Inclusive Legal Education: Navigating Faculty-DEIB Collaborations
Join us for a dynamic conversation as we delve into successful collaborations between law school faculty and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) professionals. Ideal for law professors and administrators seeking actionable strategies, this webinar provides practical insights for forging impactful alliances. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be inspired and equipped for transformative partnerships.
This event is co-sponsored by Roger Williams University School of Law, City University of New York School of Law, George Washington University Law School, Berkeley Law, and JURIST.
2:00 - 3:30 PM EST
In 2021, RWU Law began sponsoring an ongoing Integrating Doctrine & Diversity Speaker Series in collaboration with CUNY School of Law and JURIST. Each previous installment has been attended by hundreds of legal education professionals from across the country.
Meet the Speakers
Mark Bell currently serves as Director of Diversity Initiatives and Recruitment with the University of Baltimore School of Law. He has over 25 years of experience in the field of higher education. For much of his career, he has been guiding organizations in becoming more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. As Director of Diversity, he advises the school of law senior leadership team and leads strategic diversity efforts that advance the schools mission and vision. He has served as an adjunct professor for over 15 years at the University of Baltimore and Cecil College and is the founder of LTG Consulting.
Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies and a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on policy. Both obtained at the University of Baltimore. He is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in Negotiations and Conflict Management.
Carmia N. Caesar joined GW Law in 2021 as the inaugural Associate Dean for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Associate Dean Caesar brings extensive experience in programming, counseling, and experiential learning having served as the Director of Externships and Experiential Learning and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and Howard University School of Law. She was on the Diversity Committees at both law schools, working to expand the DEI infrastructure and programming that met the unique needs of both communities. While at Georgetown, Associate Dean Caesar created the Component Classroom, a field placement seminar model that maximized teaching resources and expanded the program to serve hundreds of JD students each year. At Howard, in addition to externship teaching, she taught Introduction to the American Legal System in the LLM program and Social Justice Lawyering.
In practice, Associate Dean Caesar represented clients in civil rights, domestic violence, and housing matters; and at the intersection of education and the juvenile criminal system.
She is a graduate of Pomona College and Harvard Law School and was a Leadership Fellow with the Northern California Center of the Coro Foundation.
Vernadette Horne is the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, joined St. John’s Law School in June2021 after serving as Senior Director of Career Services and Diversity Initiatives at Hofstra Law School for 15 years. Ms. Horne currently serves as a member of the Diversity Committee for the New York State Bar Association and as the Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee for the New York State Bar Association’s Commercial & Federal Litigation Section.
Kathy Northern is the Robert M. Duncan/Jones Day Designated Associate Professor of Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law where she has been a professor since 1991. She currently serves as the Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, represents the law school to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Leaders and Advocates group, and serves on the University’s Workgroup for Inclusive Excellence. She has also served as Associate Dean for Admissions and Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs while at Moritz. Dean Northern teaches in the areas of Tort Law, Poverty Law, Products Liability, and Environmental Justice. She serves on the Board of the Law and Leadership Institute, a pipeline program for underrepresented and under resourced high school students and has been deeply involved with this pipeline program since its inception in 2008. Dean Northern received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, her B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Psychology from Williams College.
Lisa Sonia Taylor is the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity Relations at American University Washington College of Law. In her work, Lisa advocates for diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice as foundational requirements for academic excellence, community building, leadership, and service in law school education. Her work focuses on strategic planning, collaborative initiatives, and policies promoting organizational cultural competence. She regularly speaks on practical strategies for creating inclusive communities where diverse members experience belonging and thrive. For her work, In 2018, Lisa was honored by Missouri Lawyer’s Media for significantly advancing diversity, inclusion, and exceptional legal work that promotes dignity and justice for all.
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Joni Wiredu is the Assistant Dean and Professorial Lecturer for the Office of Academic Excellence (OAE) at American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) in Washington, D.C.
Dean Wiredu spearheads strategic and innovative programming related to academic advising, academic planning, and increasing students’ bar exam preparedness. She oversees a team of advisors and instructors who support student achievement from matriculation through graduation and beyond.
Dean Wiredu has a special interest in supporting the achievements of diverse students. She collaborates with her partner in crime, Lisa Sonia Taylor, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion & Affinity Relations, on faculty workshops about inclusive pedagogy and best practices in the classroom. With the help of Dean Taylor, Dean Wiredu has developed equity-minded practices and principles to build better advising frameworks for the team of OAE advisors.
Dean Wiredu believes in meeting students where they are and providing them with the advising and academic assistance they need to succeed in law school and on the bar exam by building on their background, life experiences, and learning styles.
Meet the Moderator
Nicole P. Dyszlewski is one of the editors of Integrating Doctrine and Diversity: Inclusion and Equity in the Law School Classroom. She currently serves as a Professor and the Director of Special Programs, Academic Affairs at Roger Williams University School of Law. She received a B.A. from Hofstra University, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. She is a member of the Massachusetts State Bar and the Rhode Island State Bar. Her areas of interest are mass incarceration, access to justice, and systems of race and gender inequality in law. Nicole was the 2020 recipient of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Volunteer Service Award and the 2015 recipient of the AALL Emerging Leader Award.