Diversity challenges the legal profession, conference finds.

"Everybody is for diversity, but few feel the obligation to achieve it," said Judith Winston, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Education at a conference sponsored by the Department of Justice. Race, Ethnicity, and the Law: Challenges Facing the Legal Profession convened in June at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., to discuss diversity issues in the criminal justice system, law schools, community leadership, and the legal profession.

"How do we give all of the people access to the law?" U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno asked at the conference summary session. Incorporating the findings of several panel discussions, she urged attorneys, judges, and law professors to build a legal system that will represent the next generation of children and give them equal opportunities. She said community members need to recognize that young men ages 18 to 35 who have been in the criminal justice system and paid their dues deserve a chance to grow in a positive way in society, and sentencing policies need to be more flexible.

During the conference, a panel discussed how racial and ethnic diversity can legitimize and foster confidence in the criminal justice system. The panel concluded that legal representation for indigent defendants and assistance for the half-million minorities leaving the criminal justice system and reentering society each year are among the top diversity issues of concern.

"We have to alter the landscape," said Loretta Argrett, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's tax division, at a session that addressed how the race, gender, and ethnicity of legal service providers affects clients. "To improve legal services for poor and minority communities, we have to instill the twin values of service and diversity in providers."

There is a need for lawyers who are culturally sensitive and proficient in clients' languages, said Argrett, adding that diversity among providers of legal services will lead to better services. But increasing the number of minority lawyers in public service will take money, she said, and resources for entities that provide legal services are diminishing.

Greater student loan forgiveness and endowing more fellowships would encourage lawyer participation.

The private bar needs to "step up to the plate and provide the kind of legal services needed by the underserved community," said Argrett.

Another panel addressed achieving diversity in law school enrollment. It also looked at how a diverse student body affects how students are taught and how new lawyers understand the value of diversity. The panel recommended funding scholarships, instituting LSAT programs for minorities, and getting faculty more involved in student recruitment.

A panel discussed how lawyers can be community leaders and advocate for diversity. Recommendations for encouraging law school graduates to devote time to community service included bar association mentoring at the high school level, loan forgiveness, and a more interdisciplinary law school curriculum.

Craig M. Bradley is the James Louis Calamaras Professor of Law at Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington.