Law school aims to diversify its program

A law school may not seem like a focal point for a discussion about diversity, but schools of law have a responsibility to our society as we produce individuals who will represent clients from a diverse range of backgrounds as well as influence law and culture in profound ways.

The University of South Dakota School of Law is no different, and the university’s focus on inclusive excellence corresponds perfectly with our mission. It’s about how we embed diversity into all our decisions: influencing our curriculum, student services, marketing, policies, traditions, practices and all aspects of the law school.

Lawyers occupy a unique place in our culture. We practice law by representing clients. Those clients come from all backgrounds and walks of life. We create law through practice and as legislators. Landmark cases have shaped the very fabric of our culture, such as Brown v. Board of Education, which ended segregation. Therefore, legal education should embrace inclusive excellence, and we have.

Our efforts in the School of Law are done to infuse our decision making with inclusive excellence. We continue to execute this process of continually improving our ability to respond to our diverse student body as well as continually to encourage a diverse student body to attend our school.

This has included conducting an inventory of our current processes to see how well we are current with incorporating inclusive excellence. We are close to completing this inventory and we will take action to improve ourselves in areas where we are lacking.

It’s a continual process of analysis and improvement to create an inclusive environment and be responsive to an ever-changing environment and student body.

—Nicholas McInerney, director of Admissions & Communications for USD School of Law