Law Firm Opens New Division To Support African American Legal Professionals

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, U.S./Canada Sunday, June 26th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – RSColeman & Associates, LLC, an emerging full-service law firm and nonprofit organization has launched a new division to help close the diversity gap and showcase African American talent in the legal industry.

The firm is fully equipped to provide legal services in every major area of law to underserved populations within the African American and other ethnic minority communities.

Along with facilitating opportunities for African Americans and other minority groups within the legal profession, RSColeman & Associates Staffing aims to provide firms and corporations the opportunity to make a positive impact on diversity and inclusion. The Chicago-based firm’s staffing division will be available nationwide partnering with law firms and corporations with a commitment to hiring a diverse workforce, enabling the company to offer internships and other legal positions to minorities.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RSColeman & Associates, Rana Coleman said diversity and inclusion shouldn’t be a trendy set of words, adding that it needs to be put into action.

Ultimately what I hope is that years from now, we will have helped change the way the legal sector looks in every aspect”, she said.

The legal industry in the United States has witnessed tremendous growth over the years, with several practices and other stakeholders emerging to deliver the best possible solutions to clients.

Unfortunately, African Americans as well as other minorities have not been duly represented in the industry, which is where RSColeman & Associates, LLC is looking to make a difference with the inauguration of the new division

The founder is staying true to her goal of opening doors for African Americans and other ethnic minorities in the legal industry with the launch of the company’s new staffing unit.

Notably, the move by her company will undoubtedly chart a new course in the legal field in the United States.
Coleman, who is originally from Flint, Michigan, said currently 3 percent of attorneys are black women many choosing to walk away from the field because of lack of opportunity.

“According to Bloomberg, African Americans only make up a total of 10.6 percent of the entire legal profession. My initial thought process when I first started this company was to open the door for African Americans with getting into legal positions whether it’s being an attorney, being a legal secretary, a paralegal, a legal assistant, or someone coming fresh out of law school or out of undergrad.

“I want to open the door so that we’re more represented because unfortunately, in my experience from the different positions that I’ve held, I don’t see us there. It’s not like we don’t have the credentials, the knowledge, and the passion for the field, we do, but we’re not being represented.

“At one of the major law firms, I had the opportunity to work for I noticed that there were only three African Americans working there out of a staff of about 40 people myself included. Seeing that really pushed me to get my company off the ground, because I could no longer ignore the need to find a way to create more employment opportunities for African Americans in the legal sector”, she said.

The CEO received her bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy. For the past 15 years, she has held various positions in the legal field in many different areas of practice but no matter where she worked, there was always a lack of diversity.