• What is the Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence?
• What is the mission of CCIE?
• What is your vision?
• What is Inclusive Excellence?
• Why is it called a “Campaign”?
• What is the difference between diversity and inclusiveness?
• Why is it still necessary to focus on diversity?
• Who is involved in CCIE?
• Why does the Denver legal community need yet another diversity organization?
• What else does CCIE do?
• What is the Deans’ Diversity Council?
• How is the work of CCIE being accomplished?
• What are the Working Groups?
• How do I get involved in the DDC or CCIE or other diversity efforts in Denver?
• What organizations are piloting the CCIE inclusiveness manual?
• What are some of the activities of CCIE?
• What are the statistics regarding legal diversity?
• What are some of the reasons to increase diversity and create cultures of inclusion within the legal profession?

The Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence (CCIE) is a nonprofit formed in October 2007 to sustain the efforts of the Deans' Diversity Council (DDC).  The DDC was convened by Beto Juárez, Dean of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and David Getches, Dean of the University of Colorado Law School, in November 2006 to address the lack of diversity in the profession.  Members of the DDC include top leaders from every sector of the legal community - law schools, law firms, judiciary, government, public interest, and bar associations.

CCIE's mission is to actively recruit, educate, and support private and public sector legal organizations in their own individual campaigns to create cultures of inclusion.  Ultimately, CCIE is seeking to realize the Vision Statement of the Deans' Diversity Council through recruitment, education and advocacy.

The CCIE has adopted a Vision Statement, signed by 33 legal organizations to date, which states:

Diversity in the legal profession fosters both legal excellence and social equality.  The Council is committed to transformation of the legal profession with the following results:  By the year 2016, all Denver metro law firms and corporate legal departments will have successfully developed and implemented initiatives that create cultures of inclusion where attorneys of all backgrounds succeed without regard to gender, race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender expression.

The term "Inclusive Excellence" is a new paradigm for the legal profession.  It was first used in higher education and initially developed by the Association of American Colleges & Universities.  The AAC&U has led in developing "Inclusive Excellence" as a guiding vision for the higher education community and advances "Making Excellence Inclusive" to achieve that vision. "Inclusive Excellence" moves beyond numbers (compositional diversity), and involves embedding practices and philosophies that encourage diversity in every aspect of an organization.  Numbers are a critical component of any initiative but as long as diversity in the legal profession is viewed, as it largely has been, as an outcome -- a number, a strategy or a phase -- progress will be elusive.  Real diversity in the legal profession will never be achieved when the focus is solely on numbers.  Strategies that fail to address underlying systemic causes and work to achieve sustainability are little more than transient attempts at change. 

Inclusiveness is the means through which diversity is organically accomplished in legal organizations.  At a fundamental level, inclusiveness involves recognizing and valuing the perspectives, backgrounds, life experiences, and world-views of every person without regard for race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, disability or sexual orientation.  Through this process, every person develops an equal voice and equal role in providing high quality legal services to clients and the community by drawing upon their experiences and talents as well as the experiences and talents of those with different backgrounds. 

Back to Top

This effort is intended to be a long-term, sustained change initiative, not the usual well intentioned, but historically unsustainable, diversity program.  The "campaign approach" also calls for action rather than endless discussion, providing great momentum for the initiative so far. 

Inclusiveness efforts fundamentally value diversity whereas diversity efforts fundamentally value numbers.  Past diversity efforts have largely focused upon compositional diversity without reference to the reasons why recruitment and retention efforts struggle.  Inclusive legal organizations have diverse individuals involved at all levels; the organization values the perspectives and contributions of all people and strives to incorporate the needs and viewpoints of diverse communities into the culture of the organization. 

Diversity refers to "the numbers" and to initiatives that are intended to increase the numbers.  But as long as the underlying culture of an organization is not inclusive, diversity efforts will fail to achieve any measure of success.  Inclusive excellence involves the transformation of organizational cultures and environments.

Inclusiveness and the creation of an inclusive culture require the participation of everyone in the organization.  Just as historically underrepresented groups in the legal profession must be included, majority attorneys and staff must also participate in the removal of barriers created by the dominant culture.

