minority. Attorneys of color, LGBT attorneys, and women too often get pushed to the margins and become outside players.” Cedric M. Powell, has been on
both sides as a former corpo- rate attorney and now a law professor at Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, where he prepares law students to take their fi rst jobs. He teaches his students
to not only know law, but to understand how to navigate the legal profession. “I tell my stu-
have a sponsor or mentor, access to really good work, and client con- tact. T ere’s a lot more to it than techni- cal skill and hard work.” CLI’s Incl-
usiveness Manual off ers the founda- tion and framework to help understand the new paradigm of inclusiveness and the tools to create an inclusive work- place that works for everyone within it. T e customizable manual gives examples of successful inclusiveness initiatives, help in understanding the impact of invisible barriers and methods for removing them. “T ere are serious systemic issues and barri-
dents a number of things that goes across the board,” Powell says. “First you have to understand the context you are in, understand working
relationships,
and the culture of the institution you are working in. T ere are a lot of unwritten
rules, and a lot of rules and signals they have to interpret. I
CEDRIC POWELL
LAW PROFESSOR AT LOUIS D. BRANDEIS SCHOOL OF LAW
tell them that they have to really understand what people are like. “T en they have to make
sure they reach out and make relationships that work within that
ers that are hidden from people in the majority,” Nalty said. “We help them to see it. Females and diverse attorneys have less access to clients, less access to intelligence in the organization. Research shows that people give opportunities to others like themselves. T at’s affi nity bias—and its a serious systemic issue that creates barriers for those in the
MCCA.COM
context,” Powell says. “I think it’s a two-way street. T ere has to be empathy and understanding on the other side—corporations don’t get off the hook with a mentoring program. I can’t tell you the number of times those don’t work.” Powell encourages students to do their part by
meeting and exceeding expectations as they enter the profession because despite qualifi cations, in today’s society “race still matters.” D&B
JULY/AUGUST 2012 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
43
“ IF YOU DONʼT HAVE A SPONSOR OR MENTOR, ACCESS TO REALLY GOOD WORK, AND CLIENT CONTACT, YOU GET LEFT OUT.” — KATHLEEN NALTY
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