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14 Ind. J.L. & Soc. Equal. 1 (2026)

handle is hein.journals/injlaseq14 and id is 1 raw text is: 1 Making Room for Cultural Humility in an Anti-DEI Space Shelley Ward Bennett* This Article analyzes the intersection of state anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) laws and the American Bar Association (ABA) Standard 303(c)'s cross-cultural competency education mandate and offers suggestions for how these policies can coexist. The surge in anti-DEI laws issued in twenty states over the last four years has created challenges and uncertainty for public law schools and their professors seeking to include cultural competency instruction in their curriculum. Though some have expressed concerns that the requirements of state anti-DEI laws and Standard 303(c) may conflict, this Article proposes that such a conflict should not be presumed because Standard 303(c) serves objectives that are not contrary to anti- DEI laws. This Article is unique in that it comprehensively discusses the variations in policies and summarizes each anti-DEI statute, executive order, and budget bill governing institutions of higher education that has been implemented to date. The Article dissects ABA Standard 303(c)'s requirements and offers suggestions for how law schools in anti-DEI states can comply with this ABA directive without contravening state law. Cultural competency-which the Article suggests might be better characterized as cultural humility-is a critical lawyering skill. It is not a derivative of the much- maligned concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion that has inspired a growing number of anti-DEI laws. It is a professional skill curated by a law school curriculum that emphasizes civility, communication, and an appreciation of cultural complexities, and prepares students to practice law in a multicultural society. And it is not optional. An understanding of cultural competency is not only an ABA accreditation requirement; it is a component of the NextGen Bar Exam and a professional necessity. * Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Legal Writing at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. B.A., Trinity University, 1995; J.D. University of Houston Law Center, 1998. I would like to thank my husband, Michael B. Bennett, for his valuable comments on early drafts. I am also grateful to the members of The Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality for their diligent work to improve this Article.