The YLD Has a Big Tent And We Want You To Know It!
As the profession welcomes more and more traditionally underrepresented groups to the bar, the YLD, by the simple fact of being the primary and largest grouping of new lawyers in our state, has benefitted immensely from an infusion of new and different perspectives. We are, as the saying goes, a “big tent” grouping of young and new lawyers.
While the YLD benefits from the changing demographics of law school graduates, we also initially foster and promote that diversity through various programs and initiatives. From our Legal LINK Committee that is focused on increasing interest in legal careers amongst high school students who are underrepresented in the legal profession to the efforts of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee to provide community and support for diverse attorneys at the bar, the YLD has long been a champion for diversity and inclusion within the NCBA and across the legal profession as a whole.
Recognizing this fact, the YLD recently took a close look at our Bylaws and found that we could do a better job of speaking our truth as an organization. To that end, throughout the fall, our leadership prepared a set of Bylaws amendments that were adopted unanimously by our membership at the YLD Quarterly Meeting in December. Many of our proposed amendments to the YLD Bylaws hone in on the YLD’s commitment to being an incubator for new and young lawyers of all types as they enter the NCBA and the legal profession.
For instance, the amendments explicitly add to the YLD’s mission statement and its goals of, inter alia, serving the community and legal profession, promoting fellowship, representing all new and young lawyers to the NCBA and vice versa, fostering diversity and inclusion, and creating opportunities for professional development. These additions have long been part of the “unspoken” mission of the YLD and are engrained in our programs, activities and committees. We have also included language to codify our longstanding practice of allowing law students to take part in YLD activities.
While we must still obtain final approval from the NCBA Board of Governors, and in one instance from the NCBA membership, for these changes, we are excited that what is written in our Bylaws will soon accurately reflect our position and allow for increased participation in the YLD by new lawyers. Below, we highlight two of the most significant changes and why they are important to our organization.
Addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Head-On
We believe it is important to state emphatically and in no uncertain terms that the YLD is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion of all types in all we do. In addition to adding to our mission statement the goal of fostering diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, we have added the following statement to our core Purposes:
The Division is firmly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Division, the Association, and the legal profession. The Division shall encourage the participation and representation in its membership and leadership, and in the Association and the legal profession generally, of the many diverse groups within the community that the Division serves. Further, the Division shall cultivate an environment of open communication, inclusion, and respect for all.
Amended Bylaws, Sec. 4.
Additionally, the Bylaws amendments replace any reference to binary genders (e.g., “he or she”) with non-binary language throughout the text. We recognize and respect that gender identities within the YLD are an important part of the diversity of the organization. We welcome participation and leadership from all members of the LGBTQ community and now our core documents will reflect that commitment.
Recognizing that All “New Lawyers” May Benefit from YLD Resources
Since the inception of the YLD, both the YLD Bylaws and NCBA Bylaws have defined membership in the YLD as being open to a lawyer who is 36 years of age or younger or who has been admitted to their first bar within the past three years. We are recommending to the NCBA that YLD eligibility be expanded to a lawyer who is 36 years of age or younger or who has been admitted to their first bar within the past ten years. This expanded eligibility scheme recognizes that some “new lawyers” who might not be young by traditional definitions would still benefit from the activities and resources that membership in the YLD provides. In order for this change to take effect, the NCBA would have to vote on it at an annual meeting.
To understand the importance of this change, think about two hypothetical law school graduates side-by-side: (1) John, who followed the “traditional path” of going to law school immediately from undergraduate studies and finished law school around age 25 and (2) Maria, who began law school at age 32 after teaching high school for 10 years and graduates when she is 35 years old.
They would both qualify for YLD membership after passing the bar, but John would have over a decade before he aged out. This is a significant period during which John could take part in YLD activities, benefit from the resources the YLD provides, learn about ways to get involved in the NCBA beyond the YLD, and generally grow to become a leader in the profession. By contrast, Maria would no longer be eligible for YLD membership after just three years at age 38. At this point in her practice, Maria is likely to have more in common with other recent graduates than the individuals who followed a “traditional path” and are, at a similar age, becoming partners in law firms, taking on key roles in their companies, and moving into leadership roles within various NCBA sections and committees.
The data backs up this change, too. While law school applicants with 0-2 years between finishing undergraduate and starting law school are still in the majority, we are seeing more and more second or third-career law school applicants. Data from the Law School Admissions Council indicates that over the past five years, about 30 percent of applicants to ABA accredited law schools were between ages 25 and 29 and nearly 20 percent were over age 30. Looking locally at North Carolina Central University’s School of Law incoming class profile for the 2019/2020 1L class bears this change out. The average age of the incoming day program class at NCCU Law in 2019 was 25. The average age of the incoming night program class at NCCU Law in the same year was 34.
Recent LSAC data also indicates that female attorneys and attorneys of color are more likely than other cohorts to start law school at a later point in their lives. This disparate impact on historically excluded new and young lawyers is appropriately addressed by extending the time these individuals have to benefit from the resources provided by the YLD and become leaders in our organization.
Closing Thoughts
The YLD has long been a champion for diversity and inclusion. We seek to provide resources and relevant programming to new lawyers of all types –whether they be attorneys of color, members of the LGBTQ community, young parents, recent college graduates, or those embarking on a second career. We look for ways to bring attorneys with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and interests together under one roof. We have done these things for many years and will continue to do them regardless of whether they are explicit in our Bylaws.
As attorneys, however, we recognize that words have meaning. We are excited that our mission statement and our Bylaws will soon, with the required NCBA and/or NCBA Board of Governors approval, reflect our commitment to providing all-new lawyers with an equal opportunity to participate in YLD activities, take advantage of YLD resources, and grow within the YLD and NCBA as a whole.
If you would like to learn more about the YLD or better yet, get involved, visit our Communities page.
Will Quick is 2021-22 chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
Collins Saint is the founding chair of the NCBA’s new Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee.