Diversity Committee Update

From supporting the Justice Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Dialogue Program (DIDP) to creatively re-imagining diversity programs for the virtual telework environment, the Division’s Diversity Committee has brought together employees from around the Division over the past year to promote a more inclusive culture.

This year, the Committee hosted the Antitrust Division’s Seventh Annual Diversity Celebration featuring remarks from Voviette Morgan, FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Criminal Division for the Los Angeles Field Office—the only female African-American special agent in charge.

The Committee is proud to report on several other accomplishments from its five subcommittees: Disability; Management Culture, Retention, and Training (MCRT); Outreach; Support Staff; and Women’s Subcommittee.

Following the successful “Disability and Inclusion Speaker Series” session with Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, Co-Director of the Mood Disorders Center and professor at Johns Hopkins University, the Disability Subcommittee continued to promote mental health awareness by providing mental health information and resources on the Division’s intranet. In a similar vein, MCRT focused on education and sponsored implicit bias training, attended by more than 50% of the Division’s employees. The highly anticipated program focused on mitigating the impact of unconscious bias in key workplace situations and achieving long-term behavioral change.

The Women’s Subcommittee, in collaboration with the Antitrust Division’s Career Development Working Group and Executive Office, launched stand-alone lactation and wellness rooms in Antitrust Division offices to be used by employees in need of privacy.

The Outreach Subcommittee hosted a series of virtual recruiting panels for 2021 college graduates to encourage more applications to the Division’s Paralegal Program from historically underrepresented groups. Each panel featured a candid discussion between current paralegals, paralegal supervisors, and/or trial attorneys about their paths to the Department of Justice. Students were also able to ask questions about public service, career development, transitioning from college to work, and simply being successful in a dynamic workplace where diversity is celebrated and supported. The Outreach Subcommittee also hosted a virtual “Intern Day” for the Division’s summer interns.

The Support Staff Subcommittee hosted a very successful Paralegal Flash Mentoring Program, which provided critical connections and career counseling for Division paralegals. Relaunched in 2020 as a virtual event, it drew first-time participants from the Division’s Chicago, New York, and San Francisco offices.

Finally, the Committee launched a new Veteran’s Subcommittee, which will focus on improving the recruitment and retention of veterans and reservists, and increasing awareness of their valuable contributions to the Division’s mission. The Committee has ambitious plans for the coming year and intends to continue promoting diversity, inclusion, equity, and access initiatives.