Steve Schulman Quoted in Law360 on Law Firm Antiracism Alliance Summit

Law360 has quoted Akin Gump pro bono partner Steve Schulman in its story “240 Law Firms Hold Summit To Address Systemic Racism,” which reports on a virtual gathering held this week to tackle the issue of identifying and dismantling systemic racism in the judicial system. The meeting was organized by the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA), of which Akin Gump is a founding member (click here to learn more). Law360 noted that attendees of the summit would hear from advocates at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law and other legal services organizations about structural racism and how to combat it.

Schulman spoke of how the Alliance came to be, noting that it started with a conversation in June among several law firm pro bono counsel directors shortly after the start of the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. Among the things the group discussed, Schulman said, was an idea for a forward-looking group that would first take stock of racial justice-focused problems and then marshal their resources to fix them.

“We are going to use every tool that we have,” Schulman said. “Litigation will be on the table, advocacy will be on the table, as will community engagement.”

The Alliance began with about 18 firms, according to Schulman, but when a formal announcement about its formation was made in late June, it counted more than 125 law firms as members—an amount that has now climbed to well over 200.