Lawyer wants to create more visibility for Black legal professionals
By Tia Carol Jones
Rana Coleman has been passionate about the law since she was 12 years old. She always knew she would end up in this field. She has been working in the legal field for 15 years.
Throughout her years in the legal field, Coleman noticed there weren’t a lot of Black people in positions at law firms. She realized it wasn’t because Black people lacked the expertise or skills to obtain jobs at law firms, it was because they weren’t being chosen.
She got tired of going to major law firms and major corporations and being the only Black person in any capacity, or if there were Black people, there were only one or two. It got overwhelmingly exhausting, and she wanted to do something about it.
With her law firm and staffing at RSColeman & Associates Staffing LLC, she wants to ensure Black people have access to opportunities in the legal field. She has created a directory for Black lawyers, law students, law clerks and anyone else in the legal field.
Coleman believes the lack of diversity in the law field can affect the legal system, not just now, but for years to come. “If we’re not being chosen for positions, we’re not elevated to higher positions, then that means we can’t become judges,” she said. “If Black kids are growing up not seeing themselves in these positions, they won’t aspire to be these things. I believe it has a domino effect.”
The RSColeman & Associates Staffing is the first part of Coleman’s vision of her legal business and staffing business. She wanted to start the staffing division first because of the lack of visibility of Black people in the legal profession. The platform will launch on Tuesday, Feb. 22nd. Coleman hopes the directory will drive change in the legal profession and in the law.
“I’m hoping this will catapult us being seen in these positions. I’m hoping that it will become a norm for us to be hired,” she said. “My hope is that this is a driving force of changing how the legal sector looks and ultimately changes how laws are created in this country and how juries come to certain verdicts in this country.
Coleman can’t believe that in 2022, there are still places that are saying they can’t find diverse candidates. Or, that African Americans make up 5% of the attorneys in the United States, and out of that 2% are women. Not only does Coleman want Black attorneys to be seen and heard but she also wants them to be paid adequately for their skills, expertise and degrees they have.
Other parts of the R.S. Coleman & Associates include a non-profit sector to help with legal issues that affect the Black community, first, from day-to-day. The other part will be a practice division that will have in-house and a network of attorneys to handle issues. She is looking to get the other divisions up and running within the next two to three years.
“There are a number of diverse attorneys that practice within the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. There is no reason why anyone should walk into any major corporation or major law firm and not see themselves. Every major law firm and every major corporation that has a legal department needs to represent what America really looks like,” she said.
For more information, visit www.rscstaffing.com.
