In an effort to address the need for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession, the Sacramento Legal Employers Diversity Collective and McGeorge School of Law have partnered to build a more inclusive pathway to law school. This partnership utilizes a four-pronged approach to tackle the lack of diversity in legal employment:
- Pathways Program – bringing middle and high school students to McGeorge’s campus and sending attorneys to local schools to talk about the legal profession.
- Mentoring – pairing diverse attorneys with mentors at a different employer and from similar backgrounds.
- Recruitment & Retention – giving employers constructive space to share information on what is and is not working to recruit and retain diverse employees. Ongoing events and trainings will be held with employers, as well.
- DEI Skills Identification – surveying employers for DEI skills they want to see in new hires. Using the results, McGeorge will retool its curriculum to ensure students graduate with the desired skills.
To further the impact of these efforts, the Diversity Collective has researched various DEI resources and compiled them for employers to reference as they review their own policies and procedures.
In the first of a series of summaries and recommendations drafted by the Diversity Collective and scheduled for release over the next several months, legal employers are encouraged to conduct an in-depth review of the National Association for Law Placement’s (NALP) Diversity Best Practices Guide.
For future summary recommendations and news from the Diversity Collective and McGeorge’s partnership, keep an eye on McGeorge @ Work.