74 www.blackeoejournal.com Black EOE Journal
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
Associations' litigation section as well as the editor of the committee's newsletter. Mr. Dixon has published several articles through the American Cbs!Bttpdjbujpo!tqfdjdbmmz!gpdvtjoh!po!ejwfstjuz!boe!jodmvtjpo!xjuijo! mbx!snt/! Sanders Roberts partner, Melvin Felton, conducted a Legal Ethics DMF! po! cfibmg! pg! uif! Dbmjgpsojb! Njopsjuz! Dpvotfm! Qsphsbn! bt! xfmm! bt!b!MjolfeJo!gps!Mbxzfst!fwfou!po!cfibmg!pg!Kpio!N/!Mbohtupo!Cbs! Association. Tboefst! Spcfsut! sfdfoumz! qspnpufe! buupsofz-! Tbcsjob! Obsbjo-! up! qbsuofs/!Nt/!Obsbjo!jt!uif!snt!stu!gfnbmf!qbsuofs!xip!nbobhft!uxp!pg! uif!snt!cjhhftu!dmjfout/!Jo!beejujpo-!Tboefst!Spcfsut!Tfojps!Buupsofz-! Dzouijb! Tvo-! mfbet! hfofsbm! mjbcjmjuz! nbuufst! gps! uif! sn-! jodmvejoh! b! ufbn!pg!buupsofzt!boe!qbsbmfhbmt/!Cpui!Nt/!Obsbjo!boe!Nt/!Tvo!bsf!gspn! njopsjuz!cbdlhspvoet/ Tfwfsbm! buupsofzt! bsf! nfncfst! pg! uif! Xpnfot! Mbx! Bttpdjbujpo! Mpt!Bohfmft-!obodjbmmz!tvqqpsu!cz!Tboefst!Spcfsut/!Tboefst!Spcfsut! Buupsofz-!Njisfu!Hfubcjdib-!tfswft!po!XMBMBt!cvtjoftt!efwfmpqnfou! dpnnjuuff! xijdi! qmbot! fwfout! hfbsfe! tqfdjdbmmz! upxbset! xpnfo! buupsofzt!up!tusfohuifo!cvtjoftt!efwfmpqnfou!tljmmt/!Nt/!Hfubcjdib!bmtp! wpmvouffst!bt!pvutjef!dpvotfm!gps!uif!Fuijpqjbo!dpnnvojuz!pg! Mpt!Bohfmft!boe!jt!b!nfncfs!pg!uif!Bncjujpvt!Xpnfo!pg! Dpmps!Bttpdjbujpo/!Uif!sn!ibt!tqpotpsfe!fwfout!gps! uif!Xpnfot!Mbx!Bttpdjbujpo!Mpt!Bohfmft-!jodmvejoh! an event that discussed strategies for promoting ejwfstjuz-! frvjuz-! boe! jodmvtjpo/! Cbtfe! po! uiftf! tusbufhjft!boe!uif!snt!sbqje!hspxui-!uif!sn!jt! xpsljoh! upxbset! cvjmejoh! b! Xpnfot! qsphsbn! boe!Ejwfstjuz!'!Jodmvtjpo!qsphsbn/ BEOEJ : Tell us about some of the work you do personally in this regard as well. Roberts, Jr : Kvtujo!boe!J!bsf!cpui!mfduvsfst!jo!Mbx! bu!VTD!Hpvme!Tdippm!pg!Mbx-!pvs!bmnb!nbufs/!Uifz! created a scholarship, the Clarence Thompson Memorial Tdipmbstijq!Gvoe-!gps!gvuvsf!mbxzfst!gpmmpxjoh!uifjs!esfbnt!bu! uif!VTD!Hpvme!Tdippm!pg!Mbx/!Xf!epobuf!211&!pg!pvs!mfduvsfs!fbsojoht! to the Clarence Thompson Memorial Scholarship Fund in order to help VTD! Hpvme! buusbdu! uif! obujpot! upq!Bgsjdbo!Bnfsjdbo! voefshsbevbuf! tuvefout/! Xf! diptf! uif! obnf! pg! uif! gvoe! bt! b! usjcvuf! up! Dmbsfodf! Uipnqtpo-!VTD!Hpvmet!stu!Cmbdl!bmvnovt-!xip!hsbevbufe!jo!2:11! bu!bhf!29/ Jo!mbx!tdippm-!zpv!epou!xbou!ipnphfofjuz!pg!uipvhiu/!Zpv!xbou!up! bring together a group of persons with differing opinions, backgrounds, tpdjpfdpopnjd!tubuvt!cfdbvtf!uifz!xjmm!jofwjubcmz!tqfbl!bcpvu!uijoht! gspn!b!ejggfsfou!qfstqfdujwf!!cvu!jo!b!xbz!uibu!sftpobuft!xjui!zpv!boe! fyqboet!zpvs!xbz!pg!uijoljoh!bcpvu!uif!xpsme!boe!ipx!uijoht!xpsl/!Boe! uifo!xf!hp!pvu!joup!pvs!qspgfttjpo!boe!ublf!