Presented at Annual Legal Inclusiveness & Diversity Summit 2017

There are often complex social issues that put extreme pressure on the acquisition of talent in the diversity pipeline well before law school or legal employment. Understand the ways that achievement gaps, the school-to-prison pipeline, and education reform put extreme pressure on the pipeline to the profession and create leaks in the talent pool well before a student ever considers law school as an option.  

This session will explore some of these issues and their relevance to diversity in the legal profession, provide ideas and actionable strategies, and encourage engagement in the educational pipeline through disciplined coordination and collaboration. 

We will explore the benefits and drawbacks of Collective Impact as a strategy, review case studies of Collective Impact initiatives in other disciplines such as education and health-care, and discuss how adapting the strategy can provide transformational change to the way we approach the pipeline to the legal profession. Participants will be equipped with a tool-kit with action steps to develop an initiative in their region. 

This presentation is helpful to those who are open to learning why the legal profession must engage in the educational pipeline, are willing to go beyond the numbers, and are committed to the exchange of information and ideas that can transform our approach to ensuring a consistent flow of talent throughout the legal education/employment spectrum.