The John Marshall Law School is proud to again be recognized as one of the most diverse law schools in the country.
In this year’s diversity survey, preLaw magazine rated John Marshall the top law school in Illinois for diversity based on its faculty and student body.
“We are honored that preLaw magazine recognizes the value and significance of diverse law schools and are proud that our longstanding mission of providing access and opportunity to the law is seen as important, said Troy Riddle, John Marshall’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer.
Diversity is a cornerstone of John Marshall’s mission of access and opportunity to the law. This fall the law school welcomed its most diverse first-year class. More than 60 percent of the class is comprised of women and nearly half are minority. The law school’s entering spring class is similarly diverse. More than half of the students are women and 54 percent identify as minorities.
To continue to support its diverse student body, John Marshall appointed Associate Professor Arthur Acevedo as its Director of Diversity & Inclusion for Faculty. Acevedo and Riddle are working to fulfill the student body’s needs through diversity training, educational programs and academic support. John Marshall is the only law school with both a dedicated chief diversity officer and a faculty diversity officer.
John Marshall also is the only law school to be recognized by the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. The law school was inducted into the Hall of Fame last November as a “Friend of the Community” in recognition of its advocacy and scholarship in LGBT rights in Illinois and for its work promoting equal rights under the law and diversity.
Since its founding in 1899, John Marshall has been a pioneer in opening its doors and admitting minorities, women and immigrants. The law school graduated its first female student, Jessie Cook, in 1903; its first African-American student, James Randle, in 1904; and its first Hispanic student, William E. Rodriguez, in 1912.
John Marshall’s community is made up of more than 50 student organizations that represent the diverse interests and pursuits of the student body. These organizations include the Women’s Law Caucus, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, Latino Law Students Association, South Asian Law Students Association and Middle Eastern Law Students Association. Student leaders from many of these organizations comprise the Multicultural Leadership Council, which works to ensure that John Marshall remains at the forefront of diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the Academic Enhancement Program, developed by the Latino Law Students Association and run by the Office of Diversity Affairs, offers students a forum for course review through weekly assessments and practice exams.
