Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Calls for Action After Delaware Bench Report Confirms Ongoing Systemic Failure of Diversity in State Courts and Law Firms

The report cited issues CPBD has highlighted for years, including: inadequate pipeline of diverse legal talent; Bar exam disparities; underrepresentation in law firms; and limited career advancement opportunities in judiciary for people of color

WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following the publication of a new report –“Improving Diversity in the Delaware Bench and Bar” – by the Supreme Court’s recently-established Delaware Bench and Bar Diversity Project, Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Campaign Manager Chris Coffey released the following statement:

“This report reiterates what we’ve emphasized for years with national leaders and Delawareans: Delaware’s overwhelmingly white legal talent pipeline, elite law firms, and courts exclude people of color and it’s time to create real, tangible solutions to fix it.

“Now there are no more excuses. The report is complete. Now, we need action. We need state leaders like Governor Carney and the legislature to actually increase diversity in the state’s courts now and build the foundation for sustainably inclusive representation in the future.

“Governor Carney has the opportunity right now to follow President Biden’s lead and appoint a Black justice to the all-white Chancery Court, which civil rights leaders Reverend Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, and Pastor Blaine Hackett have each urged. We also need the state legislature to take action and pass legislation that incentivizes diversity in Delaware’s private legal industry and use taxpayer dollars for firms that are intentionally diverse. Consistently, we’ve seen state courts hire overwhelmingly white firms like Skadden Arps that cynically weaponize social justice language to whitewash their reputations, a practice that needs to end. Moreover, we need action to mandate diversity in Delaware’s courts, which do not now represent the populations they serve.

“Instead of more hand-wringing and reports, we need the courage and immediate action from Delaware’s leaders so that the ‘First State’ is not the last state when it comes to diversity and inclusion in its courts and legal industry.”

Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware is a group made up of more than 5,000 members including employees of the global translation services company TransPerfect, as well as concerned Delaware residents, business executives and others. They formed in April of 2016 to focus on raising awareness with Delaware residents, elected officials, and other stakeholders about the unprecedented, forced sale of TransPerfect. While their primary goal of saving the company has been accomplished, they continue their efforts to fight for more transparency in the Delaware Chancery Court. For more information on Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware or to join the cause, visit DelawareForBusiness.org.