Bloomberg Law starts podcast on black lawyers

Bloomberg Law announced Wednesday the launch of “Black Lawyers Speak: Stories of the Past, Hopes for the Future,” a five-part podcast series that provides perspectives on how Black lawyers are navigating elite spaces in the legal profession, and how law firms are more closely addressing diversity, barriers to entry, and retainment.

The podcast features interviews with more than 30 legal professionals, ranging from Am Law 200 law firm chairs to general counsel to law school students, professors, and deans. Listeners can subscribe to the podcast series here.

In “Black Lawyers Speak,” co-hosted and reported by executive editor of strategic initiatives Lisa Helem and senior audio journalist Adam Allington, along with others across the Bloomberg Law newsroom, the team takes the pulse of key Black attorneys, and other legal industry leaders as the nation engages in a renewed dialogue on race and equality.

Episodes in the series focus on lessons from pathbreaking Black corporate lawyers and law deans, how Big Law is examining diversity anew, law firm recruiting practices, the unique experiences of Black women lawyers, and the paucity of black judges.

“This five-part series spotlights a wealth of perspectives from African-American legal industry leaders,” said Helem. “We also examine how the legal industry more broadly is addressing key diversity and inclusion issues, What can we learn from pathbreaking partners in corporate law? How can Black law deans contextualize the current dialogue on race? We’re in a unique historical moment. How the legal profession seizes it may truly help define it for years to come.”

The Black Lawyers Speak series will be released as part of [Un]Common Law, Bloomberg Industry Group’s new podcast home for audio documentaries. Josh Block is the executive producer of Bloomberg Industry Group’s podcasts.