Notes To My (Legal) Self Season 12, Episode 6: DEI Begins with Curiosity (with Niti Nadarajah, co-hosted with Memme Onwudiwe)
The path to truly inclusive legal teams starts with one powerful trait: curiosity. In this episode, Niti Nadarajah—a former in-house lawyer turned leadership coach and DEI advocate—joins Olga Mack and co-host Memme Onwudiwe to unpack what it takes to build equity and belonging in the legal profession.
With honesty and nuance, Niti challenges traditional hiring practices, exposes the hidden biases professionals of color face, and shares practical ways leaders can foster inclusion by asking better questions and listening more deeply.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
Why traditional “big law” pipelines fall short in building diverse teams
How listening—really listening—can uncover blind spots and biases
How healthy conflict can be a catalyst for innovation and better legal outcomes
How visual and verbal cues reveal hidden assumptions about socioeconomic status
Strategies for widening hiring funnels and redefining what it means to be “qualified”
Whether you're building a legal team, mentoring future leaders, or navigating your career from an underrepresented background, this episode offers actionable insight for those serious about equity in law.