Last week, The John Marshall Law School in Chicago celebrated Diversity Week. Each year, the law school hosts a week of programming celebrating its diversity. This year’s theme was Live Law in Color.
“To live law in color means to celebrate differences and the opportunity to view those differences through a common lens; to create and defend the rich, colorful tapestry of the law that includes and respects diversity of culture, perspectives and experiences; and to commit to making the law, our society and our world better and more inclusive,” said Troy Riddle, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer.
The annual event included daily presentations and discussions with legal experts and community leaders on topics related to diversity and current events. One of the many speakers this year was Mark Potok, a former senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center and award-winning journalist. Potok spoke on “The State of Hate in America” to students, staff and faculty. The Potok event was sponsored by Chicago law firm Kupets & DeCaro P.C.
John Marshall’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion collaborated on Diversity Week programming with John Marshall’s Office of Student Life & Leadership, John Marshall’s Video Game Law Society, the Lawyer’s Assistance Program and the Women’s Law Caucus. On Thursday, March 8, the law school co-hosted a presentation called “Celebrating Women in the Law” with the Women’s Law Caucus in honor of International Women’s Day.
Each year, Diversity Week concludes with the “Tastes from Around the World” dinner. At this event, members of different student organizations serve dishes that best represent their culture.
John Marshall has been rated “one of the most diverse law schools in the nation” and was rated the top law school in the Midwest for African-American and Asian students by preLaw magazine and National Jurist magazine in 2018.