University of South Carolina Law professor Aparna Polavarpu recognized for social justice efforts

February 8, 2022

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA — Two faculty members and a student have been recognized for their social justice efforts on campus and in the larger community as 2022 Social Justice Award winners. The University of South Carolina created the Social Justice Awards to recognize individuals who have exemplified the philosophies of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

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How law firms can improve diversity efforts

February 7, 2022

BLOOMBERG LAW — Law firm leaders, partners, and recruiting departments already know how to find the same small number of diverse candidates year in and year out, say Intellectual Ventures’ Arvin Patel and Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP partner Jonathan K. Waldrop. The key to improving firm diversity is to dramatically increase diverse hires, implement diverse hiring

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Boston University Law dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig discusses programs to improve diversity in the legal profession

February 2, 2022

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW — Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig had only been a tenure-track professor for four years when she decided to start a workshop that would help other black women law faculty advance in their careers. Now in its 14th year, the Lutie A. Lytle Black Women Law Faculty Workshop & Writing Retreat—named for the first

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Southern University Law Center hosting first-of-its-kind boot camp to push more Black students to become sports agents

February 2, 2022

WAFB 9 — There’s a new push to create more diversity in the sports agent industry. The Southern University Law Center, in partnership with Diverse Representation, are hosting its inaugural Sports Agent Bootcamp. The first-of-its-kind program will take place Feb. 4-5, 2022. Organizers say there are simply not enough Black sports agents, but they believe this plan is

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The 2021 class of summer associates was ‘most diverse ever measured in every way,’ new NALP report says

February 2, 2022

ABA JOURNAL — The percentage of summer associates of color in major U.S. law firms increased by nearly 5 percentage points in 2021, increasing to 41.34%, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association for Law Placement. The gain is the largest in the 29 years that the NALP has tracked the information, according to

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Law school ethics courses experience a renaissance during the pandemic

February 1, 2022

BLOOMBERG LAW — Standard legal ethics courses, long considered dry and theoretical by many students, have experienced a renaissance over the past two years due to the pandemic and an increased focus on social justice. Law school professional responsibility professors say they’ve shifted the focus of their classroom conversations, putting more emphasis on practical topics like what

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Northwestern Law hosts Pulitzer-winner Nikole Hannah-Jones for keynote address celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy

February 1, 2022

NORTWESTERN PRITZKER SCHOOL OF LAW — In late January, Northwestern University hosted DREAM Week, celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The week of events culminated on Monday, January 24, with a keynote address from Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter behind the New York Times’ “1619 Project.” Hannah-Jones led an hour-long discussion, co-moderated

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Southern Illinois University Law and Stillman College sign memorandum creating summer program and path to admission

January 31, 2022

SIU CARBONDALE — Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Stillman College today (Jan. 26) signed a memorandum of understanding to help students from the historically Black liberal arts college enroll and earn a degree from the SIU School of Law, with the aim of diversifying the legal profession. “We are committed to being an anti-racist and inclusive law

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Colleges add staff focused on the academic needs of Black men

January 26, 2022

INSIDE HIGHER ED — Compton College created a new position focused on the academic needs of Black and Latino men. Campus leaders believe they’re at the forefront of a new and long overdue trend. Antonio Banks was eager to join a robust Black student community as an undergraduate at California State University, San Bernardino. He was thrilled

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AccessLex and Southern Education Foundation announce fellowship program for underrepresented law school professionals

January 24, 2022

YAHOO!FINANCE — Leading education nonprofits, AccessLex Institute and the Southern Education Foundation, have partnered to create the Professionals in Legal Education Developing Greater Equity (PLEDGE) Fellowship, an 18-month professional development program and problem-based research project, launching in June 2022. Targeting experienced law school administrators, faculty members, and other similarly situated professionals, the fellowship cohort will comprise three

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