Training a Diverse Student Body for a Multicultural Society

Abstract

With the admission of greater numbers of women and minorities in recent decades, student populations at many law schools have edged closer to reflecting the diversity of the general population.' Even more recently, gay and lesbian students and faculty have found a sufficiently tolerant atmosphere at some schools to come "out, loud and proud," 2 revealing a new awareness and outspokenness if not greater numbers. The legal profession and legal education, once nearly exclusively the province of white males, has not remained unaffected by these changes. Diversifying the student body has done more than create academic and professional opportunities for formerly excluded segments of our population. It has also introduced new challenges in teaching students with profoundly different experiences. Finally, the increased diversity of law school student and faculty populations has provided new opportunities for law professors to explore issues from a variety of perspectives in order to prepare all students for the demands of using the law to address the needs and problems of a multicultural society. This essay explores the benefits of raising issues in culturally diverse contexts in the law school classroom and examines techniques for doing so effectively. It also offers advice for managing difficulties which can