Perhaps you’ve heard the term cultural competence, or the ability to effectively interact and communicate with people of different backgrounds, abilities and identities. In our increasingly global society, cultural competence is a valuable trait in sectors as varied as education, commerce, healthcare and, of course, the law.
But what does a culturally competent lawyer look like? And how do you cultivate these skills in your practice? These were just some of the questions discussed recently when the New Jersey State Bar Association, along with many of the state’s affinity bar associations, gathered seasoned legal professionals for “Becoming a Culturally Competent Lawyer in a Global Society.” Attendees came away with practical advice for becoming more effective advocates and colleagues, and responding professionally, respectfully and ethically to the needs of clients and fellow attorneys.
Below are some of our panelist's takeaways from the seminar. You can also find materials from the session, including panelist bios, relevant cases, articles and an interfaith calendar here.
“Acknowledge and respect the humanity in everyone.”
Cedric Ashley, NJSBA Diversity Committee
“It is essential for lawyers to understand that knowledge of other cultures is almost as important as knowledge of the law. A culturally competent person makes a better lawyer and doctor.”
Ma’isha L. Aziz, New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association
“You can build an entire new area of your practice by attracting a different client base if you have cultural competency. Use the resources you have in your diverse colleagues and those who have cultural competency in the areas you want to move into, and educate yourself into a new phase of your career.”
Supti Bhattacharya, NJSBA Diversity Committee
“1) We should not make assumptions about people’s religious practices based on their appearance and what we have seen or read. 2) It is important to accommodate other's religious practices particularly when it comes to scheduling around Sabbath and the holidays.”
Chaim B. Book, Association of Jewish Attorneys
“Know as much of the complete story of American and world history as possible, not just the middle or end of the story, or just mainstream history—after all, history serves as our precedent.Do not rely on the media. It is not necessarily the Press. Don't rely on Google. Use the Public Library and do your own research. The Public Library is not seeking to profile you.”
Linda McDonald Carter, Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey
“As institutions that are tasked with preparing students to enter the legal profession, law schools play a pivotal role in ensuring that students are well-prepared to work well with attorneys and clients of different races, genders, sexual orientations, religions and disability statuses. Through the Minority Student Program and other diversity and inclusion initiatives, Rutgers Law School equips our students for success in the legal profession by not only providing them with a campus environment that is diverse and inclusive, but also providing them with opportunities to engage in discussion and activities focused on advancing cultural competence, equity, justice and community-building."
Rhasheda S. Douglas, Rutgers Law School
“Seton Hall Law recognizes that cultural competency is a critical skill for attorneys and that law schools have a duty to train students to adapt and work in an increasingly diverse society. To this end, Seton Hall Law trains all incoming first year students on implicit bias, sponsors numerous cultural events and workshops, and holds monthly community conversations on topics and issues designed to help students gain cultural competency. In addition, the first year lawyering class, a full year program, has adopted cultural competency as one of its themes. Students are advised as follows, “As a lawyer you will work with client, colleagues, opposing counsel and others who come from different backgrounds or have different life experiences from you, Throughout the course we will discuss how to communicate and collaborate across those differences without making assumptions about other people’s experiences, values and priorities.”
Deborah R. Edwards, Seton Hall University School of Law
“If you feel the need to ask a question, hold it in your head first and ask yourself whether you need the information to represent the client. If so, ask whether you can find the general answer via the internet or a neutral friend (like me). If so, ask a third party rather than asking your client first.”
Celeste Fiore, NJSBA LGBT Rights Section
“Running your firm in a culturally competent manner will mean being open to discussions about what the firm is doing now and what could be done better. Be open to change if it is suggested by your clients, staff and attorneys. Encourage your employees and firm leaders to learn more about their coworkers’ and clients’ diverse backgrounds.”
Sharmila D. Jaipersaud, South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey and New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
“1)When requesting language interpreters, be specific about not just what language, but what region the foreign speaker is from, to insure proper dialect is used by the interpreter. 2) Formality in language communications with legal professionals, colleagues, employees and clients is always the best practice. Do not generalize or use controversial, offensive and insensitive language when speaking with legal professionals. 3) When in doubt, ask questions and if you appear to offend someone, apologize.”
Mariel Mercado-Guevara, NJSBA Minorities in the Profession Section
“Our profession demands we ask questions and explain why we are asking; our humanity invites us to listen to the answers with compassion.” Karol Yorlany Ruiz, Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey