The ethics argument for promoting equality in the profession

Recognizing a lawyer’s ethical obligation to promote diversity bridges the gap between the moral case for diversity and the business case for diversity. It invokes shared values and professional responsibility. To establish that, we have the obligation and the agency to pursue liberty and justice for all, within and outside our practices.

Nov 1, 2019 1:40 AM CDT

8 ways to enhance workplace inclusivity through physical space and design

While it’s not far-fetched to speculate that changing office temperatures more than a few degrees in either direction could turn the thermostat into courtroom evidence, have entities that are committed to inclusion in the workplace considered whether a rise from 70 to 72 degrees might be enough to keep everyone more comfortable and increase overall productivity?

Oct 3, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Federal judge tosses suit by gay lawyer who says his co-counsel outed him to al-Qaida client

A federal judge in Chicago has ruled that a mitigation specialist who worked on the defense team for accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed can’t sue a co-counsel accused of outing him as a gay man to the client.

Sep 17, 2019 2:05 PM CDT

Bankruptcy judge should have recused because of fiance’s job offer, federal court says

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge John Olson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, should have recused himself in a dispute over a lien because of his fiance’s job offer with a law firm in the litigation, according to a decision by a federal judge. Olson’s fiance, lawyer George Fender, accepted a job with Ruden…

Sep 11, 2019 12:15 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Ex-White House counsel acquitted; lawyer pleads guilty in alleged attack on colleague

Former White House counsel is acquitted on false-statement charge Federal jurors on Wednesday acquitted former White House counsel Greg Craig on a charge of making false statements to the government about his lobbying work for Ukraine while working at Skadden Arps. Craig was accused of making false statements to the…

Sep 4, 2019 4:55 PM CDT

ABA amicus brief supports LGBTQ employees in Title VII discrimination cases

The ABA urged the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize that the prohibition against discrimination “based on … sex” in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act encompasses discrimination based on an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Jul 3, 2019 3:34 PM CDT

ABA group offers $5K scholarships to support LGBT public interest work

Law students or recent law school graduates who plan to work in the LGBTQ public interest field still have a few days to apply for a new scholarship being offered by the ABA's Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Jun 6, 2019 10:12 AM CDT

Career of Above the Law founder and Legal Rebel takes another turn

David Lat, the former federal prosecutor who founded the blog Above the Law, has decided to become a legal recruiter. Lat will be a managing director of the New York City office of Lateral Link, he announced in an Above the Law column Monday. The new job follows Lat’s decision…

May 7, 2019 12:39 PM CDT

Nondiscrimination policy at Yale Law School is legal but perhaps should be changed, lawyers say

May 1, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

New law school survey tracks inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals

In terms of openly gay faculty members, the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, with 14, may have the most, according to a new survey from the National LGBT Bar Association. The Law School Climate Survey uses the term LGBTQ+, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender…

Apr 25, 2019 2:13 PM CDT

Former federal prosecutor makes history as Chicago’s first black female and openly gay mayor

A former federal prosecutor who was an equity partner at Mayer Brown has been elected the new mayor of Chicago in a landslide victory against her runoff opponent. A “kickass trial lawyer,” in the words of former Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner, Lori Lightfoot, a lesbian, is the first openly…

Apr 3, 2019 3:07 PM CDT

Equality Act would afford federal protections to LGBTQ+ individuals, ABA president says

ABA President Bob Carlson sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday, urging members to support the Equality Act of 2019, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. In the letter, Carlson explained that the legislation would include LGBTQ+ individuals in the…

Apr 2, 2019 4:04 PM CDT