The Real Work It Takes To Make Biglaw More Diverse

You can't just snap your finger to get a more diverse profession.

onSeptember 23, 2019 at 5:48 PMSeptember 25, 2019 at 4:34 PM

In this week’s episode of The Jabot podcast, I speak with Lisa Kirby, Chief Intelligence and Knowledge Sharing Officer at Diversity Lab. The Diversity Lab is the organization behind Mansfield certification, which is designed to encourage Biglaw firms to consider women or minority candidates for leadership roles, and hold Biglaw firms accountable for their lofty diversity goals.

We discuss how the program was developed, common misconceptions about the Mansfield Rule, the difficult work of getting lawyers to think outside the box, what diversity really looks like in the legal profession, and what needs to be done to get there.

The Jabot podcast is an offshoot of the Above the Law brand focused on the challenges women, people of color, LGBTQIA, and other diverse populations face in the legal industry. Our name comes from none other than the Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the jabot (decorative collar) she wears when delivering dissents from the bench. It’s a reminder that even when we aren’t winning, we’re still a powerful force to be reckoned with.

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Happy listening!

headshot Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).