Photo Credit: Jeff Thiebauth
Top: From left: MBA Secretary Shayla Mombeleur, Professor Renée Landers of Suffolk University Law School, Iván Espinoza-Madrigal of Lawyers for Civil Rights, and Carla A. Reeves of Goulston & Storrs PC.
Bottom: Attendees at the MBA's affirmative action program.
On Thursday, Jan. 11, the Massachusetts Bar Association brought together members of the legal community at City Winery Boston for a discussion of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision on affirmative action and its implications for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), the court ruled that race-conscious admissions practices at colleges and universities are unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. While the decision applied only to higher education, its impact could also extend to the workforce, where many companies have embraced DEI programs in recent years.
In a discussion moderated by MBA Secretary Shayla Mombeleur, panelists addressed how the decision affects legal practice and communities of color, how firms can approach their participation in DEI initiatives and hiring practices, and how to respond to lawsuits filed on these grounds.
Speakers included Professor Renée Landers, faculty director of the Health and Biomedical Law Concentration and the Masters of Science in Law: Life Sciences program at Suffolk University Law School; Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director at Lawyers for Civil Rights; and Carla A. Reeves, a director at Goulston & Storrs PC.
Click here to view event photos.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Promoting Justice Sponsors:
Boston Bar Association
Todd & Weld LLP
Turco Legal PC
DEI Supporter Sponsors:
Anderson & Kreiger LLP
Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
Casner & Edwards LLP
Diller Law LLP
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Kazarosian Costello LLP
Keches Law Group
Krasnoo, Klehm & Falkner LLP
Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl
Law Offices of Joblin C. Younger PC
Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Lawyers
Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association
Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys
Massachusetts LGBTQ Bar Association
MBA Young Lawyers Division
Morrison Mahoney LLP
Robinson & Cole LLP
Rubin and Rudman LLP
Skylark Law & Mediation PC
South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston
Women's Bar Association