Year Two of my role as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Manager at the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism brought new and exciting opportunities to interact with a wide range of Illinois lawyers and judges.
I see these interactions as important to my ongoing education in DEI and a vital part of my effectiveness in developing programming that is relevant and addresses topics that legal professionals need to know.
From participating in webinars and CLE presentations to panels and events, I learned of lawyers’ lived experiences, barriers they have overcome in their careers and personal lives, and the perspective these challenges have provided.
I wanted to take the chance to highlight just a few of the most impactful events and conversations I was a part of (as an attendee or a presenter) in 2024. I hope these conversations provide fodder for future DEI conversations.
1. ‘If you can see it, you can be it’: Inspiration for future lawyers and judges
I attended two events this year in which women judges of color spoke about their roles as trailblazers in their courts: an Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP) webinar titled “Native Americans & the Federal Judiciary” and a Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI) event titled “Road to the Robe: A Conversation with Latina Judges.”
During the events, judges discussed their dreams of becoming a judge, their (at times bumpy) road to the bench, and the significance of mentors as they advanced in their careers.
One judge, the Honorable Shanlyn Park (U.S. District Judge for the District of Hawaii) shared that exposure to women judges allowed her to believe that her dream of becoming a judge was possible. She emphasized the role of mentorship in her career, saying that supportive mentors have made the biggest impact on her path to becoming the first native Hawaiian woman on the U.S. federal bench.
Similarly, the Honorable Diana E. Lopez (Cook County Circuit Court Judge) shared that she seeks to pay forward her experience with mentorship. Like her own mentors, Judge Lopez is committed to being a steady source of honest advice and support for law students and new lawyers who seek her guidance.
These sessions underscored the role representation plays in cultivating legal careers for people from traditionally underrepresented communities.
I have often heard it said, “If you can see it, you can be it.” I think that rings true here.
2. Disability inclusion: Include people with disabilities in the conversation
I intentionally engaged in many conversations this year about disability inclusion. Disability can affect any person at any time in their lives, making this a unique community with many nuances and intersectionalities.
I want to highlight two particular panels that lifted the voices of legal professionals with disabilities: an IILP panel “Including People with Disabilities in the Legal Profession: Moving Beyond Aspiration to Reality” and a panel titled “How Disabled People Vote (It’s Not Always Easy).”
One of the most impactful parts of these panels was hearing directly from people with a disability. Learning about how someone navigates disability accommodations at work or in public can help us more fully understand their needs and ways workplaces and communities can be more inclusive.
In the IILP panel, speakers shared disability accommodations people may need in the office – like reimagining the interview process to understand that this activity can have added stress for a person with a disability, who may need accommodations navigating a new space or process. Speakers also focused on the importance of education on disability inclusion.
In the panel “How Disabled People Vote (It’s Not Always Easy),” Brandy Johnson, SIU Simmons Law School Assistant Professor of Law, emphasized the importance of workplaces that provide people with disabilities a safe space to advocate for themselves and be honest about what accommodations have and haven’t worked for them in the past.
When workplace leaders aren’t sure how to approach a situation, Kathleen Dillon Narko (Clinical Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law), reiterated the importance of “asking for clarification with respect and genuine curiosity.”
These sessions encouraged an ongoing focus on disability access in the legal profession to ensure we are practicing strategies that enhance the placement and success of people with disabilities.
3. Illinois minority bar associations are DEI leaders
At the ISBA 12th Annual Minority Conference CLE in November, I was truly inspired to interact with and listen to so many Illinois legal professionals who are committed to advancing DEI in the profession.
The two-day conference is organized by 11 Illinois minority bars including the Chinese American Bar Association (CABA), Cook County Bar Association (CCBA), Korean American Bar Association (KABA), Asian American Bar Association of Chicago (AABA), Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (BWLA), LAGBAC – Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association of Chicago (SABA), Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago (FALA), Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI), Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois (HLAI), and the Decalogue Society of Lawyers. The bar associations use the event as an opportunity to teach lawyers about the DEI issues that may impact their practice and clients.
This year’s Minority Bar Conference featured at-capacity attendance and sessions ranging from cultural competency and trauma-informed lawyering to civil rights and cultivating allyship.
Conferences like this are vital to bringing legal professionals together in vulnerable and difficult conversations that inspire collaboration and action.
I encourage you to keep an eye on the ISBA’s website for a link to the conference sessions.
The Commission hopes to keep these conversations going in 2025 at our Future Is Now: Legal Services conference, which will include ways to promote a diverse, inclusive, and healthy legal practice in today’s environment.
The conference will be held virtually on April 24, 2025. CLE will be available. Registration will open in January. (Sign up here to stay updated.)
4. Promoting inclusive leadership models
One part of the Commission’s mission is developing and supporting professional responsibility CLEs on topics such as ethics, diversity, civility, and well-being.
In 2024, I presented 17 DEI CLEs across the state to bar associations, law firms, and legal conferences. The Commission also developed a new in-person DEI CLE this year, titled, “Beyond Bias: Strategies for Inclusive Legal Leadership.”
The CLE defines what inclusive leadership looks like in the legal profession, proposes strategies lawyers can use to challenge their biases and stereotypes, and explores how every attorney can become a more effective and inclusive leader.
During the CLE, I encourage lawyers to think about inclusion in their workplaces critically, asking the question: “How have you seen leaders in your workplace promote inclusion and address bias?”
Answers have included things like, “By building a culture where we all have a voice,” “By having personal conversations regarding how certain biases make others feel,” and “By training and established policies.”
It is always motivating to hear how workplace leaders are promoting inclusive cultures, and I hope the learners continue these conversations in their organizations and firms.
If you would like the Commission to deliver this CLE to your organization, please submit a request here.
Continuing the conversation
I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in 2024 to listen and engage in conversations regarding DEI in the legal profession. Lawyers’ willingness to be vulnerable and share their experiences and concerns is brave and should be commended.
My reward as a DEI Manager is to use what I’ve learned to help the Commission create tools and resources that truly help advance DEI in the legal profession.
I look forward to continuing these conversations in 2025. If you see me out at an event, please come say hello, and always feel free to email me at julia.livingston@2civility.org.
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