Urban Debate Leagues Improve Diversity in the Legal Field
/As the legal profession continues to struggle with diversity challenges, many are looking towards pipeline initiatives like urban debate leagues to address the challenge
The legal profession is notoriously ranked as one of the least racially and ethnically diverse of all professions. While law firms and law departments have made progress in creating organizations and cultures that place a high value on diversity, they are competing with one another to attract and retain a finite pool of lawyers from varying backgrounds.
To address this pipeline problem, initiatives are being designed to create an influx of diverse students into the applicant pool for legal education. Law firms and law organizations are working together to reach young adults with a propensity for law while they are still in high school—but since high school students rarely have a firm grasp on their career path, organizations like urban debate leagues are attempting to bridge the gap.
What are urban debate leagues?
Urban debate leagues are groups of debate teams from urban high schools in the United States. There are more than 20 urban debate chapters across the country, and they are known for introducing students from underserved and diverse backgrounds to the art and practice of evidence-based debate.
In schools where the college-going rate is abysmally low, these leagues can act as a lifeline for student success. A 2015 study shows that urban debaters are:
53 percent more likely to test as college-ready in reading
68 percent more likely to graduate high school
84 percent more likely to enroll in college
103 percent more likely to graduate college than their peers
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly for the legal industry, over half of all urban debaters have plans to pursue a career in law. Given the success rate and talent pool of urban debate leagues, they have been officially endorsed by law professors and deans as a proven method for increasing diversity in the legal profession.
How are urban debate leagues helping to diversify the legal profession?
While urban debate leagues empower minority students to realize and achieve their dreams of becoming successful lawyers, they are simultaneously increasing diversity in the legal profession in two key areas.
1. Urban debate mentor programs
Through the practice of debate, students have the talent and skills needed to begin building a successful law career, but after the debate program, there is no guarantee that they will be given the opportunities needed to succeed. Many of them are first-generation graduates and college students, and fewer of them have access to positive professional influences or networks that provide guidance after high school.
Acknowledging the needs of these newly graduated students, law organizations are partnering with urban debate leagues to provide them with mentoring opportunities. For example, a group of Silicon Valley lawyers has partnered with the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League to provide students with both corporate mentoring and long-term individual professional mentoring.
These mentoring programs not only help to guide minority students to the profession, but they also provide them with a real peek into day-to-day operations via office visits, access to partners and senior managers, training sessions, advanced research techniques, and interview skills.
Efforts like these are helping underprivileged high school students graduate from college and find career success by demystifying the profession and showing them that they are welcome in the industry.
2. Pipeline creation
There are no career pathways more prevalent among urban debaters than law—and thanks to the urban debate leagues, that pathway is pointing toward success. Students who once struggled to keep their head above academic waters learn how to create cohesive policy briefs from vetted law sources before graduating high school. There is a direct correlation between urban debate, interest in law, and diversity in the legal profession. And the influx of talented, diverse candidates in law schools is on the rise because law firms and other organizations are making it known that these students belong there.
Programs like urban debate leagues help to foster relationships between the legal community and minority candidates, ensuring that there is an expansive pipeline of young talent available to recruit year over year.
Carrington Legal Search is a woman-owned business that endeavors to provide a diverse slate of candidates for each of our search assignments. We actively maintain a network of diverse candidates.To make our nationwide network work for you, get in touch at 512-627-7467 or email carrie@carringtonlegal.com.