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DIVERSITY MODEL
PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES
Law Firms |
Bar Associations
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Corporation
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Law Schools
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
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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.
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Create Leadership Development Team to identify minorities for
bar leadership positions.
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Ensure that minorities are well represented in at-large slots
on both "senior bar" and young lawyers' boards of directors.
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Train and encourage committee and section chairs to identify
and bring into leadership positions leaders within their particular sectors.
(cf., Columbus OH Bar)
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Encourage lawyers of color to become bar members.
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Increase the number of, and give high profile to, minority
continuing legal education presenters. (cf., Columbus OH Bar).
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See outline for Law Firms above for guidance on recruitment,
hiring, retention and promotion within the bar association.
3. President, Executive Director and
Staff
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Devote a substantial amount of the President's and
Executive Director's time to diversity.
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Personal visits by the President and Executive Director at
meetings and events of minority bar associations, minority law students.
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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.
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Provide diversity training to all bar staff.
4. Bar Presidents' Counsel
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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)
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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.
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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.)
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5. Outreach to Legal Community
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Develop strategies for outreach to large and small firms,
sole practitioners, corporations and government agencies, including a
focused campaign to attract lawyers of color.
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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)
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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)
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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
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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.
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Periodically re-state or re-formulate goals as appropriate.
(cf., Association of the Bar of the City of New York)
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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).
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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)
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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".)
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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
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Establish well-funded Minority Employment Committees in
main association and young lawyers' division.
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Maintain diverse leadership.
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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).
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2. Minority Counsel Programs
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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.
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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".)
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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.)
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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
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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.
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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")
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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
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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.
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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
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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.)
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Create first year summer clerkships for minority law
students.
2. Scholarship
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