E D I T O R ’ S
M E S S A G E
Di n e e n Pa s h o u k o s Wa s y l i k – DP W Le g a l
Continued from page 4
for the career of the person he or she is sponsoring, in addition to providing
mentorship on both substantive legal issues and navigating institutions.
Ms. Williams specifically identified five important qualities she found in the
white males who acted as sponsors throughout her career, and encouraged
those assembled to apply these qualities to build inclusion.
First, she counseled, “have an openness to, and curiosity about,” those that
are different than you. Second, be willing to “engage without ego and listen
to others openly,” even when the conversation may be uncomfortable. Third,
strive to get to know those you are working with “as an authentic individual
person ... not as a stereotype, not as a project, not as a caricature, but ME”
— in Williams’ case, “as a Black woman, first-generation professional from
working class urban background.” Even though her background and
experiences could not have been more different from that of her sponsors,
those who truly acted as sponsors worked to know her as a human being.
Fourth, a true sponsor will have a “willingness to have honest and
courageous conversations” about work and expectations. Reflecting on her
own sponsors, Ms. Williams explained, “some of those conversations were
praise, others were constructive feedback. They were undertaken to help me
become a better lawyer and professional.” Importantly, “[t]hese men were
focused on my improvement, not whether I would be offended or upset by
their comments.”
Perhaps the most important of Williams’ lessons was one of grace: Her
best sponsors “gave me room to make mistakes and to recover from them.” As
Williams explained, “[o]ften diverse individuals in majority environments are
not afforded the luxury of making mistakes. Once an error is made, no matter
how small, it will derail a young lawyer’s career trajectory. But other, non-diverse
individuals, are often afforded the opportunity to make multiple mistakes and
still be successful.” We all know that the practice of law is truly a practice —
and that every contract clause and litigation tactic is ultimately borne from
experience. We must give young lawyers the chance to learn from experience.
As our diversity and inclusion article points out (see page 28), studies
show that diverse teams ultimately are more productive and are better for
business. It is also more cost effective for legal institutions to invest in future
leaders than it is to cycle through employees. If we do the work, our
profession will benefit. n
Are you looking for a
new job or advertising
an opening at your firm?
Check out our
CAreer Center at
hillsbar.com.
MAR - APR 2020
|
HCBA LAWYER
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