The legal profession has a representation problem.
In 2020, 86 percent of all lawyers were non-Hispanic whites, a far overrepresentation of a demographic that comprises only 60 percent of the US population. In fact, almost all people of color are underrepresented in the legal profession, particularly Asian, Black, and Hispanic Americans.
But Kogod alum Kendra Abercrombie (MBA ’18) is changing that from the top down—namely, from the Illinois Supreme Court.
As the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) manager on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism, Abercrombie spends her days developing and delivering DEI legal education, managing the commission’s involvement in the Jumpstart program for historically underrepresented law students, and expanding initiatives for the commission’s mentoring program. “The goal for the legal field is to represent society as a whole, and to do that best, we need to look like our society and be able to serve different clients from diverse backgrounds and perspectives,” says Abercrombie. “I’m developing new strategic partnerships that address DEI challenges in the legal profession using metrics to tangibly track the effectiveness of our DEI programming.”
When Abercrombie decided to pursue an MBA, it was to further her already well-established career in legal education—not to become a leader in the field of DEI. She had a JD from Arizona Summit Law School and worked as the assistant director of admissions at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. “My main goal was to understand how to manage the finances of large institutions,” says Abercrombie.
However, a surprising case study in one of her MBA classes helped change her entire career trajectory.
“The first course that helped switch my thought process was international marketing,” says Abercrombie. “Domino’s Pizza was one of our case studies. Who would’ve thought that they would be thought leaders on diversity and inclusion?”
The pizza chain’s approach to international business not only made practical sense—it exposed Abercrombie to how stereotypes, preconceived notions, and assumptions limit an organization’s potential. “Their international marketing plan specifically studies religions, cultures, and ethnicities to find ways to expand their brand to new markets,” explains Abercrombie. “This focus helps Domino’s Pizza to overcome biases."