The John Marshall Law School in Chicago announced on Wednesday that the school has hired Troy Riddle as its new director of Diversity and Outreach. Riddle was the Multicultural Affairs Officer at Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, before joining his new post.
According to the law school’s press release, the new Director of Diversity and Outreach will be responsible for increasing awareness about diversity and inclusion among law students. He will also be working with the community at John Marshall to understand the debacles faced by historically underrepresented and non-traditional students.
Since its beginning in 1899, John Marshall has been committed to the cause of diversity. The school of law graduated its first woman in 1903, its first African-American in 1904 and its first Hispanic graduate in 1912, long before many other schools began to open up.
Speaking on his appointment, Riddle said, “Because John Marshall has such an amazing reputation, I think this is a great opportunity to build upon that and do some really big things.”
Speaking on the job position, he said it was “very similar to my previous one … However, I see this as a greater challenge because John Marshall has a larger number of students, particularly diverse students.”
John Marshall Dean John E. Corkery said the school was excited to hire Troy and have him join the Student Affairs team. He said, “John Marshall believes that, for lawyers to truly benefit society, the legal profession must embody a community that celebrates its own multiplicity …”
As for Riddle, he was thrilled in coming to Chicago and working here. He said, “Chicago is one of those meccas that pulls all types of people together, which is really what is exciting about this city. There is an opportunity to do my job on a grander scale.”