DEI, WAMs, and Legal Power Plays

Episode 28: DEI, WAMs, and Legal Power Plays |

Karen Koehler shares the 2008 letter that shook up the American Association for Justice (AAJ), calling out its failure to address diversity in any meaningful way. The fallout was instant. She lost friends, made enemies, and set off a chain reaction that eventually pushed the organization to adopt a formal diversity plan.

Joined by Mo Hamoudi and Mike Todd, the trio breaks down what it takes to call out power from within. Karen confronts the reality of being a woman in a white male-dominated legal association, while Mo shares his own story of challenging performative DEI during his time at the Federal Public Defender. Mike weighs in on the backroom politics of change and how real reform often depends on who is even allowed to write a letter (and have it taken seriously) in the first place.

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Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

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