\uibu^!cfofu!xjui!vt/ Tboefst!Spcfsut!bmtp!spvujofmz!ijsft!ejwfstf!mbx!tuvefout!bt!tvnnfs! associates. BEOEJ : According to a report from the National Asso- ciation of Law Placement (NALP) earlier this year, Black equity partners represent significantly less than one percent of law firm equity partners in the United States, yet Black people and other people of color in the U.S. are disproportionately at odds with the criminal justice system at virtually every level. What are your thoughts on the connection between the number of attorneys/ law firm equity partners of color in our country and these systemic issues? Justin Sanders : !Uif!dpoofdujpo!cfuxffo!frvjuz!qbsuofstijq!jo!qsjwbuf! mbx!snt!boe!usvf!kvtujdf!jo!uif!dsjnjobm!kvtujdf!tztufn!jt!opu!ejsfdu-! cvu!uibu!epftou!nfbo!uif!dpoofdujpo!jt!opu!sfmfwbou/!Frvjuz!jt!qpxfs-! boe! xifo! xf! ibwf! qpxfs-! xf! ibwf! uif! bvuipsjuz! up! nblf! jnqpsubou! decisions. So much of criminal prosecution is about the discretion of the qsptfdvups!boe!uif!tusfohui!pg!uif!efgfotf!mbxzfs/!Frvjuz!qbsuofst!jo!mbx! snt!ufoe!up!cf!mfbefst!jo!uif!mfhbm!joevtusz!boe-!gps!fybnqmf-!dbo!ibwf! jovfodf!jo!ipx!qsptfdvupst!pgdft!bsf!tusvduvsfe-!xijdi!dbtft!uifz! qvstvf-!fud/!Dpowfstfmz-!frvjuz!qbsuofst!jo!efgfotf!snt!dbo!vtf!uifjs! tljmmt!boe!sftpvsdft!up!qspwjef!npsf!boe!cfuufs!efgfotft!up!b!xjef!wbsjfuz! pg!dsjnjobm!dmjfout/!Bt!bo!frvjuz!qbsuofs!jo!nz!pxo!sn-!J!dbo!dipptf! which cases I want to take and how to defend them, rather than being upme!cz!tpnfpof!fmtf!xibu!J!tipvme!iboemf-!ps!xifuifs!J!dbo!iboemf!uif! matter at all. BEOEJ : What can you say about the importance of supplier diversity and why businesses will benefit from partnering with minority-owned law firms and having diverse voices at their table? Roberts, Jr : ! Cvtjofttft! pqfsbuf! jo! b! hmpcbm! fdpopnz! mmfe! xjui! ejwfstf! dvtupnfst! boe! tvqqmjfst/! Qbsuofsjoh! xjui! njopsjuz. pxofe!mbx!snt!boe!cvtjofttft!dsfbuft!usvf!dpoofdujpot! boe!sfmbujpotijqt!uibu!vmujnbufmz!tibqf!ipx!cvtjoftt!jt! epof/!Uif!wbtu!ubqftusz!pg!qfstqfdujwft!hvjejoh!uif! direction of business ensures success as the world connects through commerce. Sanders : !Ejwfstjuz!jt!op!mpohfs!bo!fyfsdjtf! jo!dibsjuz
"Diversity is no longer an exercise in charity; it's a business necessity."
- Justin Sanders
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