DE&I Committee Hosts “Legal Luminaries” Podcast Speakers
by Kaitlin Gagnon
On April 10, 2024, paralegal professionals and Legal Luminaries podcast co-hosts Kristine Custodio Suero and Kelli L. Radnothy joined Milberg for its DE&I Committee Speaker Series to discuss Professionalism & Ethics: Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Ms. Suero and Ms. Radnothy—both recognized AAfPE leaders in legal education—encouraged Milberg attendees to push themselves outside of their comfort zones for the conversation, noting “this is where growth happens.”
After breaking down the basics of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the co-hosts presented demographic statistics within the legal field.
According to the American Bar Association, there has been minimal change in the legal industry gender gap over the course of the last ten years. In fact, there are only 5% more female attorneys today than in 2013.
The conversation went on to discuss the ABA’s guidelines, which obligate all attorneys to, “serve equally, eliminate bias, enhance diversity, and promote full and equal participation.”
Whether considering individual morality or operational business practices, ethics apply to every single decision made for every part of an organizational team.
The integral roles of empathy and compassion were notably highlighted, in addition to the value of durable skills. Formerly known as “soft skills,” durable skills encompass a wide array of unique characteristics that contribute to individual professionalism—character, competence, commitment, civility—and the successful function of a given workplace.
The discussion concluded with a segment surrounding implicit and unconscious bias; attendees were encouraged to take the Harvard Implicit Association Test questionnaires, providing an insightful opportunity to acknowledge personal biases and determine the basis upon which they have been formed.
Milberg and its DE&I Committee warmly thank Kristine Custodio Suero and Kelli Radnothy for their time and the engaging discussion.
To learn more, tune into the co-hosts’ ongoing Legal Luminaries Podcast.
