The Pursuit of Justice: Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month

Jewish Americans were among the first minority groups in the legal profession. They encountered prejudice, discrimination, and injustice not unlike that which later minority groups would experience. Their response, however, was to become vocal and visible allies for those later minority groups and to frequently be in the vanguard of DEI efforts.

In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, IILP is proud to host an inaugural session exploring the historical role of the Jewish community in the fight for civil rights and lawyering in America, and today’s rising antisemitism. While some may be familiar with this information, for many it is forgotten or unknown - seemingly a thing of the past. Yet as we strive to be inclusive of people of different lived experiences in our workplaces through DEI initiatives, knowing this history and current data is critical to these efforts. In fact, through these learnings, our DEI initiatives can become more inclusive of Jewish people and others of many backgrounds. Join us for a dynamic and informative conversation featuring esteemed panelists Eli Wald and Eric K Ward and moderated by IILP Advisory Board Member Leslie Funk.

• Eli Wald, Charles W. Delaney Jr., Professor of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
• Eric K Ward, Executive Vice President, Race Forward
• Leslie Funk, Community Manager Faith-Based Employee Resource Groups, Google