Diversity Lab is recruiting for an inclusion and equal access architect. If you have a deep understanding of how law firms are structured and enjoy designing, implementing, and measuring the effectiveness of data-based and science-driven practices, policies, and systems that increase inclusion and equal access to career-boosting opportunities for all lawyers, please apply. Send your resume to info@DiversityLab.com.

About Diversity Lab

Diversity Lab works with law firms and legal departments across the globe to create more fair, equitable, and inclusive communities and workplaces. We disrupt bias in talent systems by embedding structure, accountability, and transparency. We leverage data, behavioral science, and design thinking to create and pilot experimental ideas with more than 300 leading law firms and legal departments across the U.S. and beyond. In collaboration with our clients, we measure the results and share the lessons learned with the broader legal community.

Our inaugural project – the OnRamp Fellowship – is now the largest re-entry program for lawyers returning to the profession after an extended career hiatus. To date, we have placed more than 100 women lawyers, one-third of whom are racially and ethnically diverse, with top law firms and legal departments across the country.

To inspire others to develop and experiment with innovative initiatives such as the Fellowship, we launched the Women in Law Hackathon in 2016, and the Diversity in Law Hackathon series in 2018. These first-of-their-kind "Shark Tank" style pitch competitions brought together 200 high-level law firm partners, legal department leaders, talent experts, and law students in small teams working together to generate ideas to increase diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. 

The Mansfield Rule is an idea that was generated by one of the Women in Law Hackathon teams and further developed by Diversity Lab. Starting with the first iteration in 2017, which included more than 40 law firms and now includes 250+ firms, Diversity Lab has measured and reported significant progress in the Certified firms’ pipelines to leadership. As a result of its success, there is now a version for midsize firms and legal departments and we recently expanded into the UK.

In 2020, Diversity Lab launched the Move the Needle Fund (MTN), the first-ever collaboration among 30 legal departments, four law firms, and a dozen community leaders designed to test and measure research-backed “bias interrupters.” The MTN bias interrupters are science-driven tweaks to talent and business systems – such as hiring, feedback, work assignments, and pay processes – that disrupt and minimize unconscious biases in the workplace to provide fair and equal access to career-enhancing opportunities for lawyers of all backgrounds.

Main Responsibilities

This role will be primarily responsible for continuing to build and expand the Inclusion Blueprint, the only tool in law that measures activities and actions that relate to the E and the I in DEI at both the leadership and practice group levels in law firms. The Inclusion Blueprint provides law firms with a roadmap of meaningful inclusion actions to initiate, track, and measure to ensure that all lawyers — with a particular focus on underrepresented lawyers — have fair and equal access to quality work, influential sponsors, business development, and other career-advancement opportunities. In addition to being a diagnostic tool for firms’ inclusivity, key findings from the Inclusion Blueprint allow law firms to prioritize their efforts on the most meaningful actions to move the needle. In addition to improving and expanding the use of this tool for law firms, the Director will assist in the development of a similar tool for legal departments. In particular, the Director will:

• Lead the effort to effectively collect and analyze the Inclusion Blueprint assessment data from firms and legal departments with support from the Diversity Lab data team. 
• Collaborate with the data team to develop new dashboards and enhance existing dashboards using Tableau Desktop/Online to share Inclusion Blueprint insights with the legal profession. 
• Develop and execute on a plan to communicate key findings throughout the legal industry and lead related knowledge and resource sharing efforts among participating organizations and the broader legal community. 

The Director will also work with our Diversity Lab team, advisory board, and clients to lead the expansion and execution of other experimental efforts such as the Diverse Partners Directory to increase access to potential clients and origination credit opportunities, and the Mansfield Rule for Workflow to build more diverse teams in law firms and ensure that all lawyers have equal access to quality work assignments. 

In addition, the Director will provide leadership, strategic thinking, and add value as needed on several of our other inclusion efforts focused on ensuring that diverse lawyers have access to advancement opportunities and clients to support their development and advancement into leadership. 

The Experience & Skills Needed to Be Effective in This Role

No one is perfect, so we don’t expect one human to embody all of the following skills. But if you have some of these key skills and are willing to learn, we encourage you to apply. The skills, experiences, and qualifications for the role include the following. 

Skills:

• Excellent client relationship skills, including responsiveness and a willingness to solve problems in a friendly, diplomatic, and efficient manner while also anticipating questions clients may ask
• Strong attention to detail and an ability to dig deep into the details to identify challenges and solutions
• Ability to present information in an organized and digestible manner for clients and the legal profession 
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to new and rapidly changing situations and environments; comfortable with constant change and iterative processes
• Project management skills, including time management, goal-setting, multitasking, and prioritization to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• High EQ; ability to interact effectively with team members and external partners; self-awareness and sensitivity to communications and team relationships
• Advanced writing, proofreading, and verbal communication skills
• Interest in continuing to learn and grow professionally, and in embodying a learning mindset
• Self-motivation; ability to take initiative with minimal assistance and to manage time efficiently
• Ability to motivate, develop, and supervise others

• Willingness to listen to and learn from feedback, as well as offer feedback effectively to others
• Demonstrated commitment to and passion for creating inclusive and equitable workplaces and communities

Experience/Qualifications:

• At least 5 years of experience as a manager or director in law firm talent management, DEI, and/or professional development with primary focus on lawyers’ careers; experience in legal department talent management also considered
• Comfort with using and learning many forms of technology; proficiency with Google Docs/Microsoft Word, Google Sheets/Microsoft Excel, Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms, and Google Slides/Microsoft PowerPoint required; experience with Qualtrics a plus
• Experience with designing, implementing, and measuring the effectiveness of pilots, experiments, and research-driven efforts
• Proficiency with data and measurement of outcomes, deriving insights from metrics, and reporting key findings to audiences with limited time and attention spans
• Knowledge of inclusive systems design, including behavioral science principles, that provide fair and equal access to opportunities (e.g., decision architecture that minimizes unconscious bias)
• Experience with managing and developing a team

Location Details

• Job format is full-time remote work; reliable internet and telephone access are required
• Applicants will be fully considered regardless of their location within the United States; however, the following locations, where other teammates are located, are preferred: Boston, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, Denver, Austin, Houston, Louisiana, and Baltimore
• You will be asked to travel within the U.S., likely 3-4 times per year (COVID exceptions currently in place)

Benefits

We offer a 401(k) program featuring a 4% employer match, as well as a basic life insurance policy with a $50,000 benefit for which the premium is paid by the organization. Employees are additionally entitled to participate in group health and dental insurance policies; premiums for these policies are 100% the responsibility of the employee.

Additionally, teammates are welcome to contribute pre-tax income to a Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and/or Health Savings Account, subject to federal rules and regulations. Contributions to a Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and/or Health Savings Account are 100% the responsibility of the employee.

To support our team members’ ongoing growth and development, Diversity Lab provides each employee with an annual professional development allowance.

Diversity Lab offers vacation time and paid federal holidays, as well as additional paid holiday time at its discretion (e.g., we typically provide paid holiday time between Christmas Eve Day and New Year’s Day each year).

The anticipated salary range for this role is $100,000 to $108,000.

We hope you decide to apply. Send your resume to info@DiversityLab.com.