Northwestern University is participating in a national initiative to create a racially diverse and inclusive legal profession.
The Pritzker School of Law collaborated with Diversity Lab to launch Move the Needle Fund (MTN) to find new approaches to boost diversity in the legal profession over the period of five years.
Diversity Lab advances ideas and solutions that are created through our Hackathons and piloted in collaboration with more than 50 top law firms and legal departments nation-wide to boost diversity and inclusion in law.
Funded with $5M, five law firms, general counsels, a dozen community leaders, and Pritzker school will work through MTN to create a “laboratory” that will incubate bold approaches in the law firms to serve as a model for learning and transformative change in the legal profession.
“This is the first time in 30 years of working toward gender equity in the legal profession that I have seen a diversity program designed to be data-driven, transparent, iterative and replicable,” Kit Chaskin, director of gender initiatives at Northwestern Law said.
MTN would aim at retaining the diverse lawyer’s body; increase access to career-enhancing work experiences, clients and sponsorship; and advancement to leadership.
“We have an obligation to ensure that our students live in a world that will recognize and reward their accomplishments fairly and without regard to their race and gender,” said Kimberly Yuracko, dean of Northwestern Law.
Earlier this month, University of Georgia’s School of Law launched Robinson Scholars Program to support students from underrepresented communities to pursue legal studies. The program will cover the cost of college and provide an environment of support for the minority students.
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