It’s Fire Not Pie: Exploring the Legal Profession Myth of the Zero-Sum Model in the DEI World

Why do so many people in positions of power – particularly in the legal profession – believe or assume that an increase in diversity will somehow decrease or erode their own resources? It starts with the mindset that the economy and job opportunities within law are a zero-sum game. If one ascribes to the idea that there must be “haves and have-nots,” then naturally one would want to be on the side of the “haves.” This mentality is based on a misconception, though, that to have, someone else must not have. It doesn’t account for organic growth and market expansion. It’s the same as saying that you won’t share your piece of the pie with someone else because then you would have less pie. But it’s really more like sharing fire than pie. If I light your torch with mine, we can both navigate the darkness faster. The difference between these two thought processes is the source of fuel. If you believe that others are just “feeding off of you,” then you will struggle to see helping them as beneficial to yourself. But if you see them as only needing “a spark for their own fuel,” then it’s easier to understand how they bring their own resources to the table and are able to contribute to making the whole of the legal community greater than the sum of its parts. All they need is to have access to the same spark used by others. It is the work of true visionary leaders in law to share their spark, not to eat their pie alone in the dark.

Topics to be addressed include:

• How the zero-sum game mentality affects leadership decisions regarding diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and strategies that can be used to shift this mindset among leaders - 15 minutes.
• How leaders can be encouraged to see helping others as beneficial to themselves rather than a drain on their resources and practical steps to foster a culture of mutual support and resource sharing in the workplace - 15 minutes
• The most common misconceptions about diversity taking away opportunities, and how they can be effectively addressed - 15 minutes
• The role that leadership plays in ensuring that all attorneys have access to the same opportunities and resources - 15 minutes

Who Should Attend: Law firm attorneys, in-house counsel, attorneys working in legal services organizations and DEI professionals interested in learning how to achieve greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession

Program Level: Update

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Faculty:

David B. Sarnoff

Loeb Leadership

Joy Stephens

Loeb Leadership