At Chartwell Law, we value the experiences and viewpoints of all of our attorneys and staff. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion foster both innovation and a better understanding of ourselves and our clients.
As we continue our celebration of Black History Month, this week we feature Attorney Tiffany Fendley of our White Plains, NY office. Tiffany shares her views on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in her personal and professional life and discusses her views on Black History Month.
Is there a specific experience or Black figure you were influenced by during your childhood?
I have always been a reader, and one of the many black authors I have truly enjoyed reading since childhood is Toni Morrison. I love her unabashed and unapologetic way of explaining the black experience, and even though she did not consider herself a feminist writer, I enjoy that her main characters are often black females who expose the reader to the black female perspective throughout history.
How do you view the importance of diversity and inclusion in today’s workplace?
I believe that diversity and inclusion are necessary parts of any workplace because the advantages of having individuals with many viewpoints and life experiences can only be a benefit to any work environment.
What diversity and inclusion changes would you like to see in the future of the legal industry?
This is a complex question, in that it addresses a broader issue – the need to educate, inform, and guide the minority community in fields that lack diversity. As it pertains to the legal industry, minorities need to be informed about the legal field, about how they can pursue jobs within the legal field, and about scholarships and financial aid to help them do so. Personally, I did not come from a family of lawyers. Both of my parents are immigrants, and I am a first generation American. Luckily, we had a family friend who was a mentor to me as I pursued my legal career, and without him I would have felt lost. So, I think that not only information, but also guidance for minority communities is necessary if the legal industry wants to become more diverse.
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