Page 36 - Briefcase - University of Houston Law Center

UH LAW CENTER DEAN BAYNES SAYS LAWS SCHOOLS PLAY A

KEY ROLE IN DIVERSIFYING LEGAL PROFESSION IN LSAC PODCAST

HLC Dean Leonard M. Baynes, a leading voice for diversity equity, For example, he said that legal employers and law schools often look
Uand inclusion in legal education, was featured in an episode of for “unicorn” applicants, meaning an “exceptional Black or Latinx
Keeping Up to Data, a podcast by the Law School Admission Council. candidate,” according to Baynes, which creates a challenge from the
“I was delighted to be invited to participate to discuss the start because there are “very few exceptional candidates generally.”
underrepresentation of people of color in the legal profession and to This method of seeking diversity is ineffective because it essentially
discuss the Black Lawyers Matter conference,” Baynes said. leads to several institutions pursuing the same group of students and
Baynes spoke with podcast host and LSAC executive vice president they end up not getting that shiny unicorn, Baynes said. It’s an effort
for operations Susan Krinsky about racial disparities in the legal toward diversity, but it’s not the “right” effort.
profession, actionable steps to increasing diversity, and the path “People need to soul-search and figure out what they really need to
forward for law schools and legal employers. do to make a difference,” Baynes said. “Sometimes, if you can’t find
The Black Lawyers Matter Conference, held for the first-time last that candidate that you’re looking for, you have to try to make the
year following the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, candidate. That’s why pipeline programs are so important.”
is one forum aimed at improving diversity and offering people a Equipping and empowering aspiring and current lawyers of color
“toolkit” for how to achieve it, Baynes said. is part of what will “make our world a much more diverse place,”
The work of diversifying the legal field “has to be done by all of us,” Baynes said.
Baynes said, including law school faculty, staff, and alumni as well as “The fact that we have so few African-American or Latinx lawyers is
legal employers, judges, and law firms. It’s a “community-wide effort,” something that we all should be concerned about. Especially as our
he said. society becomes more diverse,” Baynes said, adding that by 2044,
“Students of color need to feel welcomed and appreciated in [law] a majority of citizens will be Black, Latinx, Asian-Americans and
spaces, and the content of our courses and our curriculum needs to be Indigenous. By that time, many of today’s law students will be in the
more accessible to them,” he said. “prime of their careers.”
Baynes said he believes that one reason why students of color are “And if our legal system is not more diverse, the population’s going
underrepresented in the legal field is because “deep down, a lot of to feel like they are not getting justice, because there’s not going to be
people still question their capabilities and their qualifications.” people like them judging them. So, we really need to do a better job at
all of this.” ^

UH LAW CENTER FACULTY COLLABORATED ON
GEORGE FLOYD INTERSESSION COURSE

he University of Houston Law Center launched a special topics • Dean Leonard M. Baynes, who led a lecture entitled, “What is Race,
Tcourse, “George Floyd and the Aftermath: Equal Justice and the Colorism and Criminal Justice?”
Law,” for the Spring 2021 semester. • Cullen Professor of Law David Dow, founder of the Texas
Floyd, a native of Houston’s Third Ward adjacent to the UH campus, Innocence Network, presented on, “The Role of Race in the
was killed on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis when a police officer Criminal Justice System: The Death Penalty.”
knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd’s death sparked
nationwide protests and renewed calls for social justice. • Newell H. Blakely Chair Sandra Guerra Thompson, director of the
Criminal Justice Institute, provided a historical context for policing
“(George Floyd’s) death made so many Americans realize that there is in communities of color.
still considerable disparities and inequities in our society in the areas
of law enforcement as well as employment, education, health care and • Royce Till Professor of Law Ellen Marrus, director for the
many other sectors,” said Dean Leonard M. Baynes. Center for Children, Law & Policy examined the, “Cradle to
“I am very proud that the Law Center community came together to Prison Pipeline.”
organize this course to teach our students about race, racism and the • George A. Butler Research Professor Daniel Morales presented on
law. But most importantly, I am glad that we came together to give #BlackLivesMatter, #AbolishICE and Abolitionist Future.”
Mr. Floyd’s death meaning!” • A.A. White Professor of Law Ron Turner discussed the First
Topics and participating faculty members included: Amendment, Black Lives Matter and DeRay McKesson v. Doe. ^

36 Briefcase 2021