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In this episode of Justice ReDesigned, Steve Teske moves beyond rhetoric and into architecture.

As political debates swirl around “DEI,” this episode reframes the conversation: inclusion is not about preference or quotas — it is about institutional design. When properly implemented, inclusion is a structured system built on transparent criteria, standardized evaluation, and measurable pathways to advancement.

Teske examines:

* What Title VII actually prohibits — and what it allows

* The difference between identity-based favoritism and bias-resistant systems

* Why inclusion is what organizations do, while diversity is what they get

* How structured hiring and evaluation protect merit rather than distort it

* And why corporations focused on long-term performance quietly maintain inclusion strategies despite political pressure

If merit truly matters, then the systems used to identify talent must be built to see it broadly, not narrowly. Inclusion is not a political slogan — it is governance architecture.

Steven Teske is a retired judge with 22 years’ experience on the juvenile and superior court bench. He served ten years as the chief judge. Before his service as a jurist, he was a trial attorney and partner in the Atlanta law firm of Boswell & Teske LLP. Teske also served as special assistant attorney general representing state employees and prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases.

During his tenure on the bench, Teske testified before Congress on four (4) occasions and numerous state legislatures. He has published several articles on juvenile justice and child welfare issues. He was appointed by three governors to several state boards and commissions including the Commission on Criminal Justice Reform, Council on Child Welfare Reform, Family Violence Commission, Governor’s Office of Children and Families, Children & Youth Coordinating Council, Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council, and the Judicial Advisory Council. Teske served two terms on the Federal Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice.

He is a past president of the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges, Clayton County Bar Association, and National Chair of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. He is a Henry Toll Fellow with the Council of State Governments. He has a Masters in political science and a Juris Doctor.

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