Almost 80 percent of 92 major US firms with a chief governing committee had two or fewer women on that committee, according to a 2012 survey by The American Lawyer. Forty-two percent said their committee had only one woman. Eight firms had nary a woman
By Ed Finkel. Stanford University Law School has handled third-year student Elizabeth Kolbe’s physical disability virtually without a hitch, but Kolbe is well aware she’s lucky in that regard. Through her role as president of the National Association of Law Students with Disabilities (NALSWD), Kolbe has gotten a broader sense of
Before the Bar is the blog of the ABA Law Student Division. It brings together a diversity of opinions, experiences, and voices from those associated with the law anywhere in the world and is targeted to law students, current, past and future.
Unless stated, the opinions shared by our writers do not reflect the official position of the American Bar Association.
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