By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Attorneys for several prominent companies spoke to a capacity crowd during an Oct. 8 luncheon at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Seattle, as they discussed the current challenges of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in corporate America. It was part of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)’s annual conference in Seattle this year with meetings discussing the latest topics affecting the legal profession and Asian Americans.
A key plenary session of the three-day conference was a discussion from chief legal officers of Bath & Body Works, American Airlines, Nordstrom, Amazon, Intel Corporation, and McKesson Corporation. Among the issues discussed, it tackled the issue of DEI in corporate America. In simple terms, DEI encompasses different policies and practices to make workplaces more equitable, which includes hiring diverse candidates and preventing discrimination in the workplace. DEI policies started as measures to protect marginalized workers from discrimination and strengthen positions in the workplace through programs such as mentorships, de-bias and de-escalating training.
Photo by Jason Cruz
A 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional has been used to attack preferences in the corporate world. Notably, several companies including Boeing, John Deere, Harley Davidson, Lowe’s, and Tractor Supply have taken a step back on DEI programs within its organization. The threat of lawsuits based upon the Supreme Court decision is a flashpoint for companies that recognize the value of diversity programs while concerned with protests or litigation.
“At American [Airlines], we are focused on our DEI initiatives around expanding jobs in our industry,” stated Chief Legal Officer Priya Aiyar. She noted that there are areas of the industry that are not diverse such as airline pilots. Due, in part, to a mandatory retirement age of 65, there is a shortage of talent for airline pilots. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 90% of all aircraft pilots are white males. Aiyar talked about how American Airlines is encouraging young people to pursue being a commercial airline pilot. The industry has created academies and financial institutions for pilot schools.
“It’s really making sure you are prioritizing work on the ground,” said David Zapolsky, Amazon’s general counsel and senior vice president of Global Public Policy. “Diversity is about representation.” He indicated that the company tries to be as creative as possible to bring out the widest possible net in terms of recruiting. He added, “There are one million employees in all kinds of jobs. The workforce represents different world views.”
“Be mindful of both sides of the issue and make [work] a safe place,” stated April Miller Boise, chief legal officer for Intel. The company actively examines barriers to entry in the intelligence community for underrepresented groups in the workplace. Its initiatives to seek out qualified candidates are actively recruiting women to posts within the company.
“I think companies can navigate this [DEI] if they can tie it back to their business strategy,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Mckesson Michele Lau. “We must serve our customers and the only way to do that is to look like our customers,” explained Nordstrom’s Chief Legal Officer Ann Munson Steines. One of Nordstrom’s benchmarks is to increase representation of Black and Hispanic and Latinx populations in people-manager roles by the end of 2025. It also aims to leverage its internship program and other initiatives, hiring qualified candidates with 50% of those coming from underrepresented populations.
The annual convention provides lawyers from across the globe the opportunity to connect with the NAPABA community through participation in various programs, meetings, receptions, and initiatives. It was the biggest NAPABA annual convention in its 36 years with 3,400 attorneys, judges, law professors, law students, and others attending.
Jason can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.