A microcosm of what is nationally, minorities in some aspects of the law profession in Texas see themselves as under-represented. In a major television law drama - "The Good Wife" - we finally have a man of color representing an important client. That client is the imprisoned husband Peter.
Essentially, law remains a white-guy's game, at least in most of the positions that ambitious law students, new JDs, and more seasoned JDs strive to obtain. On the front lines of the lead paint litigation, there were no people of color. Of course, this mirrors the society generally. Law as an institution, business and profession is network-centric. To get anything done requires lots of cooperation as well as manipulation of the system. Those not understanding the rules or having contacts in it aren't going to get much done or get too far.
That's reality, just as it's in my field of writing. Sure, stars can emerge from nowhere. Extraordinary talent can get recognized and persistence pays off. But the game is rigged in favor of those with deep insight into the game and the right contacts. My novel "The Fat Guy From Greewnwich" is having more spikes in sales than I anticipated. But it's not realistic to expect that it will be a best-seller or a game-changer. As former Providence, Rhode Island mayor Buddy Cianci put it, I'm not a member of "the lucky sperm club."
Diversity won't thrive in law until "the other," as psychologists and anthropologists put it, is allowed or grabs integration, influence, and power in society.
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