The DEI Podcast with Max Gaston Season 2 Episodes 2: Perspectives of Black Men in Law School Part 1

Black men make up less than 5% of lawyers in the United States. Though drastically underrepresented in the legal profession, Black men are overrepresented in the number of incarcerated people in the US, where one out of every three Black boys born today can expect to go to prison in his lifetime. It’s rare that we get a chance to hear the perspectives of Black men in the legal profession and understand their experiences.

 

In this interview, Max sits down with three Black men who are law students at Notre Dame to discuss their perspectives and experiences in life and law. This episode is part one of a two-part interview.

Topics covered with timestamps:

4:00 – The experience of being a Black man in law school, knowing you’re in the minority.

11:27 – Responding to low expectations some people have for Black men and the surprise they may exhibit when they see successful Black men violating their stereotypes of Black men.

19:11 – Experiences of having to always be “the first” as a Black professional to achieve certain measures of success, given opportunities that have historically been closed off to Black people.

29:11 – Cultivating your brand identity as a Black man and a professional in the legal space.

Find all episodes of the DEI Podcast at rss.com/podcasts/deipod/ and wherever you find podcasts.