I come at this issue from different angles. My kids are of mixed-race - Chinese and Caucasian - so I have a very personal stake in diversity issues. But I also live in one of the most diverse cities on the planet, so I see first-hand the benefits of blending many cultures.
What has the Law Society done to create a more diverse bar in Ontario?
Not much - other than give lip service to the obvious fact that “something” needs to be done.
Diversity is not about lowering standards to give someone something that he or she could not get on the own merits.
Diversity is simply about choosing lawyers with a background that reflects that of our clients.
How do we get there?
Forget about creating endless and fruitless roundtables.
Forget about giving Law Society money directly to any particular lawyer.
Let’s keep it simple.
When a conflict arises in the course of your work, commit to sending that conflict work to a diverse lawyer. There are countless associations of lawyers with different ethnic/cultural/racial backgrounds – use them as your resource for lawyers with the skills your clients require.
For those larger firms who question the standards of diverse lawyers, those firms need to commit to a mentorship program to bring diverse lawyers up to their so-called “standard.” The diverse lawyers would make a similar commitment to training in return for the conflict work. Firms may be as creative as they like in dealing with this. A by-product of this program is that it creates a mentorship program.
In addition diverse lawyers would commit to speak to their communities on Law Days and other events so that the next generation of kids can see that the profession is open to all.
With such a plan, achievable targets can be created and success can be measured with little, if any cost, to the Law Society.
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