Pitching Pittsburg to Black Law Students
Today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has this story about an upcoming event sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Black Law Students Association. Local firms are using the event to convince black law students that they should consider starting their career in Pittsburg.
The article quotes Carl Cooper, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart’s chief diversity officer: “Pittsburgh will give you opportunities and you’ll rise faster here because you’re not in stiff competition with kids from Harvard and Columbia who go to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and the other prime cities most African-Americans go to.”
The article also quotes James Barnes, managing partner of Reed Smith’s Pittsburg office: “There certainly are difficulties being a minority professional in this market,” he said. “The most significant is the lack of others to look to as mentors and role models. That creates obstacles both professionally and socially. But overall Pittsburgh has been a great place to raise a family and is receptive and positive.”