Kimberly McKelvey, Kutak Rock’s Director of Inclusiveness and Diversity, is a featured speaker at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession’s (IILP) Seattle Symposium on August 23. Her presentation is based on an article co-written with Kutak Rock partner Ed Marquette and Patricia Kinaga, principal at Kinaga Law Firm. Titled “Sweet Harmony: Substantive Diversity, Disability Rights, Millennials, and the Shape of Tomorrow’s Inclusiveness,” the article will be published in the IILP’s Review, out in August.

Ms. McKelvey’s session will demonstrate the challenges of diversity and inclusiveness programming and initiatives in a world increasingly influenced by millennials’ unique view of diversity. It will also cover how that unique view will play a large role in shifting diversity programming away from the traditional Civil Rights-based model that now characterizes diversity and inclusiveness efforts within law firms and their clients’ human resources departments.

“As co-authors, we set out to examine how a shifting perspective on diversity might affect inclusiveness and diversity efforts in law firms and legal departments,” said Ms. McKelvey. “Our research suggests the industry is moving away from the Civil Rights model focused on representation and, instead, finds its inspiration in the Disability Rights model which focuses on access and substantive participation.”

The authors’ findings will serve as the basis for a diversity and inclusiveness training session at Kutak Rock in September, which will focus on Model Rules of Professional Conduct, approaches to diversity in the legal community, and ethical requirements. Ms. McKelvey and Mr. Marquette will also present their research at the Nebraska Legal Diversity Summit on September 6.