Can One DEI Initiative Change the Legal Profession for the Better? State Farm's Legal Team Says, 'Yes'.
"It's great that opportunities like this are exciting and new, but we don't want this stuff to be exciting and new. We want it to be commonplace. We want these opportunities to abound for everyone," said a State Farm associate general counsel.
November 04, 2022 at 11:37 AM
6 minute read
How I Made It
(Credit: melitas/Shutterstock.com)
State Farm's Rising Star Academy reaches far beyond internal improvements.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The University of Michigan's inaugural Chief Diversity Officer, Robert Sellers, defines the term as follows:
- Diversity is where everyone is invited to the party
- Inclusion means that everyone gets to contribute to the playlist
- Equity means that everyone has the opportunity to dance/experience the music
It's a noble concept and a worthy goal. Most corporate DEI programs exist to create a safe, welcoming workplace environment for those of all races, creeds, and ethnicity.
It becomes inspiring when a business takes a much broader view – seeking and implementing transformative initiatives that expand an entire profession, allowing more significant opportunities for individuals, including diverse people at various stages and leveling a previously uneven playing field. State Farm is doing just that.
According to Fortune.com, State Farm is the largest provider of auto and homeowners insurance in the U.S. and the second-largest provider of life insurance in the country. They are also one of the largest consumers of legal services in the United States. In addition to their in-house legal department that handles both litigation and transactional law, their claims operation has relationships with hundreds of law firms around the country to help defend their policyholders when needed. The relationship between State Farm and the legal profession is profound, as is their commitment to DEI.
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