RACE, GENDER, AND CLASS AT A CROSSROADS: A SURVEY OF THEIR INTERSECTION IN EMPLOYMENT, ECONOMICS, AND THE LAW

 
Pressure creates diamonds from the rough. Once polished, the diamond shines brightly. The diamond commands admiration and appreciation. The brilliance was always there, but it required force from an underlying source to set it in motion. Once treated, the clarity of the diamond is enhanced. At the hands of an expert, the diamond is given style and dimension. The depth and degree of value is assessed and appraised according to a number of factors, including color. The impact that color has on the worth of the diamond is one of several indicators of its market value. The color is important, but it is balanced and developed by an array of qualities which cohesively offset any perceived weaknesses. This is the story of the diamond. This article chronicles the making of "black diamonds." ¹

The law school dean sits at the helm of the law school as a spokesperson for the institution. The dean is a crown jewel in higher education, and commands great deference and respect from university and community leaders. The deanship is a prestigious position, and constitutes the epitome of success in the legal academy. This highly ranked executive is instrumental in shaping the direction of the university and academic community.

The process of becoming a law school dean is tenuous, if not arduous. ² The candidate for dean must typically be a law professor with stellar credentials from a handful of select, tier-one law schools, most commonly Yale or Harvard. ³   Additional underlying qualifications often include serving as editor of a law review and as a federal appellate judicial clerk. ⁴ Obtaining the role of dean is a feat laced with many obstacles. These obstacles are even higher for African Americans, ⁵ who are afforded fewer opportunities to be groomed for administrative positions, which may lead to a dean position. ⁶

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