Posted by on Friday, March 7, 2014
Welcome to this week’s Diversity Dish and Happy Friday! This week we have news of the London office of Mayer Brown moving to a blind CV process to help eliminate social bias and a task force in Florida to help increase diversity on the bench. We close with a reminder about the NALP / ALFDP Diversity and Inclusion Summit! Enjoy this week’s Diversity Dish, stay warm and if you aren’t already, follow us on Twitter @CourtneyDredden.
3.5.14 Lucy Burton writes about the London office of Mayer Brown’s recent decision to implement a blind CV policy to help eliminate social bias. The move is meant to stop those who interview from prejuding candidates based on where they went to school. According to Burton, “[s]taff interviewing graduates for the next trainee intake are unlikely to be given information on which university or school the candidates attended. London graduate recruitment manager Caroline Sarson, who reviews the firm’s hiring strategy on an annual basis, would be the only person to see where each candidate studied.” Burton notes that Clifford Chance has already implemented a similar policy and that Mayer Brown experts the policy to be in place and active by the spring.
3.6.14 Eugene Pettis, President of the Florida Bar has created a new task force to help address the lack of diversity within the courts in Florida. “Part of the problem is that minority lawyers are not applying for judgeships or even for spots on judicial nominating commissions.” The task force will be aiming to figure out why that is and what can be done about it. Pettis notes that in order for there to be more diversity on the bench, “[w]e need people [to apply] who can’t be denied on credentials.”
In case you missed it last week, registration for NALP’s Diversity and Inclusion Summit (cosponsored by ALFDP) is now open! This important summit will be discussing many of the issues we’ve highlighted here on the Diversity Dish, including:
· What is social isolation among diverse lawyers and can it be measured?
· How is corporate America managing its diversity efforts?
· How can we be culturally competent in our rapidly changing world?
· What is the role of talent management in diversity?
· How can coaching skills assist you in dealing with the changing roles in law firms?
· Generational differences, women’s issues, and much more.
This is a must attend event and it’s in a great city – Chicago. Click here for more information and I hope to see you in Chicago in June!
