Former JAG Corps captain draws from history and sports for diversity advice
Kenneth Imo spent years playing college football for Southern Methodist University, working his way up in the U.S. Air Force and leading the charge for diversity in two international law firms. Imo mined his experiences for his book, Fix It: How History, Sports, and Education Can Inform Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Today.
In this episode of the Modern Law Library, ABA Publishing’s Ashley Alfirevic speaks with Imo about how firms can develop a more diverse and inclusive workforce; improve the legal profession; and creatively tackle the problems at hand.
Imo shares strategies informed by the past and structured to change the future. Alfirevic and Imo discuss the influences of everyone from trailblazing women like Harriet Tubman and Michelle Obama to baseball notables Branch Rickey and Theo Epstein.
Taking steps to combat discrimination and unconscious bias starts in law schools and law firm recruitment, Imo says, beginning with probing the ways that candidates are assessed. By gauging lawyer and partner hopefuls by their job-related traits and successes, Imo hopes we can develop a more diverse and inclusive workforce that will improve the legal profession and creatively tackle the problems at hand.
Listeners can purchase Fix It through the ABA webstore. Tune in to learn more.
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In This Podcast:
Kenneth Imo
Kenneth Imo is a senior director of diversity and inclusion for Capital One. Prior to joining Capital One in 2017, he led diversity for two international law firms, Morgan Lewis & Bockius and WilmerHale. Before leading diversity at these two firms, Kenneth practiced law at Davis Wright Tremaine. Kenneth started his legal career as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps where he served as a criminal prosecutor and represented the Air Force in labor and employment matters. He earned his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law where he met his wife, Jennifer. Kenneth attended Southern Methodist University on a football scholarship and graduated with a double major in economics and history. Kenneth is a first-generation American who was born and raised in Houston to Nigerian immigrant parents. Kenneth lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife Jennifer, daughters Olivia, Cecilia, and Juliet, and dog Julio Jones.
