What is the difference between diversity and inclusiveness?
Inclusiveness efforts fundamentally value diversity whereas diversity efforts fundamentally value numbers. Past diversity efforts have largely focused upon compositional diversity without reference to the reasons why recruitment and retention efforts struggle. Inclusive legal organizations have diverse individuals involved at all levels; the organization values the perspectives and contributions of all people and strives to incorporate the needs and viewpoints of diverse communities into the culture of the organization. Diversity refers to “the numbers” and to initiatives that are intended to increase the numbers. But as long as the underlying culture of an organization is not inclusive, diversity efforts will fail to achieve any measure of success. Inclusive excellence involves the transformation of organizational cultures and environments. Inclusiveness and the creation of an inclusive culture require the participation of everyone in the organization. Just as historically underrepres
