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Bar Associations
(For information on specific bar association programs click Website Links).

A. Leadership in Diversity

1. Diversity is Highest Priority

Make diversity the Association's highest priority, at every level, including the board, committee chairs and members and general leadership. Dedicate sufficient resources, financial and staff, to primary diversity programs. (See, e.g. The Columbus (Ohio) Bar Association's Commitment to diversity as its top priority for Strategic Plan for 2000-2005, and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Bar Association of San Francisco).

2. Diversify the Bar Association

Develop diversity programs designed to diversify the bar and publicize to membership, minority law students and the general public all job positions at the bar that create opportunities for minorities.
Create Leadership Development Team to identify minorities for bar leadership positions.
Ensure that minorities are well represented in at-large slots on both "senior bar" and young lawyers' boards of directors.
Train and encourage committee and section chairs to identify and bring into leadership positions leaders within their particular sectors. (cf., Columbus OH Bar)
Encourage lawyers of color to become bar members.
Increase the number of, and give high profile to, minority continuing legal education presenters. (cf., Columbus OH Bar).
See outline for Law Firms above for guidance on recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion within the bar association.

3. President, Executive Director and Staff

Devote a substantial amount of the President's and Executive Director's time to diversity.
Personal visits by the President and Executive Director at meetings and events of minority bar associations, minority law students.
Hire an employee for at least one year to work solely on implementing diversity programs or assign a substantial block of an existing staff member's time to diversity.
Provide diversity training to all bar staff.

4. Bar Presidents' Counsel

Establish a Bar Presidents' Council, consisting of presidents of all local bars, including minority bars. Develop joint alliances and co-sponsorships as appropriate. (cf., Bar Association of San Francisco)
Meet monthly with representatives of minority bars for purposes of discussing issues of mutual concern and invite minority bar leaders to participate in board meetings, Bench/Bar Committees (cf., Alameda County, CA, Columbus OH Bar) and other bar activities.
Reserve a slot or slots on board of directors for minority bar "affiliates" (establishing percentage of their members who must be metro bar members) or establishing minority slots on board, on a rotating basis among the minority bars. (cf., Alameda County Bar, American Bar Association, and Los Angeles.)

5. Outreach to Legal Community

Develop strategies for outreach to large and small firms, sole practitioners, corporations and government agencies, including a focused campaign to attract lawyers of color.
Present programs and establish other procedures to inform lawyers of color of opportunities with the bar association for education, public service and leadership. (cf., South Carolina Bar Association)
Bring together representatives of largest firms and law departments to discuss need for integration of the profession to meet clients' needs for lawyers that look like the clients' customer base. (Philadelphia and New York bars have recently held such meetings)
Establish minority dues credit program where members of minority bars are given a "credit" on some part of their metro bar dues.

B. Goals and Timetables

Establish goals and timetables for hiring and/or advancement of lawyers of color and secure adoption of those goals and timetables by local employers of lawyers. Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Bar Association of San Francisco and Los Angeles County Bar Association have taken this approach.
Periodically re-state or re-formulate goals as appropriate. (cf., Association of the Bar of the City of New York)
Regularly monitor progress in attaining goals within the committed timetable. Perform periodic surveys on minority hiring, retention and promotion. (cf., Alameda County Bar, Bar Association of San Francisco, Los Angeles Bar, Association of the City of New York).
Bar President and/or Executive Director meet with managing partners and general counsel to address progress on achieving goals. (cf., Association of the Bar of the City of New York)
Produce videotapes and accompanying "how to" manuals for use by employers in their efforts to hire, retain and promote attorneys of color. (cf., Bar Association of San Francisco's video and materials, "A Firm Commitment".)
Present annual awards to individuals who and organizations that have demonstrated a real commitment to diversity in the profession and the membership of the bar. (cf., Indiana Bar)

C. Diversity Programs

1. Minority Employment Committee

Establish well-funded Minority Employment Committees in main association and young lawyers' division.
Maintain diverse leadership.
Provide visibility within and outside the association, working closely with minority bars and other interested groups. (cf., South Carolina Bar Association's Standing Committee on Diversity and Inclusiveness).

2. Minority Counsel Programs

Establish a local or state minority counsels program, whereby corporations, minority-owned and majority firms join together in a structured effort to provide real opportunities for minority attorneys. Programs also focus on assisting minority lawyers and law students advance in their careers, client marketing, and judicial appointments.
Develop and host programs that focus on problems that may affect all lawyers, but affect lawyers of color disproportionately. (cf., Association of the Bar of the City of New York's Mentoring Program on January 24, 2000 focusing on the special difficulties of minorities and women lawyers in finding and using mentors. ABCNY's program also provided information on the design and implementation of mentoring programs. See ABCNY's book, "Lawyers' Guide to Mentoring".)
Provide interviewing and networking opportunities for lawyers of color through conferences, seminars where minority lawyers showcase their expertise, published program directories (paper and on-line), annual reports, newsletters and magazines. (Large programs in Arizona, California, Georgia and Texas.)
Provide interactive seminars for general counsel, other corporate managers of lawyers, and managing partners focusing on hiring and retention of lawyers of color, using both diversity trainers and academic experts like Prof. Charles Ogletree, Prof. David Wilkins (Harvard Law School) and Prof. Kim Taylor-Thompson (New York University Law School).

3. Students

Develop and present a program that recruits and matches minority lawyer on a one-on-one basis with minority high school, college and/or law student.
Create videos to inform minority pre-law and law students and recent law graduates about the law school experience and professional opportunities available. (cf., Association of the Bar of the City of New York's "Don't Be Shocked, Be Ready")
Provide local second and third year minority law students with opportunities to work with the association during the academic year. (cf., Association of the Bar of the City of New York)

4. Directory

Publish and distribute to membership, a Minority Lawyers Directory, including minority-owned law firms and minority lawyers in majority firms, corporate law departments and government offices.
Include directory on association's website with area(s) of expertise and other relevant information. (cf., Indiana Bar Association)

D. Fellowships and Scholarships

1. Fellowships and Clerkships

Create fellowships for minority law students. (cf., Association of the Bar of the City of New York's Thurgood Marshall Fellowship for 3 minority law students to work with specific community/civil rights programs and ABCNY's Minority Environmental Fellowship to encourage minority law students to consider practice in environmental law.) (See also, Santa Clara County Bar Association and Indiana Bar Association.)
Create first year summer clerkships for minority law students.

2. Scholarship

Create and administer a minority law student scholarship program.

ABA: over $1,000,000 raised
Bar Association of San Francisco: over $700,000 raised
Los Angeles County Bar Association: over $150,000 raised

Co-sponsor scholarship with minority bar associations and law schools where legally permissible.