Co-Founder Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann and Board Member Navan Ward, Jr. are quoted in the Law.com article, “Despite Diversity Efforts, Fewer Than 10% of MDL Leadership Posts Are Going to Attorneys Who are Not White.”
“There certainly have been efforts over the years, concerted efforts by judges, that require that diversity be looked at,” said Navan Ward, a principal at Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles who was appointed in 2017 to the plaintiffs’ executive committee for the multidistrict litigation concerning medications called proton-pump inhibitors. “At the end of the day, they’re the ones who are ultimately selecting a slate. And so, at the end of the day, it definitely starts with them.”
“I know that law is one of the least diverse professions out there,” said Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann. “It is more difficult for Black and Brown people to be hired at major firms. You start there. And if you want to be a plaintiffs’ lawyer, you could probably go to 30 or 40 firms nationally. This is a different beast.”
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