Corporate leaders have spent much of the last year focused on racial justice, and for legal leaders that has raised questions around how to lead their departments in a way that furthers equity in their own corporations, as well as in the legal industry as a whole.

In a session at the MCCA Pathways to Diversity conference titled “Courageous Leadership: Leading Through A Racial Crisis,” panelists shared how events of last summer prompted leaders to create a safe space for communities within their organizations to come together and share their lived experiences. Additionally, they all noted the importance of leaders opening the lines of communication to facilitate discussion, even if the subject matter becomes uncomfortable.