Veta T. Richardson Photo by John Abbott Photography
Rising Above In-Group Favoritism
When a skeptical attorney challenges me to explain why it’s necessary to focus so much time and attention on diversity management issues, I usually respond by talking about in-group/out-group dynamics. At some point in our lives, each of us has felt the sting of being cast as an outsider.
Humans naturally gravitate into groups; whether it’s a schoolyard of kids with similar backgrounds from the same neighborhood or a group of professionals working at the same company or law firm, it’s natural to form cliques that often evolve into “in-groups” and “out-groups” as we seek to define our place on the social hierarchy. In a group of nursing professionals, the demographics of the in-group are different from a group of lawyers. In addition, in-group/out-group dynamics are subject to redefinition. Consider the resulting in-group shift experienced by U.S. executives should their company be taken over by a non-U.S. owned corporation.
But one fact is clear when we examine the upper management levels at leading U.S. corporate law departments and law firms—the in-group for legal management is overwhelmingly comprised of white male heterosexuals. The end goal of diversity initiatives is simply to attempt to equalize the impact of in-group/out-group dynamics. Effective diversity programs ensure that people who would otherwise find themselves in an out-group are nonetheless included and offered the same opportunities to contribute and advance as members of the in-group tend to receive by virtue of their in-group status.
This month, MCCA celebrates the women who have earned the top legal position in the nation’s 1,000 largest corporations. We also examine an often-misunderstood sector of the LGBT legal community—the transgender attorney—to consider what can be done to support their full and equal participation. And we consider how the core competencies of general counsel are evolving in our global society. We hope you enjoy these and more offerings. DB
Veta T. Richardson
From the July/August 2008 issue of Diversity & The Bar®