In simplest terms -- Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is getting asked to dance.  Vernā Myers

Diversity improves the product for clients, enriches the work environment, and enhances the overall community-facing image of the legal profession.  Unfortunately, the legal profession continues to face difficulties attracting diverse candidates and retaining diverse attorneys.  The legal profession is one of the least diverse of all professions.  Nationally, minorities make up 11 percent of all lawyers (even though they comprise over 30 percent of the general population).  Colorado lags behind the national average with only 6.9 percent attorneys of color represented (based on 2000 Census figures).  Other professions have done a much better job of attracting diverse people - minorities account for 28 percent of all doctors, 22 percent of accountants, and 18 percent of civil engineers, for example.  CCIE's inclusive excellence model will create the organic change necessary to increase diversity and inclusiveness in the legal profession and reverse the trend that puts lawyers at the bottom of the list of all professions in terms of diverse members.

The low numbers of minorities in the legal profession will only continue to get worse with applications to law school among young diverse students dropping to some of the lowest levels in a decade (especially among African American and Hispanic students). 

While supply is at its lowest levels, demand for diverse attorneys has never been higher with the demand being driven by the efforts of corporate legal counsel across the country to put increasing pressure on law firms to hire, retain, and assign more diverse attorneys to their legal casework.  Over one hundred corporate legal departments in Fortune 500 companies have signed The Call to Action, which requires law firms to increase diversity or risk losing the signatories as clients.

See below for additional statistics regarding legal diversity.

Back to Top

The CCIE Board of Directors is a diverse group that is largely comprised of senior members of Colorado's legal community, including the law deans of Colorado's law schools, managing partners of law firms, general counsel of two of Colorado's largest corporations, judges from each of the courts - state and federal, senior government attorneys, the executive directors of two of Denver's major legal-related public interest organizations, and representatives from diversity organizations and the specialty bar groups.

In order to avoid duplication between groups and streamline communication and efforts, CCIE will act as an "umbrella organization" for all legal diversity efforts in the Denver metro area.  CCIE has already begun work to bring all legal diversity groups together in order to bring much more focus to real solutions, for example, the "Diversity Leaders Group" - presidents of the specialty bars and co-chairs of other diversity organizations - meet on a quarterly basis.

CCIE will act as a clearinghouse for information on diversity best practices and support legal offices in their efforts to adopt the principles of inclusive excellence. 

CCIE is identifying the currently available resources and best practices that will move legal organizations forward in achieving inclusive excellence and in identifying possible roadblocks.  By relying upon the diverse voices represented on the Board and by inviting comments and action from all sectors and interests, CCIE provides options, resources, tools, and direction as the legal community seeks to achieve inclusive excellence. More specifically, CCIE will provide education, training, and best practices employers can implement that will help create the framework to support inclusive excellence.    

Along the way, CCIE will measure progress and regularly challenge assumptions in order to improve upon the goals and vision statement.  Further, CCIE will endeavor to recognize successes and create accountability for those who succeed or fall short.

The DDC was convened by Beto Juárez, Dean of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and David Getches, Dean of the University of Colorado Law School, in November 2006 to address the lack of diversity in the profession.  Members of the DDC include top leaders from every sector of the legal community - law schools, law firms, judiciary, government, public interest, and bar associations.  The Deans' Diversity Council continues to act as an advisory group to the Campaign.  The Council meets biannually at the two law schools.

The DDC formed three Working Groups (see below) to examine the barriers to inclusive excellence and to develop strategies for overcoming those obstacles.  CCIE also created a step-by-step manual designed to guide legal organizations through the process of creating an inclusive culture.  This manual - Beyond Diversity: Inclusiveness in the Legal Workplace - was adapted from The Denver Foundation's inclusiveness workbook and program - Inclusiveness at Work.  CCIE is currently piloting the manual in the legal community.  Legal organizations interested in joining the pilot program can contact Executive Director Kathleen Nalty at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Back to Top

The Pipeline Working Group is analyzing the reasons underlying the declining rate of law school applications among minority students and organizing the legal community to engage in activities that will encourage young diverse students to choose law as a career.

The Recruiting Working Group is redefining traditional hiring criteria (grades and law school) to increase the focus on factors that lead to success for attorneys.  It also hosts an annual "Boot Camp" for diverse 1L students from DU and CU law schools who are participating in the Pledge to Diversity Legal Group's Summer 1L Clerkship Program. 

The Retention Working Group is gathering information about best practices in retaining diverse attorneys that will be shared with the legal community.  It also hosts workshops for diverse associates of CCIE-participating law firms with prominent corporate general counsel, and for managing partners.

