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PRINCIPLES FOR WORKING WITH DIVERSE EXTERNS

PRINCIPLES FOR WORKING WITH DIVERSE EXTERNS. Pre-Recruitment. “Work towards Cultural Proficiency” Require IAT test with discussion Review implicit/explicit biases in your firm’s policies (religious holidays, hair, dress, and other things that might disadvantage a group)

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PRINCIPLES FOR WORKING WITH DIVERSE EXTERNS

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  1. PRINCIPLES FOR WORKING WITH DIVERSE EXTERNS

  2. Pre-Recruitment • “Work towards Cultural Proficiency” • Require IAT test with discussion • Review implicit/explicit biases in your firm’s policies (religious holidays, hair, dress, and other things that might disadvantage a group) • Address the biases that the entity already has and address those before the extern comes to work (look at organization’s history) • Have discussions

  3. Pre-Recruitment • Ensure committed and supportive upper level management • “If the leaders of your office do not believe in a culture of inclusion, camaraderie, and respect, it is almost impossible to build that type of culture throughout the entire office.” • How can you ensure buy-in? • Surveys about value of diversity programs, value of externships generally, “quick writes”

  4. Pre-Recruitment • Supervision/mentorship should be part of evaluation/assessment of lawyers as a leadership competency • Include diversity component • Indicate what they did / how they were evaluated by current externs

  5. Hiring/Recruitment • “In” language and images • Language: • Person first • Don’t create Amelia Bedalia; use universal phrases • Images must be authentic • College Admissions Examples

  6. Hiring/Recruitment • Have a prepared response for people that do not understand why there isn’t a “white male program” • Students constantly are targeted by other students • Avoid scheduling interviews / events during class time so everyone only sees “certain students” leave • Be able to discuss the value of the perspective of law students/lawyers of color generally and for your work in particular

  7. Hiring/Recruitment • Be willing to admit where you are on diversity recruitment, retention, and philosophy - even if that’s at the early stages • Share quantitative data about diversity • https://www.nalpdirectory.com/ as starting point • Should be made available for all offices on all “types” of diversity status

  8. Hiring/Recruitment • Allow and proactively suggest credit and pay simultaneously • Double benefits: do better when doing less • Allows for support • ‘Leveling of field’ – behind the curtain • Provides you with contact

  9. Hiring/Recruitment • Be prepared to discuss diversity in the interview process and encourage dialogue on such topics • Share history of the placement and its history with diversity if any exists (e.g. connection to critical theory which emphasizes understanding history)

  10. During the Externship • Identify diverse mentor • Look outside the organization if needed • Alliances with affinity organizations, law school connections, alumni of organization/school

  11. During the Externship • Don’t flaunt the “diverse” extern • While it is a positive step to work with students and particularly work with students from an underrepresented population, be sure not to remind students of their status regularly

  12. During the Externship • Ensure all externs get a variety of meaningful work, e.g. equity in types of assignments, distribution, working with different people, etc. • Assign someone as the “coordinator” to be able to review assignments to ensure meaningful, robust, challenging etc. • ‘Manage’ the externs, their work flow, etc. That person can be different than an individual mentor • Should be a lawyer and/or diversity professional

  13. During the Externship • Equalize access to individuals as much as possible – mindful of power dynamics and unwritten rules • Organize set social /networking activities for all externs to attend (this helps ensure diverse externs are included in the regular flow of activities and that certain externs aren’t getting particular access over others) • Set up brown bags/lunches with key individuals at the placement so everyone has some baseline of access/discussion

  14. During the Externship • Ensure equity in knowledge as much as possible • Organize group trainings (may be less necessary in smaller placements) • Include substantive knowledge, skill training, professionalism/communication within your entity

  15. During the Externship • Demystify the post-graduate job search process with your placement • Host some sort of training/lunch etc. that includes information on jobs/careers in this area of work and steps to take to get one step closer to such job, e.g. “Lunch and Learn” with junior/seasoned staff • Guarantee an interview for all externs within last X number of years

  16. During the Externship • Be mindful of news in the legal profession and news in society more broadly • Does your entity address issues that affect diverse communities in the news such as excessive police force when events occur on the national and local scale? • Universal for all members vs. singling out the diverse extern

  17. During the Externship • Set up ongoing formal feedback/evaluation measures • Use externship program • Can you do more to ensure ongoing, contemporaneous feedback • Can help ensure fair evaluation of student

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