2026 August National Fellows Webinar

This event is free to attend. Open to Fellows and nominees only. 

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

11:00am PT / 12:00pm MT / 1:00pm CT / 2:00pm ET

“Diversity in the Law: How Race and Gender Shape Legal Careers”

This program presents the latest research on how race and gender shape legal careers–from law school to leadership in the profession. Aaron Taylor, Executive Director of the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence, will present findings on the challenges faced by aspiring attorneys from underrepresented backgrounds as they navigate law school and the bar exam. Professor Robert Nelson, of the American Bar Foundation and Northwestern University, will share insights from the “After the JD” study, a 20-year-long investigation tracking a national sample of lawyers from bar admission in 2000 to the peak of their careers. This research reveals stark divisions by client type and practice setting, as well as persistent barriers to equal opportunity across the decades. Focusing in on public interest law, Professor Atinuke Adediran of Fordham University will explore the striking lack of diversity both among the leaders of legal nonprofits and among pro bono partners in private law firms. Moderated by ABF Board Member Harold Pope, the presentations and discussion will illuminate the pathways and pitfalls that attorneys of color traverse as they pursue a life in the law.

Featuring:
Robert Nelson
Research Professor, American Bar Foundation
Professor of Sociology and Law, Northwestern University