How do I get involved in the DDC or CCIE or other diversity efforts in Denver?

Contact any of the leaders of a group listed in the "Get Involved" section of this website for more information.  Volunteers are needed on all fronts.

The organizations piloting the inclusiveness manual are: Brownstein Hyatt Farber & Schreck LLP; Colorado Attorney General's Office, Denver City Attorney's Office, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Holland & Hart LLP, Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, Qwest Communications Legal Department, Kamlet Reichert LLP, White and Steele LLP, and Xcel Energy's Law Department.  Dr. Arin Reeves, The Athens Group, Chicago, is overseeing the work of the pilot program.  If your organization wishes to participate, contact CCIE Executive Director Kathleen Nalty.

Annual Diversity Conference:  CCIE hosts an annual diversity conference in Denver.  The Summit is typically held in March each year at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. The past two years, the Summit has featured Dr. Arin Reeves of The Athens Group.  Visit the Diversity Conference page of this website for additional information.

Step-by-step manual on how to create inclusive culture:  CCIE has also published its inclusiveness manual - Beyond Diversity:  Inclusiveness in the Legal Workplace - available at www.legalinclusiveness.org.  The manual is a step-by-step guide to transforming cultures in legal organizations. It is the only "how-to" manual in the legal profession.  

CLE Programs:  CCIE sponsors a summer diversity workshop series featuring several local and national experts on a wide variety of topics.  

CCIE and Association of Corporate Counsel - Colorado Chapter have partnered to host CLE workshops.  In February 2009, the workshop, sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP, featured Cornell Boggs, the Chief Responsibility & Ethics Officer for MillerCoors and the former General Counsel of Coors Brewing Company.  Mr. Boggs is a member of the Board of Directors of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Diversity Survey:  CCIE partnered with other diversity groups in the Denver legal community to draft and distribute a survey on attitudes and perceptions about legal diversity.  The survey report is available on "Diversity Survey" page of CCIE's website.

Demographics:  Racial and ethnic minorities comprise approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population but only 11 percent of all lawyers.  That figure is lower in Colorado where minorities account for only 6.9 percent of all attorneys and judges, according to 2000 U.S. Census figures. 

Attrition Rates in Private Practice:  Minority attorneys, and particularly, female attorneys of color, have higher attrition rates than non-diverse attorneys in private practice.  The ABA's "Visible Invisibility" report has determined that by the 8^th year, the attrition rate among minority female associates tops 86% which explains why only 1.88 percent of partners in larger law firms (1.53 percent in Denver) are minority women.

A significant number of women and minorities still cite lingering discrimination in the workplace as a barrier to their success.  In Colorado, the 2007 diversity survey revealed that large numbers of diverse attorneys (42 percent of Latino and 36.3 percent of racially diverse respondents) agreed that racially and ethnically diverse attorneys do not receive certain privileges routinely accorded to non-diverse attorneys, such as promotions, networking opportunities, training, mentoring, client contact, and fee-generating assignments.  Even more interesting, 25 percent of the white male respondents agreed that minority attorneys do not receive these privileges, which are so critical to any attorney's success.

Pipeline to Law School:  Applications by minority students to U.S. law schools are declining at an alarming rate.  For example, at a time when there are more minority students in the general population than ever before, the enrollment of Mexican-American and African-American students in law schools has declined by 8.6 percent since 1992.

1.  Organizational Effectiveness - Empirical research has shown that diversity in the workplace leads to increased creativity and innovation.  Organizations that are more creative and innovative are better able to serve their clients.  Inclusive environments and cultures help retain diverse people which, in turn, helps with recruiting more diverse people.

2.  Economics - Diversity enhances an organization's competitiveness - for both talent and clients.  This is especially true in the private sector with corporate legal counsel's push for more diversity among law firms with The Call to Action initiative.  Law students across the country are also advocating for greater diversity (see www.buildingabetterlegalprofession.org).

3.  Liability - Diverse and inclusive organizations limit their exposure to lawsuits based on discrimination.

4.  Moral/Ethical/Equity - The legal profession is the vanguard in our society defending justice and pursuing liberty for all citizens. Thus, it should lead the way toward full inclusion.  As Justice O'Connor stated in Grutter v. Bollinger, "Effective participation by members of all racial and ethnic groups in the civic life of our Nation is essential if the dream of one Nation, indivisible, is to be realized."

Back to Top