"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." This song came to mind as I wrote this note. I enjoy the holiday season and the joy that it brings. Whether you recently celebrated Diwali, Thanksgiving or Dia De Muertos, or are anticipating celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, Las Posadas or any other cultural holiday, the holiday season is upon us. While the holiday season does bring joy and happiness for many, unfortunately this is not a universally shared experience. It is easy to focus on our own lives so much that we are blinded to the reality of sadness, scarcity and loneliness that others know all too well during the holiday season. It is so important to shed light on what we can do to be better advocates for underserved and underrepresented populations year-round, but especially during the holidays, when it can be even more taxing on individuals to put aside their own struggles and partake in the joy the holiday season can truly bring.
I encourage every reader to think of ways you can better serve others this holiday season. Let's be intentional about spreading a little joy, no matter where we are, where we go or what we do. In this edition of Diversity Matters, we identify ways we can become better givers (and doers) during the holiday season, we discuss how communication is key to finding common ground with others and we explain how we can use travel as a tool to become better allies. We discuss how assuming someone has a disability and trying to be helpful by reacting before that individual has requested an accommodation can be problematic. We also provide perspective on how every lawyer can take control of their career by addressing topics law school might not have covered. Further, we discuss a lawyer's perspective on facing implicit bias in our profession and an employee's perspective on how to be a better ally to members of the LGBTQ community during the holiday season. This edition is packed with great advice and some holiday cheer. We hope that you find the content useful in identifying ways to become better allies.