Carol Ross-Burnett has over twenty-five years of experience as a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professional, with twelve years in a large, global law firm planning and implementing DEI initiatives. While at the law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, she provided guidance to firm management, the C-suite, the diversity and inclusion committee, eleven U.S, offices, thirteen affinity groups, U.S. attorneys, and staff as they worked together to imbed DEI into all aspects of the firm’s business. This included the recruiting, retention, performance evaluation, professional development, and promotion of diverse attorneys, among other things. During her law firm tenure, Ms. Ross-Burnett helped to position her firm as a prominent DEI leader with top DEI industry rankings. Before holding director-level responsibilities for DEI at Sheppard Mullin, she worked with law students, law faculty, and law school administrators at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in a number of senior student affairs positions that culminated with Assistant Dean of Career Services and Multicultural Affairs.
Ms. Ross-Burnett has written, provided training, and served as a speaker on DEI topics in a variety of settings on local, state and national levels. As CEO and principal of her own DEI consulting practice, CRB Global LLC, she assists clients in developing DEI plans, conducts organizational assessments, analyzes metrics, and advises on DEI leadership and programming. Ms. Ross-Burnett provides expert advice and practical insights to clients within and outside of the legal profession. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a master’s degree from San Francisco State University. Ms. Ross-Burnett is currently pursuing her doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California.
