Recently, some colleagues and I attended the Pacific Science Center exhibit Race: Are We So Different? (which runs through Jan. 5, 2014). Our participation has led to some interesting water cooler conversations around the office.
And really, that’s why we went.
When WSBA adopted its first-ever Diversity & Inclusion Plan this summer, we committed to an “inside out” philosophy. This approach is one of the keys we hope will unlock some new understanding and thinking about how to advance diversity in the legal profession. Our leadership, staff, and volunteers are working to learn what roles we each play in dismantling barriers and creating a culture of inclusion. That requires understanding each other’s experiences.
Today I heard one co-worker describe the exhibit as “powerful.” Another said she was “underwhelmed.” Talking about our reactions breaks the ice for us to share with each other a little about our personal experiences with race.
Much like Washington state as a whole, about one in four WSBA staff (27%) identify as other than white. We can learn a lot from each other. In doing so, we learn a little more about the public we’re here to serve, and about our lawyer members who come from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented within the bar.
One dialogue-provoking field trip, of course, isn’t a panacea. But it’s also not a bad place to start.
Looking to start your own conversation? Here are some upcoming opportunities related to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession:
- Listen to Implicit and Explicit Bias in the Courtroom — a downloadable audio CLE, free until Dec. 31 (that’s today!), that will earn you 1.25 general credits.
- Put Neuroscience of Decision-Making on your calendar for Friday, Feb. 7, to dive deeper with an expert on bias and moving past it.
Megan McNally. Megan is WSBA’s Director of Advancement & Chief Development Officer. She oversees many of WSBA’s programs and services that advance our mission, including CLE, sections, new lawyer support, and justice, diversity and the Bar Foundation that supports them. Megan serves on WSBA’s executive management team, which sets organizational priorities and program goals and provides strategic leadership to the organization.
