Every month, we give the Amicus Mundi Award to an outstanding lawyer in our community who has donated their time and expertise to a cause they believe in.
We’re changing things up a little bit this month, and giving the award to two lawyers who’ve been friends for 20 years and teamed up to help increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government:
The Big Picture: Friends for more than 20 years, lawyers Susan and Stephanie helped engage lawmakers and policy experts to pass a federal law expanding the availability of the Plum Book, a key document for ensuring inclusive hiring practices across high-level positions in the federal government.
Though a relatively unknown document, advocates say that reforming the Plum Book, which lists more than 9,000 appointed leadership positions in the federal government, could be key to expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the federal government.
Increasing accountability and transparency: In the past the Plum Book was only published every four years — at the end of presidential administration — but under the PLUM Act, it will now be published every year.
“It’s impossible to hold any administration accountable when we only get this information once the administration is over,” says Mark Hanis, cofounder of Inclusive America, who sponsored the project. “If we want more equitable policies from our government, we need to have more diversity at the table where decisions are made.”
A chance to reconnect: A lawyer living in North Carolina, Susan says she often struggled to find engaging pro bono opportunities. But after finding Inclusive America’s project posting on We The Action, she saw an opportunity to work alongside her friend Stephanie.
“I like to use my skill set where I can contribute most,” Susan says. “So I volunteered on this project for myself originally, but then I realized it was also a good fit for Stephanie.”
Stephanie says she had no legislative pro bono experience, but jumped at the chance to break down barriers between underrepresented communities and leadership positions.
“You can’t dream about a job if you don’t even know it exists,” Stephanie says. “This was such a basic, simple fix that allows for greater public access to positions of power. It seemed like a big deal to me.”
A government that looks like our people: Inclusive America says their goal is to “make our government look like our people” by using data analysis, cultivation of qualified candidates from underrepresented communities, and urging governments and candidates for office to make structural changes to hiring practices.
Since 2021, Susan and Stephanie donated more than 100 hours to Inclusive America. Their volunteer work included conducting legal research, talking with Congressional staff, drafting language suggestions, engaging with partner organizations, and advising on strategy — all of which ended with President Biden signing the PLUM Act into law in January.
You can get involved too: These two lawyers highlight two different, equally impactful approaches to pro bono work: Susan volunteered on a project in an area where she already had experience and felt she could make a difference, while Stephanie jumped into a new subject area because she wanted the experience.
“I like to open more doors for myself and others than I close,” Stephanie says. “So I didn’t have any legislative experience, but when Susan called about this project I decided to say yes!”
Susan agrees, and encourages lawyers to use pro bono volunteering as a way to branch out from your day-to-day experience.
Do you have a friend you want to volunteer with this year? Forward this story to them and browse our 100+ projects together. As Susan says, “get out there and try something that looks interesting!”