[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7033-7034]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            INSTITUTE FOR INCLUSION IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.
  Lawyers serve an important role in our society, and yet the legal 
profession, like many others, is in need of serious improvement in the 
diversity of its membership. There are a number of individuals and 
organizations who are working to change that fact, and, thanks to their 
efforts, there has been progress. Yet the legal profession, which above 
all should stand for fairness and equality, is still a long way from 
being open and welcoming to all irrespective of individual 
characteristics and background.
  The Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, a new group with 
a promising approach to diversity and inclusion in the legal 
profession, was established in Chicago, Illinois, in September 2009.
  The Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession is addressing the 
contrast between the increasingly diverse society in which we live and 
what certainly appears to be an entrenched lack of diversity and 
inclusion. The Institute is working to improve diversity and promote 
inclusion through comprehensive outreach and innovative programs.

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  For example, the Institute asks hard questions and finds the answers 
to them. Working with legal, judicial, professional, educational, and 
governmental institutions, the Institute provides programs and tools to 
promote equity in the legal field. IILP uses a new and, in many ways, 
unique approach. Its comprehensive programs include lawyers, judges, 
and law students to address all facets, all practice settings, and all 
types of diversity within the legal profession. Beyond working to 
overcome the barriers facing diverse lawyers, it looks at the pipeline 
for new legal talent. This aspect is key. By helping diverse students 
become law students, enter the legal profession, and eventually become 
successful lawyers and judges, the profession will become more diverse 
and inclusive.
  A few examples of the work of the Institute for Inclusion in the 
Legal Profession include a pledge to the profession where lawyers 
across the country are being asked to dedicate a minimum of 1 day of 
service to work with young people to educate them about the legal 
profession and encourage them to join it; Professionalism in Practice, 
a program where law students and judges learn from each other about the 
profession and, in doing so, about diversity and inclusion; the 
``Business Case for Diversity: Reality or Wishful Thinking?'' a 
research project that provides the first hard data examining the impact 
of the business case for diversity and the state of diversity; and, 
``The State of Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession,'' which 
is an annual report and series of symposia designed to educate the bar 
about its current state, cutting-edge issues surrounding diversity and 
inclusion and the most promising programs, efforts, and initiatives 
aimed at making entry into and success within the legal profession more 
accessible to all.
  The mission and work of the IILP is an important contribution to 
social justice in the United States. I consider it an honor to 
recognize the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession and 
invite all Members to join me in recognizing them for the importance of 
their mission and the great work they are undertaking.

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