Emory University School of Law has a newly established diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program with goals to grow diversity in the practice of environmental law.
The Environmental Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiative will provide annual scholarships and summer stipends to diverse students. Students will have opportunities to engage with environmental attorneys, community leaders, government officials and scholars through conferences and workshops. The first set of stipends will be awarded starting in the summer of 2023 and scholarships will be rewarded at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year.
Students in the program can receive up to $10,000 in scholarships and $5,000 in stipends. Th Environmental DEI scholarships and stipends will be awarded to students who have a sincere interest in environmental law and contribute to the diversity of the profession.
“There is a striking lack of diversity in the environmental bar,” said Mary Anne Bobinski, dean of the law school. “Public interest organizations, governments, law firms, and corporations must diversify their environmental legal workforce. Law schools must play a role too, building a strong cohort of well-trained and diverse environmental lawyers.”
The initiative is funded and founded by the law firm, Kazmarek Mowrey Cloud Laseter LLP. The firm developed the initiative to improve diversity in environmental lawyers.
“KMCL is committed to increasing diversity in the environmental law bar, and we recognize that a key to long-term, concrete results are attracting the best and brightest diverse candidates to the field while they are in law school,” said Rick Horder, one of the firm’s founders.
