Mission

While communities of color are often disproportionately affected by corporations' wrongful conduct, there has been a lack of diversity in the appointment of lead and executive roles in mass tort and complex litigation actions. Historically, very few attorneys of color have been appointed to lead the large-scale cases that directly impact the lives and economic stability of millions of people.

Shades of Mass has and is changing that reality through a concerted five-part strategy:

• Mentorship: Shades of Mass pairs attorneys with experienced, diverse attorneys who have been involved in some of the nation's most significant mass, class, and complex cases.
• Advocacy: Shades of Mass champions diverse lawyers before judges, firms, and the nation – highlighting their qualifications and the importance of representation.
• Networking: Shades of Mass serves as a hub for the nation's diverse mass tort leaders to strategize in the development and prosecution of impactful litigation.
• Education: Shades of Mass has and continues to host our annual conference featuring exceptional mass tort practitioners, trial lawyers, and judges, in addition to hosting workshops and webinars throughout the year. SOM has also been published by Westlaw, and authors' scholarly works on substantive and procedural legal matters.
• Collaboration: Shades of Mass works with many segments of our nation – attorneys, academics, government representatives, and others – to address the nation's most significant issues.

After four years and counting, Shades of Mass's efforts have led to significant changes in the legal arena, and we are just getting started.